Newark post., 1919-07-30
THE PAGEANT A FORCE
FOR CIVIC BETTERMENT
Pictorial Description Outlined
for Summer School
Students

The history of pageantry and its
influence as a great civic force was
admirably presented by Miss Lotta
Clark of Boston, in an illustrated
talk on Thursday afternoon at
Wolf Hall.
Miss Clark has charge of the
department Of Sociology and Com
munity Civics at the Summer
School, She has had a great. deal
of experience in directing page
ants, and is enthusiastic about
their value as an educative and
social force for civic betterment.
This use of the pageant in
America was the outcome Of her
observations at Oxford where she
was impressed with the patriotism
and civic pride aroused in the
whole populace by pageants which
depicted merely local history,
On her return to this country
she was urged to arrange for a
pageant in connection with the
dedication of some new Boston
dedication of second new Boston
schools. In it was pictured the
progress of Education since early
Colonial days. Quebec gave huge
pageant that fall and st. Louis
staged one some time later.
The idea of intoxicating civic
pride and whole hearted coopera-
tion of entire communities by par
ticipation in such festivals led
these pioneers in the movement to
invite to this country Lewis n.
Parker, an English dramatic COM
poser who had been especially
successful in such work in Eng
land. A thorough investigation of
conditions here led him to the
startling conclusion that "Amer-
lea was too aristocratic to make
a success of it. In democratic Eng
land the thing was possible"
This reused the Yankees to a
firm determination that the impos-
sible must be done and they did it
with conspicuous success in a
number of New England towns.
Clubs, schools and civic clubs were
stirred to action and some marvel
Gus productions were staged in
that section orich in Colonial his
tory. Slides showing portions of
these pageants were used to help
the audience visualize the stage
setting and the artistic effects pro-
duced with the national scenery
as background.
The civic pride engendered and
the civic improvement effected as
a result of the "get-together"
spirit necessary to make these
community festivals a success, was
briught home to the audience
wildly, and teachers were urged
to consider such community
festival as a means of bringing
about neighborhood unity. In Eng
land, she said, the people soon
tired of pageants because they
were given without any definite
purpose other than a commemora-
ton Of historic events. In America,
however, the idea has grown in
popularity because it has for its
object some vital purpose in which
the whole community shares.
She stated briefly the use made
of this form of entertainment in
the War Camp Community service
and the enthusiasm with which
this form of entertainment was
greeted by men in the service.
A brief history of the pageant
from the time of the Egyptians
and the Greeks, was illustrated
pictorially. What might be termed
the modern use Of the pageant
came about in the Middle Ages as
a result Of an effort on the part
of the priests to teach their un-
schooled congregations, the story
of the Crucifixion, the Transfigura-
tion and other vital facts of Chris
tian belief.
Pictures illustrative of the man.
ner in which the Greeks rejoiced
over great victory by concerted
action in dance and song were
used for contrast with the in
articulteness of the American
crowds who assembled to rejoice
over the Armistice signing. A
group Of Italians who gathered to
sing their national anthems show
ed the only concerted community
effort in celebration. This in
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