Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-07
URGES RAYMOND
FOR ACTOR ROLE
IN CITY PAGEANT
Pageant Master Suggests the
Mayor to Take Part of
Robert Treat"
DIALOGUE is READY
WITH THE SCENARIO
General Arrangements for Per-
formance Are Submitted
to Committee.

Newark's pageant and the work of
preparing for it. is taking definite
shape. Pageant Master Thomas Wood
stevens yesterday read to two sub
committees of the pegeantry commit
tee. the scenario of the first move
ment of the pageant and the dialogue
OF part of the movement.
Mr.. Stevens suggested Mayor
Thomas L. Raymond would fill the
role of Robert Treat splendidly. He
Possesses the requisite strong voice.
Mr. Stevens believed. Mr.. Stevens
instructed the committee that in all
choices between a descendant who
doesn't look the part and who hasn't
the proper voice, and any other per-
son who does fill the part, the man
VINO ILLS the part should be chosen
1t was especially desirable, how
ever he felt, that the thirty people
who will be the company on the first
snip, should be to as large an extent
as possible direct descendants of the
members Of that company.
TO one committee, tha. appointed
to see to Nle historical accuracy of
the pageant, he submitted i'm addition
a list OF historical events suitable for
incorporation in the plot of the
drama. and asked their advice on the
comparative historic value of the
various incidents. To the cast COM
mittee he tentatively outlined part of
the cast requirements.
AS Professor Stevens read his
scenario of the first movement and
the text of part of il, and described
nTnlnpr1In IN l1n 1Aa Z ..
III the afternoon, the pageant took on
the aspect of a stupendous spectacle
OF limitless dramatic strength and
splendid historical value. The mem
berS of the committee all masters of
the detail of the city's history. were
enthusiastic in their approval and felt
that Professor Stevens had selected
his incidents with a sure touch both
from the dramatic and historic stand
points.
The outstanding events of the city's
rounding and early development make
up the focused" action, oocuuying
the center of the stage and interpreted
by dialogue largely taken bodily from
existing records of the events, and
during the plots development there
is constantly in progress Unlicensed"
action. doings in pantomime on the
sides of the stage in which scores of
participants will busy themselves in
occupations or situations character
istic of the period and clearly con-
Veying information on the customs.
manners and activities of the early
period of Newark's life Many hap
penings, important but falling short
of the supreme Importance which
alone can entitle an incident to in
corporation in the main theme of a
gigantic drama in which $500 people
will tell the story of a city's 2o0 years
of life in only $50 minutes, will be in
cluded in this "unfocused" action.
The focused" action of the first
movement of the pageant will cover
the period from 1866 to $780, after
which a jump to 1746 will be made in
the action. The second movement, be-
ginning in the latter year, will in
clude the making of the covenant on
the ship in which the settlers arrived.
the landing. the chickering's with the
Indians, the appearance of Governor
Carteret to relieve the situation which
developed when Robert Treat and his
band discovered the governors aSsur-
ances that arrangements had been
made with the Indians for them to
occupy the land We're not acknowl-
edged by the natives, the purchase
from the red men, and the arrival of
the BrdnIOfO settlers.
Then comes the first town meeting,
the election of Robert Treat as first
magistrate and head of the town, the
naming of the town, the drawing of
lots for home sites, the erection of
the church, the oath Of allegiance 10
the Dutch king when Holland took
possession, the return of Governor
Carteret and English dominion, and,
in conclusion, Puritan church scene.
1t is impossible to get the attention
of vast audience of 10000 by the use
of spoken words at the outset of
pageant, Mr.. Stevens declared. The
pageant, he explained. is not
carnival or a procession, but a real
play, "A dramatization of the life of
the city, and "A drama requiring words
in the telling. So. to achieve the
necessary focusing OF the audiences
attention on the staee, striking
pantomime movement must precede
the speaking.
This will be in the nature of a
prologue, working up the atmosphere
and spirit of the seventeenth century
reriod. 1t will be purely pictorial.
with music. The only appeal to the
ear will be women's shrieks, warriors
cries. and pistol shots. It will contain
nothing unhistorical in spirit, but will
present nothing of immediate incident
whose absence from the plot of the
pageant itself would be a loss to the
latter.
Staged in Weequahic Park.
The pageant will be presented in a
great natural aphitheater in Wee
.quahic Park. The stage will be in
valley, the audience on the slopes of
a gently rising hill. A lagoon will
stretch between the two, the full
width of the stage and more. The
prologue will begin with an Indian
village dimly revealed. A fire will be
lighted, and a steam curtain Will be
thrown IT'D at the rear and sides of
the stage. The figures of the par
ticipants in the pageant will be
thrown N shadow on the steam
screen. making huge, wierd bulks,
mysterious and riveting the attention.
There will be an Indian dance, an
attack on an Indian village, the
coming of white men and the death
of Henry Coleman in the fight with
the Indians. the first death OF a white
man in these parts.
Also the ships of Cabot. Hudson and
a French explorer will cross the
lagoon, symbolical Of the adventur-
Gus exploring spirit of the times.
Small people will be required to
enact this prologue, none of them
more than five feet tall, Mr.. Stevens
explained to the cast committee i'm
the evening. Then. by contrast, the
figures of the Puritan settlers will be
heroic, Also, smaller ships can be
employed without detracting from the
effect of the scene in the prologue.
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