Which witch is which?, 1954

Which witch is which?, 1954

Published by Cincinnati’s long-lived Willis Music Co. when Gloria Kaufman was in her mid-20s, this “musical play in one act” was “directed to an audience whose age ranges from 7 to 17” but “intended to have a message for adults” as well. The front matter includes illustrated suggestions for set designs and costumes. Numbers include “Why don’t People MEAN what they Say?,” “A Whale of a Tale” and “Dance of the Sticks.” Did this bit of juvenilia anticipate Kaufman’s later interest in witchcraft and paganism?

Synopsis (from pg. iii): Billy is a little boy with a big imagination. He hears the townspeople talking about a stranger who has come to their island to warn them about witches, and he wonders what a witch is. When he chances to say a magic word, the sticks in his yard come alive and two witches appear – one smiling, the other sneering. However, they reverse their facial expressions, causing Billy to query, “Which witch is which?” The stranger, Preacher Manner, creates a panic, and convinces the people that Anna Newstart is a witch. As Old Dame Wise and Mr. Bailey restore order and reason to the scene, Billy utters the magic word. Thereupon, the sticks chase away the bad witch and Preacher Manner.