New Britain herald., 1915-06-25

larity. The germ of pageantry in America at the present time is mani fest in the California forest plays, the May festivals of the east, and the commencement exercises throughout the country
 Pageantryin in it's present day form was not revived until 1905, when
 Louis IN. Parker produced home made play at the little town of sher- bourne, Dorset, England. This pag-
 cant attracted the attention of all England for its perfect organization
 which secured it's striking spectacular effects. This was followed by one given in Warwick Castle. As a re-
 suit of the tremendous success of these two demonstrations a passion for pag-
 eantry seized the people of England.
 The following summer pageants were
 acted everywhere, in fact they proved
 to be the most popular form of en-
 tertainment. Oxford produced the
 largest and most spectacular one of
 the season, the first performance of
 which was witnessed by Mark Twani.
 It was given on the fields of Magdalen
 college between two arms of the
 Cherwell river. The scenes ranged
 from Sanit Frideswide in 727 A. D. to George III Many prominent Lon
 don actors and managers took great
 interest in this pageant and it proved
 to be financial success, even though
 it rained three days out of six.
 The fever for pageants soon spread
 from England to America and was
 taken up whoIe-heartedly by the American public The Mardi Gras
 which is celebrated every year in New
 Orleans by an immense pageant. was introduced in America from Europe through the French. The carnival,
 which comes three days before lent,
 is a season of feasting and dancing;
 on the third day is the Mardi Gras
 The whole city joins in the Festivities
 of this season and nearly everyone is attired in masquerade costume. The
 balconies of the club houses and other
 buildings are occupied by ladies in
 ball gowns, wearing f1uffy feathers and glittering jewels In the streets below is the crowd. exhibiting rain bow of colors, now moving onward in body, now gathering around some
 strikingly costumed street masquer." Near one of the buildings one sees a baby, dressed in a pink-and green domino and peaked cap, who has
 dropped to sleep in his mothers arms.
 Nearby a woman in striking red cos
 tune, her head wrapped in an i'm
 posing bandanna turban capped with
 a black sailor hat seems to be en-
 toying the attention of small crowd
 of adn1iring friends A long row of young men with arms on each others shoulders may be seen dancing the serpentine through the crowd and in and out. under ropes, evading the clutching hands of policemen, dodge the small boy of all crowds.
 A number of historical pageants have been given during the past few years which set forth the history of some particular city or state. The pageant given in Portland, Maine, in 1913, was of this nature. It was di- vided into three parts, Pioneer Port land. Patriot Portland, and Modern Portland, the scenes ranging from the coming of Christopher Levett in 1923 down to the present time. One of the most striking and symbolic figures was Modern Portland on horseback wearing a robe of the state color, French blue Another figure on horseback represented America. She was clothed in white, wore a crown of stars and stripes and carried in her hand an American flag. She led the procession away from the pageant grounds and as they marched the spectators and pageant players sang the new national hymn, America the Beautiful" A salute of guns was fired from the battleships in the har- Dor at the close of the song-
 The dedication of the bridge in Hartford was also commemorated by an historical pageant. The opening spectacle was the landing of Thomas Hooker and the founding of Hartford. The second scene, which took place in the evening of the same day, showed soldiers, sailors and citizens of vari- ous historic wars and periods through which our country has passed. But the most elaborate and carefully planned event of the whole pageant was the historical tableaux of early Hartford given on the banks of the Connecticut river. The stage was sev- enty-five feet wide and fifty feet deep. The scenery on the drop curtains was painted from the original, so that a true historical setting was not lack ing.
 Tn 1910 a large pageant was given in New Britain in honor ofsElihu Bur ritt. The day was general holiday for everyone; all business houses and schools were closed. Public build- ings and private residences were dec- orated with flags and bunting. A great procession, in which three hun dred children took part, passed from the center of the city into the ceme- tery where exercises were held at MT. Burritt's grave. A chorus of two hundred and fifty children ssang, and