I often told this Story to my junior school students. I hammed up the end.

It was received well,got laughs. I became very involved in Storytelling in the 1980’s & 1990’s, belonged to a wonderful group, New York City Storytellers. I told traditional folktales and personal stories. I even told at a prestigious event, Telebation, ‘94. (*** - see “Toot Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye”).

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     I was thirteen and a student at a Brooklyn junior high school. A tight group of kids had formed within the class. Good, studious kids who met every Friday at someone else’s house and danced to 45 rpm records. We sent away for tickets to a popular teenage dance show on Channel 5, and were surprised and happy when we received ten tickets. Ten tickets!  Five couples dashed out of school at 3:00 (February, ‘58?), boarded the Sea Beach train at Bay Parkway and just made it before the Manhattan television studio doors of Channel 5 were closed. We were going to be on Herb Sheldon’s teenage dance show, “Studio Party.” Television!   

 

     We found ourselves in a large room with older boys and girls, high school students, all of us in bleacher seats waiting for the popular host Herb Sheldon. A few minutes before 5:00, he suddenly appeared before us. We knew the on-screen jovial Herb Sheldon, but the off-air fellow was decidedly not a nice man. From the gitgo, he scolded, threatened and warned us not to misbehave. Huh?! We were stunned, but we sat still. When the red light of the camera came on, he abruptly turned around, his scowl turned instantly to a winning grin and he warmly welcomed everyone not in the studio. The guy was obviously a phony, but we didn’t let it bother us. Television!

 

     Songs were played. Everyone danced. Then couples were selected by a tap on the shoulder. I was tapped. That meant that my date, Helene Wenzel, and I were to stay on the dance floor and be among the Chosen for “Rickey Tickey Tavey Piano!” That meant that we surrounded a piano when three young women came out to perform. The host, still with a fixed grin, introduced “The Lollipops.” Helene and I, with four other couples, stood around the piano, and per instructions lip-synced as they sang their hit song, “Lollipop, Lollipop.” 

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     As a “reward” for our participation the five couples were then instructed to line up and one by one hit a red mark, look at the camera and clearly announce name and school. Since my partner and I were the youngest - and the smallest - we found ourselves at the back of the line. During intermission, we had been given precise instructions: when our turn came, we were to individually hit the mark, look at the red light on the large TV camera, and say our full name, the name of our school and then walk quickly back to the bleachers. 

           

     Finally, our turn came. Time enough for me to get nervouser & nervouser. Being the youngest among the five couples, we were last. Helene, being the Girl, went first before me. She smartly hit the mark. “Helene Wenzel, from Seth Low Junior High School.” My turn. My turn . . .

I watched Helene walk towards the bleachers. I think I saw the mark, a red blur.  But the next thing I remember was walking past a very angry Herb Sheldon who was saying “stuff” directed to me from the side of his mouth. As I approached the bleachers, I was greeted by lots of laughing heads. I managed, disconcerted/confused, to sit down. Then someone explained what had just happened..  

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     For many years, when Family would sit around the Thanksgiving table, my sibling, my brother, would never forget to ask, “Do you remember what happened when you were on television?” (He, and many other people had been watching.) I knew what had happened, but I didn’t/don’t remember. This is what happened 63 years ago:  

 

     I hit the red mark, stared vacantly at the camera and said, “I’m Seth Low from Eisenmesser Junior High School.”