REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL CLASS DAY SKIT

YORK COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1952

PRESENTED MAY 1952

ALUMNI COMMITTEE 1960 SETTING

Scene I: Connie Wolfe, Wayne Mahood, Pete Sonderegger, Ken Jones &

Sally Butler

Scene II: BITS O’ PROPHECY – 52

(Each character playing himself)

1. Grayheck, Serfling, Jacobson, & Girls: Jane Alderson, Joyce Goeller, Beverly Dornoff, Joan Schmalzried, Mary Roth, Janet Gibson

2. Heiss & Kruse

3. Wick, Reimer & Bosselman

4. Hammer & Esty

5. Buswell

Scene III: BITS O’ WILL

Albert……………………………Bruce Johnson

Herman………………………….Ken Eichenberger

Mr. Birks………………………...Milt Lynnes

Mr. Simpson……………………..Bruce Carlson

Student..…….……………………Joyce Peterhans

Jim Backoff..…………………….Bud Shmoock

Chuck Greaves..…………………Gerry Wheeler

Six Clean Students……………… Pete Baugh, Bob Conlin, Glen

Schricker, Bruce Downey, Fran

Nicholl, Marilyn Hersey

Six Sloppy Students……………...Jim Daily, Dick Burke, Ron

Hoffman, Pat Peacock, Kay

Wilson, Jayne Whitney

Scene IV: FACULTY SNAPS

Mr. Pratt………………………….Ralph Stevens

Mr. Michelson……………………Gordon Hoffee

Mr. Berry…………………………Eugene Holderman

Mr. Hitt…………………………...Ronnie Roble

Miss White………………………..Doris Strickland

Librarians…………………………Pat O’Neill, Joyce Hartley

Miss Barrow………………………Irene Morgan

Mrs. Hoffstetter…………………...Marge Wiegand

Mr. Morgan……………………….Glenn Kruse

Page 2-------------York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

Scene V: ASSEMBLY & TEACHERS’ MEETING

Doctor Young………………………Dave Buswell

Guard………………………………..Ernie Eckelman

Guard………………………………..Marvin Chaney

Guard………………………………..Gordon Hoffie

Guard………………………………..Robert Golseth

Guard………………………………..Duke Weiss

Trumpeter……………………………John Bartman

Trumpeter……………………………Bruce Downey

Miss Lampark………………………..Dawn Benson

Mr. Black…………………………….Earl Perrin

Mr. Benson…………………………..Neil Marshall

Mr. DeShane…………………………Tom Burrows

Mr. VanNorman……………………...Bill McDaniel

Mrs. Reese……………………………Mary Lou O’Dell

Mr. Rogall…………………………….Richard Boller

Page 3………….York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

SCENE: A living room in Sally Butler’s home. SALLY at rise of curtain is s

straightening the room. Doorbell rings. SALLY answers bell and admits CONNIE.

SALLY: Well, how are you, Connie?

CONNIE: Fine, Sally, how are you? Am I the first one here?

SALLY: The others will be here right away. (They sit down.)

CONNIE: It’s hard to realize that the old gang hasn’t gotten together since we graduated

from high school eight years ago.

SALLY: I was just thinking this morning that this Alumni Tea Committee is exactly

the same people who planned the Class Day Skit back in 1952.

CONNIE: It’s going to be a treat to see each other again.

SALLY: (Laughs) I wonder what Wayne Mahood will look like after all these years?

After he finished college, he went into the ministry.

CONNIE: Yes. I hear that right now he’s raising money to put a new wing on his

Church. (Doorbell rings. SALLY opens door.)

SALLY: Wayne Mahood! Come on in. Connie and I were just talking about you!

Enter Wayne. He is dressed in the conventional sober clothing of a minister,

Wears dark glasses and carries a tin cup.

WAYNE: How are you, Sally? Hello, Connie. (Removes dark glasses and empties

contents of cup.) I collected two dollars and seventy-four cents in front of

the post office this morning. If you ladies care to contribute anything, I’ll

leave the cup on the table. (WAYNE & SALLY sit.)

