I occasionally come across school plays that were performed by area students. My recent one is dated Feb. 22, 1930 for Sulphur Springs School. Three dramatic productions were given as chapel programs at Sulphur Springs on Jan. 14, Jan. 23 and Feb. 5.
Third Grade
Third grade presents “Pandora” (dramatized): Eplmetheus (Ruth Brabson), Pandora (Florence Keefauver), Hope (Lorene Barry), Reader (Blanche Murray), Troubles (G.C. Armentrout, Anna Dale Deakins, Junior Hunt, Maz Williams).
Fifth and Sixth Grades
Fifth and sixth grades presented “Little February”: January (Edith Price), February (James Ferguson), March (Otis Combs), April (Edna Green), May (Dorothy Gray), June (Willie Jordan), July (Viola Barry), August (Nola Jenkins), September (Harry Keys), October (Stella Stafford), November (Ruth Luster), December (Elmer Moore)…
Father Time (Fern Cox), Love (Mae Black), Peace (Little Jordan), Culture (Ida Payne), Freedom (Louise Cox), Courage (Frances Williams)…
George Washington (Richard Deakins), Abraham Lincoln (Reamer Bacon), Daniel Boone (Horace Gray), Emma Hart Willard (Olivene Murray), Mary Lynn (Bertie Hale), Mark Hopkins (Hal Sherfey), Henry W. Longfellow (Robert White); James Russell Lowell (Lester Jones), William Tecumseh Sherman (Dean Hunt), Susan Anthony (Ruth Walker), Charles A. Lindberg (Howard ?), Thomas A. Edison (Hugh Price), Alice Freeman Palmer (Helen Walker), Valentine (Elizabeth Barnes), Honor (Beryl Stafford).
Eight Grade
Eight Grade Presents “Rip Van Winkle” (Dramatized): Rip Van Winkle (Ralph Moore), Mrs. Rip Van Winkle (Kate Jenkins), Their Son (J.B.O. Ferguson), The baby (Mae Williams), Nicholas Vedder (Mack Armentrout), Derrick Van Bummel (C.D. Williams), The Dutchman (Gilbert Ingle). An Old Woman (Lela Hartman), Judith Gardenier (Rip's daughter, Lula Hartman), Her baby (Blanche Murray), Young Rip Van Winkle (J.W. Ford).
Summary: Act 1 takes place in Rip Van Winkle's home. Act 2 takes place in the village Inn. Act 3 takes place on the mountain. Act 4 takes place on the mountain. Rip returns.
Act 1 was dramatized by Gilbert Ingle, Act 2 by Ralph Moore and Act 3 by C.D. Williams. Acts 4 and 5 were dramatized by Kate Jenkins.
These three numbers were chapel programs presented in the Sulphur Springs School on Jan. 14, Jan 23, and Feb. 5.
Papers and discussions on the program included departmental sessions, High School address, “What I Would Do as a History Teacher” (Miss Maxine Mathew), ETSTC.
Elementary reading (Mrs. Orville Martin), Joint session address (Dean W.W. Boyd) of Milligan College.
The meeting was held in the auditorium of Jonesboro (Jonesborough) High School.
If you recognize a name in the list, please drop me a note to my e-mail address listed below. Many of us can readily recognize the name, Mrs. Orville Martin, who taught us “Occupations: at (North) Junior High School. The name “Stafford” appears twice. Perhaps my friend, Allen Stafford, who is from that community, can identify them.
If any of the individuals in this article had wished to take in a movie in downtown Johnson City, two offerings included cowboy star, Tom Tyler at the Criterion Theatre (second rate) and Bebe Daniels, an American actress, singer and dancer at the Majestic Theatre (first rate). During this time frame, both theatres faced each other across E. Main Street.