The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-11
MACKAYE READS TO
GUESTS OF Mr.. KAHN
Gives His Prologue OF Com
munity Masque in Honor
Of Shakespeare.
HIGH PRAISE FOR WORK

and poet. read the prologue
Of h community masque which will be
performed during the week of May 70
In Central Park as the principal feature
Of the communication OF the tercen-
tenary of Sh~akespeare's death.
Nothing more pretentious or artist'cally
significant has ever been attempted In
this country. II represents the enthu-
siaetic desire Of Mr.. Kahn and his asso-
ciates to interest directly all OF the
people in the art OF the theatre as we'll
az their desire to honor notably the
master play builder of all time. Mr.
MacKaye symbolic drama will be per-
formed by a large company Of profess
olonal players and with the assistance
of a vast number of specially trained
Amateurs in the sheen field OF Central
Park, the meadow near the centre OF
the park. between Sixtieth and Seven
6eth streets.
Accom- u,odntions for $4,000.
Sta ges and temporary stands commo-
dious enough for at least 5000 persons
will be erected upon this field. The per-
Torrance ~ the commemorative drama
will he n sort of centre for a general
6hakespearc celebration which will be
held during the week of May % in the
schools. the settlements. the churches.
The lodges and libraries. - celebration
Which will include many Mosques, cho-
FUSES. pageants. concerts and plays. But
{he Central Park celebration and Mr..
nlac<aye's community masquc Will be
tn,e means. it is hoped. Of focusing the
attention OF all the people OF the city.
That was the note sounded by NJ.
Kahn yesterday in the brief talk he
gave after Mir. Mackaye's reading had
been concluded.
'Mr. MacKaye." said Mr.. Kahn. has
>rAg..aJ ,,,Ia,f,l x..,,l- aIu,Iral1a
n conception, vision and effect. II is
worthy of the noble cause. II proves
again that whenever our artists are
Sailed upon to rise To a great cause they
do not fsi, us. They rise gloriously.
In this country We are beginning to feel
the great things that We can accom-
plish with the aid OF art.
Unique In History Of the Park.
II am happy 20 announce that Mayor
Mitchell and Park Commissioner Cabot
Ward have permitted the park to he
thrown open for the purpose Of repre-
eenting this masqie. II IL the first time.
believe. that art has entered Central
Park Let us hope she will stay.
Let us endeavor to educate the souls
and hearts of the people as well as their
orains-to give them by art such In
SEPARATION for their daily tasks as they
C0ulu IlOt Illlh elSthI tIt. ! - lu't
talent In this country. All that is needed
u the opportunity 10 develop 1t. This
country Is full to overlooking of talent.
This masque. We believe. may be one OF
the means TO bring II out and develop it,"
At the outset of his reading Mr..
4ackayc illustrated by means of charts
the scope of his drama and eXpla,n ned the
complexities of the gigantic out Of door
celebration. The stage and amphithea-
IRA Will he hullt in "A great omen snata.
Although the complicated mechanism of
the modern theatre will be lacking. there
will be devices for the rapid moving of
scenery. an elaborate and powerful light
ing system. a stage which viii he an
adaptation of the Elizibethan. backed by
a high wooden wall which will serve the
purpose OF a sounding board. An or
chestra of 100 pieces will furnish the
essential music.
Mr.. MaCkaye wrote for the purpose or
showing the growth OF the art OF the
theatre through the ages, The theme
IL the power OF dramatized beauty over
the spirits of men. symbolic in charac-
ter. the work Is nevertheless true drama
with highly personalized characters VINO
act through consecutive plot and conflict
to n definite Gilman. Retween the pro-
1oHue and the three acts occur three
community iuterludes in which tralned
amateurs will perform their action in
dance, pageantry and chorus. all di-
eectly connected with the theme Of the
drama.
He has used characters from Shake
upeare's Tempest Fdi,bdH, half man.
half brute Nctcbos. god Of elemental
force. half tiger. half toad Sycordr,
primeval earth spirit ProspCFn and his
daughter Nirdudd: ARIEL. spirit of good
nese. The scene Is the cave Of Sc'ebos.
with Atf'i held captive and longing for
che arrival of Prosp'ro, the del!verer.
1'rospero appears, d%cthroucs Setebos.
frees ARIEL and appoints Ar'cl to train
Calibou TO good uses.
Lessons of the Intcrludes.
The first mierludc will present through
rituals OF p~ageantry and music the
dramatic art Of antiquity as volve in
Egypt. India. Greece and Rome. In the
drst act CaIiJ0n consplres with the three
priests OF SoIcbos, Lust, Death and War.
to regain his lost power. but is subdued
by the Cross of Christ. In the second
1nterlude is presented the pageant Of
tho theatre Of the Middle Ages, with
Franco. Italy. Spain and Germany rep
resented. In the second act Death rail-
lies the hosts of Sefebos to stife the ele-
mental joys OF life and art, bu, is over
thrown by tho returning festivals OF the
MAY Pole. Then occurs the third inter
lude-"Merrie England" Last of all
Nor takes uD the evil gage, but IL con.
Quered by the powers OF art aud beauty
In human society. And in the final in
herlude Is seen "A pageant OF the creative
forces OF the theatre in all ages. with
all Of the great actors and the great
~dramatists from RosCius to irving and
from [Eschylus to lhsen. passing IN re-
view before the hooded figure OF Pros
perO. now revealed az Shakespeare,
N work OF organizing the pageant
has been and Is enormous. Josef Urban
has designed the settings with Robert
Edmond Jones. Mrs. John w. Alex
ander has assisted in the creation OF
color schemes and costumes, Arthur
Farwell Is composing the music. Garnet
Holme Is organizing the community
groups.
Among those who heard the reading
of the drama and expressed their pleas
ure in the nobility OF the plan were Otis
Skinner, Charles Ram Kennedy. Edith
Wynne Matthison, Emanuel Reicher,
William Forbes Morgan, Jr., DIR. Felix
Adler. Richard Aldrich, Winthrop Ames.
the Rev. Walter r. Bentley. DR., Henry
NJ. Leipziger. Mrs. Ben Ali Haeyin,
Howard Kyle. Miss Mary Porter Beegle.
chairman of the tercentenary celebration
committee; VIII Irwin, Clayton Ham
ilton and Cranston Brenton.