New-York tribune., 1916-02-16
City Plunges Into Series of
Pagcants in Preparation
for Great Masque.
NEGRO COMPANY
TO GIVE "OTHELLO''
Celebration May Lead to Ma
tiOnal Drama School as Me-
mortal to Playwright.

To commemorate the 300th anniver-
sary Of Shakespeare's death, New YORK
is soon 10 begin round OF Shakespea-
rian festivals. Mosques, exhibitions and
pageants that will convince Father
Knickerbocker before the winter and
spring are over that business and poll
tics are trivial occupations and that the
plays the thing worth living for.
II there is a single organization in
the city which has not planned some
variety OF Shakespearian celebration in
cooperation with the tercentenary com
r,ittee II will have TO hasten into line
before long or find itself left out in
the cold. Colleges, Libraries, clubs,
Broadway producers and managers
public schools and parks. dancers, lcct-
urers and amateur theatrical com
ranies have been busy for weeks gath
cring material for revival Of every
thing that belonged to the picturesque
0qNe OF ElLaDclUhH lIhbih
It began Monday with series OF
lectures and the opening OF an cIhioi-
ton of Elizabethan furniture, costumes
and even pies and cakes OF Shake
speare's day ct Teachers College at
Columbia. This exhibition will be open
to the public during the week and will
end with costume festival and masque
Friday and Saturday nights In the
Thompson gymnasium. in the course OF
which the grea. bard himself will watch
scenes from Twelfth Night" acted BY
"a company of strolling players.
Scores of Psgeants.
The public library will uphold its
end Of the celebration in April and May
hv an exhibition of the most extensive
collection Of rare editions OF Shake
speare that has has ever been brought
together. Every case in the exhibition
hall will be filed with priceless toios
and quartos in possession of the library
OF from the libraries Of most of the
wealthy collectors in the country. The
director Of the Public Library, Edwin
II. Anderson, stated yesterday tnat even
in England it would not be possible 10
assemble a finer collection OF Shake
cpesriana.
In the mean time the scores Of pag-
eants and festivals for which the ter
centenary committee is planning will
be produced by different groups in
every section OF the city. and from
.hose who participate IN the local cele-
brations the chorus and actors for the
great community masque viii he select
ed The plans for the Introductory
pageants are so inclusive that there ls
hardly any one in the city who Will
rot have the opportunity 70 satisfy any
pCnt up craving that he may have 20
wear the rufiies and swords OF three
centuries ago.
A wcmans club is to give a Shake
spearian breakfast in costume very
soon, and an organization Of colored
actors will produce "Othello" in thea
ire in 125th Street. The Parks and
Fairgrounds Association is 10 give an
Elizabethan pageant in the streets on
several days; the Public Schools Ath-
letic League will hold fete in Contra
Park in the middle of May, IN when
II 900 school children Will take part IN
sword and morris dances Of old Eng
land. The settlements Tor social work
have divided the city into four sections,
and each group will present an out-of-
doors festival or pageart In costume.
Each high school IS producing SHAKE
spearian play, while the Association OF
High school Teachers VII give per-
formance OF "Twelfth Night"
Masque the Climax.
The climax Of the celebration will be
reached in the production OF the Com
rlunity Masque, written fO rthe occa-
sion by Percy Mackaye. The masque
will include scenes from Shdkespeare's
plays and will introduce his most popu-
lar characters, which will be inter
preted by professional actors. Il will
take place out Of doors at night, and
with the scenery and lighting effects
that are being designed for It the I'M
mense number Of spectators many OF
whom will be in costume, and the 1000
who will actually take part. 10 will be
the most spectacular production that
New York has ever witnessed.
In form the Community Masque will
be a symbolic drama illustrating 'he
progress Of dramatic art. through
Greek tragedy and the mystery plays
Of the Middle Ages 20 the present time.
ll9 pTOlOEucs llItt hClr anu 'plIvbN VIC
will be separated by interludes IN
which community groups will take part
in pantomime, dance and chorus 70
illustrate the drama OF th. ancient
world az well as Of Europe. The Incl
dental music has been composed and
arranged by Arthur Farwell, and viii
be played by an immense orchestra.
The masque will be performed on
great outdoor stage. an adaptation OF
the Elzabethan stage 20 a Greek am
phitheatre. The costumes and stage
properties will be designed competitive
Is bv students IN the art schools Of
the city and made by those who viii
wear them. This is in accord with
the spirit in which the entire produc-
tion will be given. Il is 20 be in
every sense work OF the community.
not matter Of paid performers and
decorators.
The tcrcentenary celebration. Of
which the Community Masque is only
a part. belongs 20 a movement that Is
nation wide. Il has been suggested
that the establishment OF some suitable
memorial TO Shakespeare should be the
ultimate result OF the hundreds Of
rlays and pageants 4 plan for me
founding Of national school OF acting
and dramatic production has net with
the greatest favor
gANY N0NphNIEC pEpOpT