The Washington herald., 1915-08-22
WOMANS SECTION
PLANS PAGEANT
Branch Of Navy League to
Stage Historic Scenes
Here.

More than 5000 actors will take part in
the great historic pageant of the Wom-
ans Section of the Navy League, to be
held in Washington this fall according
to a report by the special committee in
charge of arrangements. Among those
who will participate will be some of
Americas most beautiful and widely
known society women. 100 school chill
dren from the local public schools, and
detachments from the army and navy
and from the National Guard and Naval
Militia.
According to the committees report,
the pageant idea has met with the most
enthusiastic reception in all parts of the
country. Even before the plans for the
affair were definitely outlined many ap-
plications were received for information
as to the requirements of the pageant
scenarios to be submitted for the prize.
Already communications have been re-
ceived from school authorities, Juvenile
societies. and men prominent in the Ma
tional Guard promising unlimited Cooper
alton.
Preston Gibson Director.
Upon society folk the pageant has TAX
en- a great hold Several of the society
dramatic organizations of the city have
volunteered their aid. Preston Gibson.
Washington's society impressario, Is to
be one of the directors of the pageant.
Associated with him in the management
of the pageant will be Albert B. LAM
bert, of st. Louis, who was one of the
directors of the famous pageant recent
" given in that city; Percy Mackaye
and Ralph Beaver Strassburger, director
in charge of the leagues work in Wash
ington. Much is expected in the work of
staging the pageant from the theatrical
and literary personages among the
judges who include David Belasco, Julia
MarIowe and Col. George Harvey.
A pageant producer Of national repute
who has become interested In the Wom-
ans Section plan Is William Dodd Chen
cry, Of Winona Lake, Ind. Mr.. Chen
cry has been a producer Of pageants for
more than a decade. in which time he
has staged the celebrated Biblical page
ants, "Egyptia" and "Pharoah's Daugh-
ter" in nearly every State in the Union.
Mr. Chenery is enthusiastic over the idea
of teaching patriotism through national
hostoric pageants and has promised to
submit a pageant scenario and also to
lend his active aid and the use Of his ex-
perience in staging the production.
Many Scenarios Received.
Many scenarios have been received by
the contest committees, but as few of
the competitors seem to have a def-
mite idea of exactly what is required in
plots submitted for the prize, the COM
mittee has decided to issue some more
definite instructions for the benefit OF
contestants
A great deal of latitude is allowed. and
no special technical knowledge is neces-
sary. Scenarios will be judged from the
dramatic possibilities Of their plots and
the opportunity they afford for display
of the picturesque in the history OF our
country and of scenes calculated to IN
spire patriotism and love Of country.
The only absolute requirement IN seem
arios submitted for the prize is that
they shall deal with the history Of our
country from the time Of its discovery by
Columbus down to the present Dramat-
ic episodes may be selected for the sew
eral epochs of American history and put
together in such manner that con-
tinuous central thought 10 developed.
There need not be any connected plot