Produced by Emmy, MFR, Sue Clark, F E H and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
----------------------------------------
This ebook is dedicated to
EMMY
friend, colleague, mentor, role model,
who fell off the planet far too soon.
----------------------------------------
Price 15 Cents
[Illustration]
A
Topsy Turvy
Christmas
_GUPTILL_
PAINE PUBLISHING CO.
DAYTON, OHIO
New Entertainment Songs
By Edna Randolph Worrell.
These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments. The music is
easy, and both music and words are especially catchy. Children like
them. Everybody likes them. Sheet music. =Price 25 cents each. Five
copies, $1.00.=
=WE HOPE YOU’VE BROUGHT YOUR SMILES ALONG.= A welcome song that will
at once put the audience in a joyous frame of mind and create a happy
impression that will mean half the success of your entire program.
Words, bright and inspiring. Music, catchy.
=WE’LL NOW HAVE TO SAY GOOD-BYE.= This beautiful song has snap and go
that will appeal alike to visitors and singers. It is just the song to
send your audience home with happy memories of the occasion.
=WE’VE JUST ARRIVED FROM BASHFUL TOWN.= This song will bring memories
to the listeners of their own bashful school days. Words, unusually
clever. Music, decidedly melodious. A capital welcome song, or it may
be sung at any time on the program with assured success.
=MY OWN AMERICA, I LOVE THEE.= A song that will bring a thrill of
patriotism to the heart of every one who hears it. The children and
grown-ups just can’t resist the catchy music. It makes a capital
marching song.
=COME AND PARTAKE OF OUR WELCOME CAKE.= A merry welcome song and a
jolly one, too. The audience will be immediately curious about the
Welcome Cake, and the children will love to surprise the listeners with
the catchy words. Music, easy and tuneful.
=LULLABY LANE.= The music and words blend so beautifully that people
will be humming the appealing strains long after they hear this
charming song. A wonderfully effective closing song, whether sung by
the school or as a solo by a little girl, with a chorus of other little
girls with dolls.
=JOLLY PICKANINNIES.= Words by Elizabeth F. Guptill. Music by Edna R.
Worrell. This spicy coon song will bring down the house, especially if
you use the directions for the motions which accompany the music. The
black faces and shining eyes of the pickaninnies will guarantee a hit.
The words are great and the music just right.
=THE LITTLE BIRD’S SECRET.= Here is just the song for those two
little folks to sing together. They won’t have to be coaxed to sing
it, especially when they find that the whole school is to whistle the
chorus. This is a decided novelty, and will prove a rare treat to your
audience.
=A GARDEN ROMANCE.= This is a dainty little song telling of the romance
and wedding of Marigold and Sweet William. It is just the song for
dainty little girls to sing.
=COME TO THE NURSERY RHYME GARDEN AND PLAY.= Here is something
different for the little folks to sing. The Nursery Rhyme Folk are so
familiar to children, it will be no trick for them to remember the
words. The music has a most captivating swing.
Paine Publishing Company - - Dayton, Ohio
A TOPSY-TURVY
CHRISTMAS
_By_
ELIZABETH F. GUPTILL
_Author of “Christmas at Punkin Holler,”
“Christmas at McCarthy’s,” Etc._
PAINE PUBLISHING COMPANY
DAYTON, OHIO
CHARACTERS
FRANK--A boy of twelve} The Earth children.
ALICE--A girl of ten }
KNARF--A Topsy Turvy boy; really a boy of fourteen or fifteen.
ECILA--His sister; a girl somewhat taller.
DERF--Their little brother; the tallest boy obtainable.
MOM--Their mother; a girl of nine or ten.
DAD--Their father; a boy of seven or eight.
MARG--Their grandmother; the smallest girl who can learn the part.
THE SPANKETY MAN--A boy of ten or twelve.
THE TEACHER--A boy of ten or twelve.
CLANTY SAUCE--A very tall, thin boy.
GOTHER MOOSE--A short, fat girl, of seven or eight.
FAIRY--A tiny girl.
GREENIES--Any number of small girls. Two will do, but four are better.
A small boy to be in CLANTY SAUCE’S box is also needed.
_Copyright, 1916, by
Paine Publishing Company
Dayton, Ohio_
COSTUMES AND PROPERTIES
FRANK and ALICE wear the usual school clothes of children of their ages.
MARG, the tiny Grandmother, has her hair powdered, parted in the
middle, and combed down over her ears. She wears a cap, and spectacles,
from which the lenses have been removed. Her dress is long, of gray
material, with white apron and kerchief, which may be on wrong side to.
MOM, the children’s mother, wears her hair high, her dress long. This
dress is preferably a wrapper or tea-gown worn “hind side before.” She
wears an apron, also, one of the round, tea aprons, either behind or
over one hip. She may have a lace collar, pinned behind.
DAD wears long trousers, with his socks pulled up outside, a swallow
tail coat, and vest, both “hind side before.”
ECILA wears a very short dress, white, or light colored, with a sash of
some other color, preferably red, tied in front. She may wear beads,
which hang down her back. If her hair is long, part it, comb each side
up to the top, and begin to braid there. Braid tightly, and loop it,
so loops will stand out and up pinning into place, if necessary. Tie
ribbons around base of loops. If her hair has the Dutch cut, bring the
top hair, which is left longer, as far as possible, and tie a ribbon
around it, so that it stands up in the front, just over the forehead,
being the bow. She has short socks.
