Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09
5, 900 See Children's Circus
after Outnaneuuering Weather
Community Center Departments Third
annual Festival at Central Stadium
PrOues C0l0rfuI Event.

First 1t rained and then the sun
came out. 1t rained again and approx
imately 5000 persons who had gath.
cred in Central High School Stadium
yesterday afternoon to see the Com
munity Center Departments third an
nual children's festival-circus went in
doors to the schools auditorium,
where the circus was to be staged in
case of RAIN
After all hands had been COM
fortably seated the sun came out and
the officials announced that the circus
would be held outdoors in the sta
dunn
So fathers and mothers and babes
In arms left their indoor seats and
returned to the athletic field where
the circus actually was held.
Somewhere between two and three
thousand children took part In the
three-ring circus that displayed all
the art Of caravansarie. camaraderie
and carefree life in the great open
spaces-from parades, to gypsy folk
dances. to Glowing.
Hittenmark Announcer.
With Gordon Hittenmark AZ an
nouncer for the circus. the whole pro-
gram got away to . good start-even
If it was 10 minutes late. Since there
was that struggle with the elements,
all eyes cooked for rain. the program
was run of in record time-like 4
professional show, with no stage waits.
First came triumphal march
around the arena, all the entertainers
lined up in the circus parade
With 4 fanfare Of trumpets BY the
Sons of the American Legion Drum
and Bugle Corps, the parade entered
the stadium from the Thirteenth
street and Florida avenue entrance
IN two sections. Section l was led by
the Metropolitan Police Boys Band,
Section 2 by the Washington Elks
Boys Band. preceded by the Boy
Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps of
Park View Center.
A good parade, too. that probably
would have stretched the length Of
Pennsylvania avenue from the Capitol
to the White House, had it been held
downtown. Everybody had a hand
or a foot-in 1t. from the little kids
dressed in Mickey Mouse costumes.
beautiful silken clothes Of black and
white, to the grotesque figures of
lengthier lads and lassies in the garb
OF wild animak-pink elephants,
giraffes. dragons, ostriches, and other
denizens of the jungle.
When the parade had finished each
unit was assigned place in one of
the three rings-and the circus was
on.
Mickey Mouse Contingent.
Fourteen acts comprised the first
part Of the program. There was
show by the Mickey Mouse contingent,
under leadership of Rena Cournyn;
= clown exhibition with H. P. Henson
As leader; syncopation by Langley
Center, with Anna Claxton In COM
mand; eccentric dances by the Roose-
velt-Macfarland and Park View units.
with Margaret Carmody rs leader, and
acrobatic novelties and soldiers on
parade. all under the command of
Adelaide Courtney.
There were special attractions and
regular attractions-greaseballs, ballet
dancers, woodland nymphs, cartwheel
clowns. fri acrobats, boxing clowns
living statues and wrestlers-all under
the direction of Genevteve p~ar.op
herman Lttman, Albert Nathanson.
Margaret Begeman, A. w. Burnet.
Alice Louise Hunter and their. "a.
sistants.
Tumbling and pyramids were under
direction Of J. N. Colangelo. H. K.
Clayton and R. J. Lund of Columbia
Heights. Variety "tappers" tapped to
the timing OF Jeanette Tolford.
Clowns from the E. v. Brown School
went through their PAGES 1T the sig
mails started by Harry Littleton. Swing