The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-22
FNe-Day Drama Enacted Out
side Old Warwick Castle
GLITTERlNG CAVALCADES
Episodes In Ensland's History I'm.
presslvely Shown In Living Pic
lures On a Mammoth
Outdoor STAGE"
BY the dramatic editor of the New Yorl,

Warwick. EnE.--All theatrical interest
IN London came to an abrupt halt last
Enyeek and not only all London, but all
England, turned Its eyes toward the ht-
tle town Of Warwick, where, just outside
the browning, crumbling walls of grand
old Warwick Castle. there was enacted
for five days a drama vaster more COM
lprehenslve more significant than has ever
before been attempted In Great Britain.
From Northumberland TO Penzanoe
years hence fathers will be telling their
Sons how they saw the whole history of
lH1ngland from the Roman invasion to
Ifhe days of Queen Elizabeth unfolded
Ebefore chem In regal, varied form at
the great Warwick Pageant.
The scope and splendor of this great
historical pageant-drama is a little too
great for the mind to grasp at once It
had It's genesis In the pride of the Eng
lush people in their military and civic
traditions.
AneIo-American Stage Manager.
It's realization was due to the zeal
and energy not only OF the people OF
Warwick but of the neighboring shires,
and to the organizing and executive
ability of Louis N Parker the play
wright, who, by percentage. Is more an
| American than he is an Englfshman.
with. the aid of practically all the peos.
pie of Central England he. carried the
great, royal display to a glorious sue
cess.
The stage for this vast outdoor dis
play was plain stretching back from
Ethe gardens of Warwick Castle. At one
J eide flowed like a silver ribbon the his
! tofc River Avon. Majestic elms, cop
per beeches and gnarled oaks bordered
the other side of this great natural stage,
while at the rear, stretching for miles
across the soft green country were
the entrances and exits, almost lost to
view in the blue haze that hung over
the forests and hills.
Close to the castle had been erected a
great grand stand. seating more than
5000 people, and here, during the week,
1900 people, who had travelled from far
bAnd near, saw the imposing display
The actors, numbering more than 200
gwere drawn from Warwick, Stra tford.
Ueamington, Banbury Cross, Oxford and
other surrounding towns.
The Earl and Countess of Warwick
threw open their park for the festival
Both came down from their place in Essex
itocraey who took part IN the pageant
These were as active in sealing the sue
cess of the undertaking were the great
horde of the middle class who also ap-
peared in its display
ThaWs Brother-ln-Law Absent.
The only one In the great cast of char
acters who failed to appear was Lord
Yarmouth, who was to have acted the
role of the Earl of Leicester, but who
resigned at the last moment owing to the
murder In New York of Stanford White
by his brother-in-law. Harry X Thaw
Lord WillouShby de Broke personaded
the French King. Louis XII. Lady Will
oughby de Broke appeared as Queen Mar
Saret, and many others of social promi-
nence also took part, while the mayors
and corporations of the various nearby
towns impersonated their predecessors in
the various tableaux.
The cost of the pageant Is estimated
at $250,0 900 all OF which betrayed by
ahe people of the counties, although the
receipts yielded an unexpectedly handsome
hnroft. For instance, Lord and Lady Will
buRhby de Broke contributed. not only
their own costumes, but also the costumes
of their household, all or whom took part
Hhe various towns paid for the costumine
1of the children, who appeared in gar
snents pictuesuuely representative OF a
eweep of centuries extending from A. d.
40 to A. ID. 1894.
The President OF Pageant was the
lgarl of Warwick. Some of the vice
presidents were the Marquis of Hartford
Mhe Lord Mayors of birmingham and Ok
ldord Lord Willoughby de Broke, Lord
n .eigh, Lord Brooke, Sir Francis +. Wal
her, Sir e. Montague Nelson and the
lMayor of Warwick, the Hon. Thomas
kemp. nearly all of whom personated
characters These will show the social
patronage of the undertaking.
Glltterlng Cavalcades.
Let one imagine himself now in the
great semi-circular grand stand, over
hooking the vast, grassy, forest-bordered
stage on which the pageant was spread
out Glittering cavalcades of knights and
hadies in rich costumes come galloping
down the shady lanes as far away as the
eve can reach Up the Avon in her GRIM
son barge of state comes Queen Eliza
beth and her retinue to be received by
hhe Council and Corporation of Warwick
and to be entertained by a thousand
dancing children.
Across the green plain careen great
companies of mailed knights on gayly
decorated steeds, with lances couched, to
bear the news of victory TO their SOW
sreigns.
There is the trial and execution of
Piers Ganeston, King Edward lis ia
vorite. by eight angry earls. The audi
ence had only to turn their heads to see,
On the distance, the shaft raised to this
anartyr's memory on one of the neigh
boring hills
There is the brilliant ceremonial of the
,proclaiming of Lady Jane Grey as Queen
at Warwick in 1853, the quarrel between
liking Louis in 1854, and other great cpl
eodes in English history, arranged In
chronological order down to the destruc-
tion of warwick by fire in 1884, followed
iby final tableau representing the resto-
ration of the city by King William III.
In addition to the vivid pictures by
which the warwick pageant will best
be remembered there were spoken lines
written by Louis n Parker and arranged
in the form of a play, divided into eleven
episodes.
The choral music for the most part was
composed by Allen X Blackan F. r.
G. O., and the verses were written by
of the Warwick school, and by Louis n
Parker.
The regimental band of the English
troops stationed at Warwick formed the
orchestra and the entire performance,
a. 1t can be called was rehearsed and
directed by Mr.. Parker who devoted a
whole year to bringing it to a perfect
state.
To indicate the lapse of time between
the episodes there was chorus of 100
male voices after the manner of the an
cient Greek drama.