Minstrel shows were vaudeville-type acts that were presented in many schools in the country. Most had a similar format, consisting of six boys in black face sitting on straw bales, 3 on each side of the stage. These guys had their faces smeared with burnt cork to resemble negroes and wore old overalls and straw hats. They were called end men. The chorus stood along the back of the stage, which was open in the center where dancing, magic acts, and other performances occurred. The end men would tell jokes trying to sound like blacks and performers would perform and the chorus would sing. It was one of the big productions of the year and well-attended by the community. It was also very racially provocative, but no one seemed to know any better (or care). I don’t know when these shows stopped but I would be willing to bet that you would never ever see one now in a high school. I guess they went away along with Al Jolson and Amos n’ Andy.