MISS NELSON IS BACK

In Miss Nelson Is Missing, the titular blond teacher found it necessary to masquerade as witchlike substitute Viola Swamp in order to shape up her obstreperous class. Now, a few years later, Miss Nelson must take a week to have her tonsils out, and another goofy-looking class anticipates acting up . . . until a bigger kid who's been through it warns them of Miss Swamp. The stage thus set, they are relieved to get their principal Mr. Blandsworth as a sub; but after three days of his boring attempts to amuse them, the kids, as Allard puts it, hatch a plot. What follows is a marvelous complication of masquerades, with the kids impersonating Miss Nelson, Miss Nelson appearing as Miss Swamp, and Miss Nelson-as-Miss Swamp masquerading as Miss Nelson. A nifty performance, always a step or two ahead of the audience.