Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-29
CELEBRATION AT.
ST.. LOUIS HAD
LARGEST STAGE
CAST OF 1900 PERSONS TOOK PART
IN l50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE
CITY OF ST. LOUIS. HELD LAST
NIGHT.
PRODUCTION IN 2 PARTS
PAGEANT WAS \ SERIES OF THIR-
Ty LIVING PICTURES. PORTRAY
ING IMPORTANT EVENTS, WITH
$500 PEOPLE.
(Bg Associated Press.1

~. Louis. Mo-. May 2o.-Thc Pageant
and Nasque Of II. Louis. which was
given here last night in commcmoration
Of the founding Of this city one hun
drcd and fifty years ago, required for
il production probably the largest stage
in the world and a east of 900 per
sons
The production was in two distinct
parts-thc pageant. by Thomas Wood
Stevens. head of the school of drama Of
the Carnegie Institute. pitt>burg. Pa.
and the masquc by Percy MacKaye.
The Pageant began shortly before sun
set. and continued until dark. After Il
short intermission, the masque was Civ
en- under electric light. The pageant was
II series Of thirty living pictures. portray
ing important events in the history of
~. Louis. F~ifty-six hundred men and
women tok part ia this presentation.
The pageant opened with a scene de
picting the mound building era Of -.
Louis. which j. On the site Of many Of
the old mounds. The movement began
with long lines Of men and women bring
ing earth in baskets and building a
mound in which they buried the chief
nf their tribe. The immense stage rep
resented the site Of the present city Of
~. LOui,. Between the stage and the
hill To the south on which the spectators
sat was q lagoon. 40 feet wide. repre-
scnting the Mississippi River. The spec
tators wer. asked TO imagine themselves
rs seated on the bluffs on the Illinois
-. l..1.. .m a.. N.A....
pi River TO the site of 1t. Louis as the
history of the city passed before them.
As the mound builders buried the chief
Of their tribe. buffalo hunters approach
cd and persuaded them 10 give up their
mound building ways.
The last movement Of the pageant
portrayed the history Of It Louis under
rhc American flag. First came the start
ing from II. Louis OF the Lewis and
Clark expedition to the northwest by
way If the Missouri River: then a por-
trayal of the day of fur traders and set
tiers bound for the west. About two thou
sand persons appeared in this scene: thea
came a recnactmcnt Of the scenes when
General Lafayette visited 1t. Louis in
lSoi: the return Of a battery from the
Mexican war; the coming of the German
immigrants in 1919: and the repruduc
tion Of the torch light procession that
marched through the streets of ~. LOuis
in lS65 M the announcement of peace
between the north and the south.
After a brief intermission, the clcc-
tric lights on the stage were turned on
lnd the Ma>quc-a symbolic ~intcrprcta'
tion oi the history Of the city-brgan.
The ma>quc opened with the dream of
.Clhukia. who represented the spirit Of
the mound builders civilizations. lie
avokc 10 find his empire gone and him
self Knocked by heat. cold. wild nature
forces. buffalo. and wild eat. forest and
flood. lie asked the stars il there were
no hope. and was told that the MisSis
.sinpi river would bring a white child
who should restorc civilization. This
child struggled with the forces Of ma
iurc. but they rctrcated rs the discover.
ers approached. who named the child
~. Louis.
~. Louis. leading ON pioneers. miners.
and rangers. struggled with the forces
of nature. and finally fought the spirit
Of gold and war demon. Then came rep
reservations Of vice. plague. despair, and
rebellion: all the children If Gold. -
Louis then called on other citics 20 help
him. and cnvoyS sent hy the mayors of
other American cities appeared on the
stage a. represent those cities ia the
symbol Of a league of Ill 10 conquer
Gold.
An elaborate musical Scsing had been
arranged for the maSquc by Frederick :.
Converse. and there was much incidcn-
tnl music in the Pageant. 4 hidden Choir
~ ~ five hundred and a band of 100 took
part in the production.
Throughout the pageant. the actors
and actresses were gowncd in costumes
historical, accurate. All the actors were
citizens of ~. Louis who gave their time
voluntarily To the production Of the
spectacle.
The stage on which the pageant and
masauc were given was built over the
boating lagoon NJ the foo Of the hill in
Forest Park on which the CITY Art Mn
scum stands. This hill was the site of
the Cascades during the Louisiana pur-
chase Exposition. and j. Il natural am
rhithcatrc. VI rises stccrly from tho In
COON. and from N point on this hill
a commanding view of the stage could
10 obtained. Fortvtwo thousand seats
were placed on this hill. and back Of
these was room for thousands more who
preferred 10 bring camp stools or "a
stand. Ii was stated that more than six
" thousand persons could view the pa
geant at one time from the hill.