CONNIE: It’s awfully nice of you, Sally, to have the committee over to play the Alumni

Tea. I can’t wait to see what eight years have done to Pete Sonderegger and

Ken Jones!

WAYNE: I understand they’ve made quite a name for themselves in the airplane

manufacturing business. (Doorbell rings.)

SALLY: That must be Ken and Pete now. (Goes to door and opens it.) Come in!

Enter PETE and KEN. PETE has a scrapbook under his arm. Both are wearing

beanies with propellers on them. There is a round of handshakes and greetings.

Page 4……………….York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

SALLY: Just sit down and make yourselves comfortable and I’ll go bring in some

coffee.

KEN: Well, Connie, eight years have certainly been kind to you! Remember when

we all worked together on that Class Day Skit back at York?

CONNIE: (With a reminiscent laugh.) I’ll say I do. Sally was just saying what a

coincidence it was that the same committee of four is getting together again

after all these years to arrange an alumni tea.

PETE: We haven’t seen each other in so long, I thought it would be fun to look at

this. (Produces scrapbook.) It’s my old scrapbook I kept from our years at

York.

CONNIE: Oh, wonderful! I always meant to keep all my play programs and

Souveneirs and put them in a book, but I never did.

KEN: Some of the pictures will kill you.

(Enter SALLY with coffee tray.)

CONNIE: I well remember, Ken, when you were the yearbook photographer!

Everybody in your pictures looks like Boris Karloff.

SALLY: What’s that you got there, Pete?

PETE: The scrapbook I kept at York. I though it would be fun to look at it.

SALLY: Oh, that’ll be well! Let me see that. (She takes book and opens it. She

immediately lets out a scream of amusement.) Here’s that stupid picture

that Ken Jones made just as I had my mouth open. I look like a dying

swordfish.

CONNIE: (Turning page.) Here’s our class prophecy. Whoever wrote that would

certainly get a kick of seeing us all now.

PETE: Yes, a few years can make a lot of difference. I’ll bet we’d be surprised

to see just how much some of those kids have changed now.

KEN: Remember the class women-haters, Grayheck, Jacobson, and Serfling? I

wonder if they still are indifferent to feminine wiles?

Page 5…………….York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

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(RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER AREA LIGHTS COME UP. Grayheck, Serfling

and Jacobson are shown with three girls draped upon their arms ecstatically

gazing into their eyes. CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

CONNIE: Oh, they’re all probably in a monastery by now.

WAYNE: I wonder whether Wick, Riemer, and Bosselman ever kept up with the

ah, er (with a delicate cough) business they started before graduation?

Do you know, Pete?

PETE: They probably are following somewhat the same line.

(RIGHT SPOT OUT. LEFT SPOT UP.)

WICK: Are those bottle all filled and ready, Fred?

BOSSELMAN: All ready, Wick!

WICK: Then let’s join Riemer and start pushing them.

(CENTER SPOT UP. LEFT SPOT OUT. They put on white coats and join

Riemer selling milk, An Elsie the Cow sign is placed center.)

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

SALLY: Remember Vic Hammer. I wonder what kind of records he’s making

now?

(RIGHT SPOT OUT, CENTER SPOT UP.)

ESTY: For your perfect attendance at Sunday School through these past

years we award you this medal. (Hangs large “perfect attendance”

medal around VIC HAMMER’s neck.) Congratulations Mr.

Hammer.

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

CONNIE: Say, Ken, what do think the future brought to Dave Buswell?

KEN: If you ask me, he’s probably shoveling coal right now!

Page 6………………York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

(RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP. BUSWELL, dressed as angel,

crosses upstage.) CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

PETE: Here’s our class will. (Reading.) Ralph Lane wills a broom to Albert and a

Kerosene lamp to Herman to help Albert find a clean student.

(RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.)

(Albert and Herman slowly walk across the stage with broom and lantern.)

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

CONNIE: Yes, Ill never forget those two. What else is there?

PETE: Betty Western willed Mr. Birks a pair of roller skates.

(RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.)

(Mr. Birks skates across stage with basketball in one hand.)

