This book is offered as a preliminary survey of some of the technical questions involved in writing and staging pageants and community drama. The main purpose has been to make the suggestions as practical as possible. For this reason there has been no attempt to trace the history of the various dramatic types discussed, nor to deal too abstractly with theories of the drama.

Judges selected from the audience actually vote and determine the winner who, therefore, may be different at each performance. The show takes its shots not by mocking the pageant from the outside, but by being one. The six contestants compete for the title of Miss Glamouresse (Glamouresse being a cosmetics company). Miss Deep South, Miss West Coast, Miss Great Plains, Miss Bible Belt, Miss Industrial Northeast. and Miss Texas and compete in evening gowns, talent, swim-wear and spokemodeling, plus the finalists answer actual calls from the Glamouresse Beauty Crisis Hotline.

The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.

Looks at the history of the depiction of anti-authoritarian social movements in art.