Putnam patriot., 1928-02-16
COMMUNITY MINSTREL
 FEATURES PROGRESS
consinaed From Page One

turned ito the orchestra pit and fur nished the musie for the balance of the program The management made a happy choice in selecting the music. as the Goodyear orchestra is far above the average professional musical organizations.
 The Silver Masked Tenor was the next on the air. He was present in person. mask and all, and did not un- mask until verbally unmasked by the station's announcer, who told the au- dience that the Silver Mask was Ralph C. Jenkins, superintendent of schools, who doubled in the dress circle and was also chairman of the executive committee.
 The Putnam stations program as further announced and carried out in- cluded Miss Ruth Bradley, danseuese, whose first interpretation was en- cored and she came back for a second number and received a curtain call at the end Miss Marjorie Steere was at the piano.
 Enter Happiness Boys
 Then, out from the past, came a tricycle. built for one, but carrying two, the Happiness Boys, Ed Hill and Ken Sharpe. The ancient vehicle looked intimately familiar, as did it's duo of passengers who appeared en natural.
 The Happiness Boys evidenced a breadth of versatility. They slipped easily about on the remains. of Hills banana solo, eaten to some none too flat rcmonstrances from Sharpe. Fol- lowing their How Do You Do" open ing they wove in and out with southern dialect. the Dutch "Ya "a" song, a Travel On" number from lower Sixth Avenue, and threw in bit of Yiddish dialogue for dessert. By the time the act ended the fruit properties had mo- ticeably disappeared. Both comedi- ans took part In citrus duet Eat Elm and Choke" during which real orange disappeared right in front of the eyrs of the audience. The Happi- neas Boys, finishing their fifteen or twenty minutes of fun, took of on the wheeled bike and disappeared in the wings. while those out front em- phasized their farewells and apprecla- ton with applause, but were unable to bring them back.
 Some Good Singing
 The Happiness Boys having made their tumultuous exit, the Rotary Quartette of harmonizers from Daniel son appeared. They sang several numbers. and the stiffness of the house denoted that they had the audience with them. They are an exceptionally well balanced group with we'll blend cd voices. The members are Gordon J. Gale, Herbert II. Peppler. Earle Winslow and Louis Roberts.
 Fine entertainers were trio of Killingly high school boys. Elwood Spencer. Thomas Day and Robert Grennon. whose saxaphone numbers were an outstanding feature of the musical part of the show.
 Following the ten-minute wait the curtain was drawn for the second part of the evenings entertainment. It showed a stage setting completely changed. The studio had been trans formed into well apportioned Hat Shoppe. noticeable upon the wall of which was a picture of Abraham Lin- coln.
 The Ladies
 This introduced for the first time the lady members of the cast Ma dame" Miss Gertrude Warner, in charge of the shoppe, and her maids, picked from an inkwell on q dark nigBl and looking blaeker than she dgIk secret, Miss Ruby Payne and ~Ars. Dorothy Prince. No sooner had the maids whisked about with their feather dusters than appeared the janitress, to whom another generous portion of black grease paint had been awarded. This part, the leading fe- male humorous role. had been entrust- cd to Mrs. Myra Brink She was quite capable of carrying this large part. and when she spoke her lines she said something. and when she said something no one in the most remote part of the theatre had Co cup an ear From the fifth row in the balcony it sounded as if she was addressed as Manda. and that name will do quite we'll Manda was on the trail of her husband, Rastus. who had dolled up and disappeared from the home ham bone and scones. and had sauntered down into the red light district of Canal street. where Manda rcck0ned some lighted. coiored Ethiopian was vamping her non-resisting man.
 The Model Quartette
 After Manda had finished her tirade against her erring spouse, the four models of the evening appeared in the hat shoppe, also customers. to examine what Madame had brought back from her season in Paris The mannequins were Mrs. Sward Shirreifs, Mrs. Mar ion Mansfield. Miss Geraldine Frost and Mrs Dorothy Cross The models high halted the hats and the eyes of the audience followed the mannequins and for the time being the stock of Madame was correspoudinQly neglect ed by those beyond the footlights.
 The Black Circle
 The curtain dropped for the space of few seconds and rose again to disclose the only suggestion of old- time minstrclsy. Here was Che never forgotten dress circle. a line of sil- houettes. sixteen man-power strong. In the center of this darkness was "Sydh Marland, iuteriocutor. ard on the ends were the fun-makinr end. men. Henry Rodo. Kenneth Sharpe, Ralph Shoals. Herbert Owen. Burdetfe Hopkins and L. Edwin Hill.
 The Gentlemen De Seated" was taken literally. the ladies remaining standing about the shoppe. ever in- 4 H