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

WAYNE: He was getting a little dead on his feet anyway.

PETE: For the purpose of catching students wandering in the hall, Dick Leonard

will Mr. Simpson a bear trap.

(RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.)

(Mr. Simpson has just placed a bear trap in the path of an unsuspecting

student who is wandering around the halls. Simpson slyly rubs his hands

together as the poor student is caught in thetrap.

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

KEN: He caught me more than once.

PETE: Listen to this one. Carol Lecture willed her favorite song, “The Blue Tail

Fly,” to Chuck Greaves while he is washing his car.

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

Page 7…………York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

(Chuck Greaves is washing his car and at the same time is singing “The Blue

Tail Fly.” After the song is over the scene changes. Albert and Herman

appear again with broom and lantern.)

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

CONNIE: What a legacy!

SALLY: Are there any more?

PETE: Yes, Bruce Downey willed six inches of his height to Jim Backoff so he

could play basketball the next year.

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(Jim Backoff is standing on a car jack and is pumped up six inches.)

SALLY: As long as your digging up old memories, I have terrific movies I took of

the faculty. (Has machine ready on table.)

CONNIE: I didn’t know you took any pictures!

SALLY: Neither did the faculty!

WAYNE: There must be some dillies!

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.)

(Mr. Pratt walks on. Takes swing at golf ball. Misses. Throws down golf

club. His hair is combed like horns.)

(CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.)

KEN: Gee, that profile looks familiar.

ALL: Mr. Pratt!

PETE: Remember when Pat Lira and Pancho Schwartz made nitroglycerin in the

lab? It wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t tried to boil it!

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

Page 8…………….York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

(Mr. Michelsen walks on throwing cough drops in his mouth and says,

“Muy Bueno!”

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

ALL: Mr. Michelsen!

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(Mr, Berry walks across carrying briefcase and wearing hat on top of

head.)

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

WAYNE: (Right Away) Mr. Berry!

CONNIE: I wonder if he ever did find out what the floor looks like?

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(The librarians come across carrying books; one is tall, the other short.

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

KEN: Mutt and Jeff. How did they get in?

PETE: What do books have to do with it?

SALLY: The librarians, Miss Ellis and Mrs. Spencer!

CONNIE: Library? What’s that? Oh, yes! It’s the room across from Mr. Berry’s

room.

PETE: Well, I was never in there myself. I wouldn’t stand the studious silence.

Who else is in your picture collection, Sally?

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

HITT: Now let me see, is that door for the Junior Play set supposed to be

upstage or downstage? And that staircase---did it go like this (Gestures

with hands.) or like this? (Gestures with hands.) Or like this? (Gestures

with hands.) Oh, I give up!….I give up!

Enter Miss White.

Page 9………York’s 1952 Class Day Skit

WHITE: Mr. Hitt! Do you know what you did? You left the trapdoor open on the

Stage and I nearly fell through. (Exits, heels clicking.)

HITT: (Full front.) Curses! Foiled again!

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

KEN: No one could miss that. Mr. Hitt and Miss White!

SALLY: That was the time Mr. Hitt put the doors on backward on the Senior

Play set!

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(Miss Barrow walks on in bloomer, bowed hair, etc.)

PETE: She looks like a bathing beauty from the 1800’s!

CONNIE: Wait a minute----Miss Barrow at the Senior-Faculty game! That wasn’t

as funny as when Mrs. Hoffstetter kept losing her bloomers in the

game! I thought I’d die!

(Mrs. Hoffstetter on screen trying to dribble basketball and hold her

bloomers up.)

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

KEN: Have you got any more faculty pictures?

SALLY: Yes, there’s one left. Here it is.

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(Mr. Morgan shown playing the organ. Discordant music heard.)

CENTER SPOT OUT. RIGHT SPOT UP.

SALLY: I doubt whether his picture needs any explanation.

KEN: Mr. Morgan at the organ!

Page 10…….York Class of 1952 Class Day Skit

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Editor’s Note

I am missing the next page of the script which I believe

is the assembly sequence. In that I was involved in that particular

sequence, I am relying on a less-than-perfect memory to

recreate it.

