The Washington herald., 1914-04-24
Who's Who Among
Women
Constance darcy Mackay. Maker
Of Paseants.
BY MARY ID. MULLETT.

Ten years ago this country scarcely
knew a pageant from a palindrome. II
you had asked a New England farmer
Of the vintage of 1900 for his ideas on
pageants, he would have thought you
were talking about circus parades-
You won't catch 1914 farmer with any
Dack-numDer dclusion OF that sort. Cities.
towns, and villages, all the way from
Maine TO California, are getting the pa
geant fever. Local history Is being dug
up and portrayed by the descendants Of
the men who made It. 1t Is a fine and
stirring movement.
And II Is q movement where women are
playing an important role. Some of them
organize and manage only their own local
pageants. But a few OF them are max
ing q real profession Of pagesntry; going
to various cities, studying their history.
writing the scenario. rehearsing the local
actors-from babes In arms TO white
haired great-grsndfathers- finally
directing the public performances.
II is to this new profession Of pageantry
! that Miss Constance Darcy Mackay has
| devoted hemself for the past three years.
Miss Mackay Is one OF that army OF bril-
| liant women from the Middle West who
have poured into the Eastern cities,
! bringing their splendid spirit Of energy
and independence with them.
She was born in Minnesota and took her
college training at Boston University.
Both atmospheres were congenial. Min
| nesota has traditions OF its own: from the
Indian legends which hang around its
| lakes and waterfalls TO the tragic tales
| OF pioneer days.
OF course. when She went to Boston.
Miss Mackay found herself in a place
that fairly Oozed history at every step
she took on its ancient soil.
Add to these conditions the fact that
the things she cared most about were his
tory and writing, and you can see that
she fell an easy victim to the pageant
fever when it finally struck this country.
| Her interest began through the Children S
| Theater in New York several years ago.
| BY that time Miss Mackay was writing
with the speed and persistence Of a
| steam engine in good running order
| stories and newspaper and magazine ar
| ticIes. In the fnw hours which she had
managed occasionally TO snatch from
| these regular pursuits, she had written a
play for children. called The House of
| the Heart"
When Mrs August Belmont formed hcr
Dramatic League for Amateur Players
including school children shop girls. and
all kinds of cIubs-she and Miss Anne
| Morgan. daughter of the late ]. Pierpont
Morgan. offered prizes for the best work
done in two selected plays. Miss Mack
| avs House OF the Heart" was the one
chosen by Miss Morgan.
| Again. working at odd times, Mis-.
| Mackay produced enough of these shor
plays to fill volume. This was prompt
ly published. and was soon followed by
another one. These volumes of plays fol
| to ha ha Gre ~ hai
kind. At any rate. they filed that IA
nous longfelt want which is always turn
ing UP.
BY this time the pageant had unmis
| takably found it's way to this country
and-I hope Miss Mackay won't objec
10 the phrase-agaIn she was a perfec
"Johnny-on-the-spot::'' this time with 1
book called Patriotic Plays and Pa
geants.'
This genius OF hers for seizing an op
portunity the moment II comes within
reaching distance deserves to he reward
ed-and 1t certainly has been. Very soor
after this book OF pageants appeared
the one called The Pageant of Patriots
was presented under her direction Will
lovely outdoor surroundings. in Prospec
! Park. Broo<lyn. a year later IL was th'
leading feature OF the safe and sane
Fourth of July program at Boston. Sine
then II has been given in cities all owe
the country.
From that beginning she has forgeC
ahead until now she ranks as one of tn
best pageant-makers In the country. Las
year six cities. scattered from Maine &
Colorado. tried TO get her to produce
Fourth of July pageant for them. Port
land. Ne. was the lucky one. and II wa
there that she got up one OF the mos
stirring and picturesque pageants she ha
ever given.
She divided it into three sections: Pho
neer Portland. Patriot Portland. an,
Modern Portland. The period covered
was just short OF three centuries. 1t wa
go years from the landing of Christie
pher LNvet in Portland Harhor. in 16G1
until that scene was re-enacted in Mis-
Mackay's pageant In 1913.
In 1872 Schenectady celebrated the an
niversary of its birth. Somehow or other
Schenectady seems so modern that on
doesn't suspect II Of having an histori
past concealed among Its shops and fac
tories. But. as a matter of cold dates
the birthday II celebrated two years ag
was its 250th: so Miss Mackay had
great field from which to make her pa
gcant.
One of her most beautiful paSeants wa
given at Tyringham. Mass. This was
variation from the usual historic affair
The scene was the estate OF "Tansls
wood immortalized by Hawthorne
famous "Tanglewood Tales" Therefore
this was a Hawthorne pageant. wit
scenes from the book so long associate
with the estate itself.
Someone. in describing Miss MaCkay'
role as the producer OF a pageant. sal
II was as II she became mayor pro ter
Of the town. Everybody. from the churc
bell ringer up to the city fathers them
selves. has to take orders from this slen
der young woman when a town has bee
turned over to her to be. so to speak
pageantized. But in every place wher
she has become. for the time being. tn
real city government. she has found tn
citizens her loyal and enthusiastic sub