49

A. Varesano interviewing Anne Timko -14- 7/19/72
Tape 22-2

was dead three months and my neighbor was dead six months, and the neighbor married her. So then she brought her three children here. Well, his three children were younger and her three children were older. So they were just like the one-family children, because they were about the same age apart as though they were from the same parents.
AV: So, who around here, is there anyone around here living that took part in this kuba playing, that actually did the parts? I'm asking, do you remember the names of the boys that did it?
AT: Well, our neighbor's boys were in it, but I don't...two of them, Kupcha's were in it, but this one, the one's in Philadelphia, and the other on lives in Freeland. He was in Connecticut, but he came back, he lives in Freeland now. And I really don't remember the other guys, who the other guys were. There used to be, like, see, it wasn't the same ones every year. Sometimes they didn't want to take part in it, so they had to find somebody else to take part.
AV: Well, how did they pick the boys in the first place?
AT: Just themselves! They'd get after them, ask anybody, you know, who'd want to join the party, you know, to practice for it. They'd go into anybody's home, into the, you know, outside kitchen, like these outside kitchens, in wintertime you don't use them. Well, now people mostly use them, in but them days they didn't use them. So, they'd use one of those outside kitchens, and they would practice in there, in anybody's home.
AV: Well, where did they get the pieces to memorise? These speeches? If the roles were not the same year after year, where did they get the speeches?
AT: Well, I imagine almost everybody knew them, you know, because they heard it over and over so many times, so everybody knew the pieces. Whether they had extra, that they were reading from them, I don't know that.
AV: And the costumes, where did they get them?
AT: They'd make them, somebody would make them for them. Some women would make them for them.
AV: New costumes every year?
AT: No, they had them from year to year, but sometimes they had to have replaced, maybe, but really they just used them at Christmas time, so they'd wash them and put them away again, they'd be all right.
AV: Well, where would the costuemes be kept?
AT: I don't know where thye kept them. I guess the one that was the leader would take care of them. I don't know.
AV: There was a leader?
AT: Oh, yes. Well, you know, you need a boss in everything, so, they had a leader too! There were two kubys, there used to be a spady kuba and a mady kuba. One was an old one, one was the young one. Well, the old one was dressed heavier. He was bundled up with heavier clothes, and a young kuba was dressed lighter. So, one was an old kuba, and the other one was a young kuba. Spady kuba and Mady kuba!
AV: What did the angels do?
AT: The angel was to carry the manger, and he came in first, and asked if he was allowed to come in, so they could sing. So he'd come in and he'd say his part and then one by one the others would be coming in to say their part. And then the group of them all together then, they would be singing carols.
AV: Who would be the others that would follow the angels?
AT: Just the other ones. Which one had what part that was supposed to go after that, you know.
AV: Didn't you remember who it was?
AT: No, I can't remember. It's too far. But they haven't been around already for