Dave Buswell

June 2001

WAYNE: Do you remember those assemblies with all those announcements

By Doctor Young?

CONNIE: Who could forget them?

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

(A rostrum with a microphone is center stage. Downey and Bartmann

walk out with trumpets and stand on either side of the rostrum. They

play an extended fanfare. Two rows of dark suited guards file from stage

right and left , form a V and stand at rigid attention. Buswell walks

between the two rows of guards to the rostrum.

BUSWELL: I welcome you to another exciting York High School Assembly! Today,

I will be discussing ……..(At this point there’s a loud boo from the

Audience.)

Who did that? I want to know who did that!

(Buswell looks at both both rows of the guards.

Hunt that man to the ends of the earth! Through the steaming jungles of

Africa and the frozen tundra of the North, if you have to! But find him

and bring him to me!

( The two rows of guards run from the stage into the audience. Buswell

looks back at audience.)

I apologize for the interruption. The 30 cent cafeteria special for today is

enriched bread and water. Because of the faculty meeting after school

today, school will be dismissed at 3:00.

CENTER SPOT OFF. RIGHT SPOT UP.

Editor’s Note

The original script follow from this point.

Page 11…………York’s Class of 1952 Class Day Skit

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ALL: (Laughter)

PETE: Yes, those were the days, all right. In four years I guess we saw just

About everything that goes on around York.

CONNIE: Not quite everything. You know, there’s something I always wished I

could have witnessed around here.

SALLY: What’s that?

CONNIE: A faculty meeting. I’d love to see those teachers making their

momentous decisions.

KEN: Wouldn’t you like to be a little mouse in the corner and see just what

goes on?

RIGHT SPOT OUT. CENTER SPOT UP.

LAMPARK: Mr. Black, how is your traffic court coming?

BLACK: Well, Fay, we had a few cases last week; Kathy Flechsig was caught

With dual straight pipes, no fenders, no license, no city sticker, no tail

Lights and going 70 miles per hour around the circle drive.

LAMPARK: What did you do to her?

BLACK: We had to give her the full penalty. No driving to school for two

days.

LAMPARK: Did you have any more cases?

BLACK: We caught Chuck Cornish without a school sticker.

LAMPARK: What was his penalty?

BLACK: He’s not with us any more.

(Mr. DeShane arrives.)

DESHANE: Will the meeting please come to order? First on the order of

business is the question of one or two schools. Mr. Benson, what is

your opinion on this subject?

Page 12…………York’s Class of 1952 Class Day Skit

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BENSON: Well, I think that if you call the northwest corner of the building just

plain theta and you divide the sine of the acute angle by the tangent

theta squared, you can find by higher mathematics, namely

Johnson’s Method, the approximate ability of the possible football

DESHANE: Thank you, Mr. Benson. Now for the woman’s side of the story.

teams.

Mrs. Reese will you give us your ideas?

REESE: (A 33 1/3 record is played on a 78 rpm machine.)

DESHANE: Ah, yes----I agree with you completely. Now Mr. Van Norman,

What do you have to say?

VAN NORMAN: I am of the firm belief that we should write the editor of a certain

Chicago newspaper and find his worthy opinion of the subject.

Then we shall proceed to do just the opposite.

DESHANE: Well, enough of that. Now to the fun. This meeting was called

mainly to pick the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of

1952. I have here a board with a list of all the senior’s names.

You know the game. Blindfold Mr. Rogell and give him the pins.

(Rogell is blindfolded and spun around. He then walks with his

famous gait and sticks a pin in the board. Mr. DeShane checks the

name.)

Gerald Weingand is the Valedictorian!

(Rogell duplicates the earlier process,)

Paul Windlow is the Salutatorian! Remind me to congratulate

these boys for their splendid work. Each of you has a list of the

Senior’s names. Here’s a silver dollar. Proceed with determining

who will graduate.

Editor’s Note

The remaining few lines are unintelligible due to the fading

of the type. Essentially, however, the curtain was lowered

during the above sequence and the skit ended to tumultuous

applause.