Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-08
Speech Of Miss Hazel MacKaye
Analyses Appeal 1t
Will Make.
OLD-TIME CELEBRATION
TOT BE DISTRESSING DREAM
Committee of Drama League to Es-
pecially Emphasize Civic Char
acter Of Festival.


the pageant which Is to be given in
Washington in celebration OF Inde-
pendence day and the success OF the
novel festival celebration will mark
a new epoch in the observance of the
nations birth for the entire country. is
Indicated by speech made by Miss
Hazel Mackaye at the recent conven.
ton OF the Drama League in Chicago.
Copies OF the speech have just been re-
ceived in Washington
1t is matter Of congratuiation 70 all
OF US that the Washington Chapter of the
Drama League is this year to inaugurate
festival whose aim will be to especially
emphasize its civic character" said Miss
Machaye. THE committee OF the Drama
League will have the cooperation of al
the Fairgrounds which have already, un-
der the leadership Of their trained teach
ers. presented many entertaining plays
with games and dances They can also
count on many clubs and associations
some of which have given for years an
nual festivals of great significance and
beauty.
The directors will. therefore. find ready
to hand the result Of long previous effort
so that the three months Of direct train
ing will practically represent as many
years Of actually preparation. II is the
desire OF the directors to utilize and cor
relate what already exists In festival
form. rather than to evolve anything es-
pecialy new.
Spirit of True Pageantry.
"A Fourth OF July pageant given al the
National Capital. under such auspices
and In this spirit OF true pageantry. is OF
happy augury. 1t will go far toward
making our ancient 4th of July with its
merely racuous noise and murderous ex-
plosives. only the memory OF a distress
full dream
1t was the possibilities of developing
civic improvements and patriotism
through general participation in page
ants. Of which Miss MacKaye especially
spoke.
When early in the present summer the
President of the United States. follow
ing time-honored custom, threw the
first base ball and opened the season
in Washington. it was a more significant
act than perhaps IS generally realized
The sanction OF the chief executive OF
clean and wholesome sport seems to
bring back some of the spirit which
animated the Greek Olympiads. One OF
the Washington newspapers thus com
mented on this spirit. in jovial mood:
II the millennium is ever to be realized
and complete brotherhood brought about
base ball doubtless will be the medium
Of achievement. II scientists would sc
themselves to solve the psychology %
base ball they would find the cure 70
all mental and physical ills. If meI
would take their enemies TO a base bal
game they would turn hatred into m
dying affection. II families on the verg,
Of dissolution would move upon the bal
grounds in a body all dissensions would
disappear and they would live happil,
ever after
Played and Loved and Studied.
What lis the reason for this over
whelming interest In the national game o
base bail? Why is it that the bleacher
are crowded by thousands every day" 1
is because these great audiences and tn
eager readers of the newspaper report
of the game are themselves. in great part
base ball players of the past or present
From smallest boyhood, each man ha
played and studied and loved the game
The enthusiasm and the appreciation o
the spectator SO perfectly supplement-
the skill and the activity of the playe
that the game is really played not onl.
by, the men on the diamond. but by tn,
fifteen or twenty thousand on tn
benches.
in other words. it is the fact that the
audiences have been themselves partici
p6tOFS, AT one tline OF dHOIueT. III tHs
game which they witness, which make.
bas Sc ball the popular game that it is. |
is not merely that each man is amused
and entertained: 1t is also because eacl
man had the knowledge and the under
standing to appreciate the skill and diff
culties of each play.
IF this he true of base ball. what car
be said of the possibilities of an ar
which includes the participation Of no
one sex for after all base ball chiefly
interests the mem, but of all the people
men, women and children. who. at on
time may form part of the audience
and at another time may take part in thu
actual performance? The limits o
pageantry are not drawn by diamond OF
inclosed by bleachers or grandstand
Many Ways of Participation.
Miss Mackaye pictured the many WAYS
in which persons could participate II
pa geants-bs designing costumes Or set
tings. planning dances and scenes anc
in other ways Then she says:
us it too much, therefore. to picture
time which. instead of twenty thou
sand spectators crowded about a bass
ball Enclosure with nine or ten men upor
il. we shall find wide open spaces o
surpassinc beauty. about which are gath
ing Il noble and beautiful art. eX
pressed and interpreted by two o.
three thousand OF their fellow
townsmen-an art which arouses il
audience and actor alike the highest emo
tons and aspirations. time when the au
dience will rise as one man in unanimou
response to a singuiarly beautiful inter