KNARF wears short trousers--decidedly short--with frills at the bottom
of bright color. His blouse may be Russian or sailor, but must be on
“hind side before,” and have collar and cuffs of bright color. A suit
of green and white awning stripe, with bright pink trimmings, would be
very effective. Comb his hair in any peculiar way that that particular
boy’s hair can be coaxed to stay. His stockings are long, striped
around with bright blue.
DERF should have a wig, if at all possible, of long curls. Tie one
or two up on the side, with a blue ribbon. He has short socks, and
knickers of material to match his dress, that end above the knee. The
dress may be a kilted skirt and a sailor or middy blouse of white,
with blue trimmings. A sash, with tassels, passes round his waist, and
knots at one side. The big sailor collar should be in front, instead of
behind.
THE TEACHER wears a cap and gown, like those of graduates, wrong side
to. He may have glasses.
THE SPANKETY MAN is dressed in a dark red cambric garment, with
tight-fitting waist and trousers, in one. It is buttoned behind,
with large buttons. This suit has high neck, long, close sleeves, and
trousers that button closely round the ankles. He may wear a visor cap,
with the visor behind, or any hat or cap that can be made noticeable,
when improperly worn. He carries a bag with assorted “spankers.” These
may be two or three switches, a slipper, a hair-brush, a razor-strop,
a fly-killer, an egg-turner, a small fire-shovel, a shingle, and one
or two “spankers” with handles cut from shingles. He should choose one
with which to emphasize his song.
THE FAIRY wears a fluffy, full dress of white, pale pink, or blue, as
desired. It has a full waist, and a very full, short skirt. It may be
of crepe paper, mosquito netting, or of some sheer material. She should
have short wings, which may be made of a square of the goods, folded
into an oblong, and gathered along one side where two edges meet, then
fastened among the folds at the back of the waist. More gauzy wings may
be made of wired gauze or netting. She should have a silver wand, with
a star at the end, and a silver girdle. Her hair should be flowing,
with a silver band around it, and a star above her forehead. Her
stockings may be white, or may match the dress; the slippers should be
white or silver.
GOTHER MOOSE wears a long red skirt, a long black cape and a tall,
pointed hat of red, with a black band.
THE GREENIES, of whom there may be any number from two to six, are
dressed entirely in green, of course. They wear green stockings, green
pointed shoes, made from cloth, full, short bloomers, and a long, loose
blouse, belted in. They have tall, pointed caps, at the peak of which
is sewed a bell, the peak being bent down, to hang at one side. Any
shade of green will do, but the whole costume should be in the same
shade. If the green stockings are not easily had, color white ones.
Each carries a long green ribbon, strung with tiny bells.
CLANTY SAUCE should be the tallest, thinnest boy obtainable, dressed in
some striped material, the stripes, running up and down. The trousers
are close-fitting, and reach the ankle. The tunic reaches a little
below the waist, and is belted in, high under the arms. He wears a tall
hat, very tall and small around, covered with the striped material.
SETTING.
There should be an inner curtain which shuts off most of the stage. At
the beginning of Scene I, this curtain is down. If this inner curtain
can have on it any common outdoor scene, so much the better. The first
part of the play is enacted before this inner curtain. When the curtain
rises, which it should do as swiftly and silently as possible, it
discloses Topsy Turvy Land--an outdoor scene. Small trees should be
placed at the back. Plant the top branches--the ones in the center,
firmly in pots or pails of earth, and have stems and roots upward.
Fasten odd-looking fruits upon the branches, by means of fine wire, so
that they “hang upward” instead of downward. A gate and fence may be
in the background, if desired. These may be made of very light strips
of wood, or of cardboard. Have the gateposts square at the top, with
ornamental balls, or other shapes, at the bottom. From these, to the
sides, fasten two horizontal pieces, one very near the top, the other
farther down. Fasten the pickets to these, pointing downward with a
good space between them and the bottom. A few cardboard birds, like
those the children make and color in the first grade and kindergarten,
should be fastened, so that they seem to be perching on the under sides
of the branches of the trees. A garden bench or two may be behind the
fence, wrong side up. Have one near the front, on one side, so all the
characters need not stand, all the time; but whenever Frank or Alice
sit down, they turn it up properly, while when the others sit, they
turn it back. Let this happen occasionally, through first scene. For
Scene II, both curtains are up, but be careful to have all the setting
where it will be hidden by the inner curtain when it falls, near the
end of the play.
This scene, which is a room in the house occupied by Alice and Frank,
should have a small table, and several chairs, all upside down. Two or
three pictures hang upside down on the walls. There may be a shelf,
with everything topsy turvy. A rug, rolled up, is on the floor, near
one side, and is used as a seat by Marg and Mom. If there is room,
have a tiny stand in one corner--the kind of stand that has a lower
shelf. This must be wrong side up, and on the shelf may be topsy turvy
ornament, jardiniere, or lamp. Leave room for Clanty Sauce’s box, near
the center. The last part of the play is enacted with the inner curtain
down, as in the first part.
Clanty’s box is large enough to hold a small boy, and all the gifts
enumerated. It should be on casters, so the Greenies can pull it in. In
it is a small boy. He is neither seen nor heard, but he must be able to
pass out the correct presents quickly.