The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-25
BY Pierre v. X. Key.

Columbus Ohio. June 22-Tmpres-
siVe drama very often grows out OF
the unexpected. IT was last Friday
night at the exposition grounds, when
The Wayfarer' sounded Methodism s
call 10 humanity; A call for faith In
its power 20 reconstruct to more fruit
fui ends than ever before a world
which has been shaken at its vital
points
Strictly speaking. '"The wavfarer" is
not drama "A Pageant OF the king
dom" its author. DR. j. r. Crowther.
of Seattle calls It, But. though the
huge stage of the Coliseum unfolded
a series OF scenic pictures before the
600 persons present. the action and
text WIRE ctteffv- t3itritcai- and the
music wholly sacred---conp positions by
Handel and other musicians of an
earlier day, hymns which are classics,
and several specially written num-
bers BY William T. Craft, of Column
hia university.
Methodists will not soon forget the
events of last Friday night. which
were spread over a period Of three
honrs and a half, Nor will the 4 eco
ner'ormers who participated IN Tie
of the story: the Cincinnati
symphony orchestra of seventy one
musicians: the ! 900 members OF the
chorus. and those who guided the
pageant- in + its musical--Dramatic
course.
Few underta kings of such prstenti-
Gus dimensions ever have come before
an audience in any land. Matching.
in Its proportions. the character OF
the theme, THE Wayfarer." presented
10 those responsible for the evenings
performances. q task OF uncommon
ma cnitude. and if the outcome. on its
artistic side, left some things to be
desired r Is only lust to consider the
lnnumerable handicaps i'm posed even
70 the moment when the big curtains
were swept aside---and TO bear in
mind, also that amateurs rather than
professionals carried the greater part
Of the burden along its way.
Crowds Gather Early.
As early as o'clock in the even
ing the crowds began to gather, They
hanked the roadways leading to the
newly CONSTRUCTED arch which tops the
main entrance to the grounds: and in
ON iucessant human stream flowed
from All parts of he city toward the
one objective point
within the Coliseum when one
got there-S YOU saw sweep OF color
stretching fan like under the glare
If lights. men and women from many
parts of the world and all eager for
the premier to begin, Ii was a rep
resentative audience holding distin
guished personalities. who touched ell
bows with lesser personages and seem
ed glad 10 be there.
Perhaps the first sweep OF applause
frightened wesried and sagging nerves.
Perhaps, TOO. the consciousness of the
impending task helped a bit But
whatever the causes--and these two
ri nt,jh
tors-the performance started with
parative smoothness which those
attending thu dress rehea ysai OF the
night before had not dared expect. 1t
did not, in the nature OF things, move
~ It viii move. There was too much
to do and not time enough for its
satisfying accompli hment. to antici-
pate a premiere free from flaws
What appealed 10 the audience, how
ever, was the message The Way
rer" conveyed, that and the musi-
cal portions and the earnestness of
those who performed their respective
There was enough to stir the pulse;
%tll.pr SEES which were fully that. be-
cause few knew the story OF The
Wayfarcr." nor the climax of the
last of the three episodes. nor the
lengths to which those in charge Of
the technical side Of the production
had come in appealing to the eye.
For the eight scenes are credit to
the craftsmen's art; and their pres
entation imposed upon Technical
Director J. Fl. Rich and his asso-
ciates. a burden which even a Metro
politan Opera House or Hippodrome
chief executive would not have been
asked TO shoulder
Visual Senses Touched.
Yet, If the visual senses were touch
cd still deeper effect arose through
the impress Of text and action and
nj .sic. For, as Or. Crowther states.
thetheme OF the pageant is: "Eman-
uel~--'God Is With U.s." you have in
that single line the heart of The
Wayfarer" cry to the world 1t is.
m hold steadfast in the faith that
Christianity will safely lead civiliza
tion out Of the misery and unrest and
disorder into which il has been plung-
ed through the late war. And, If one
looks deep enough, there may. be
found throughout the pageant re-
minder TO discouraged ones. that the
church will adequately meet the prob
lens of this newest day.
Oratorio patrons. who were present
in the Coliseum, caught instantly the
and music of parts OF Handers
The Messiah In a sense. The
is an application. through
the use Of other appropriate material
including hymns. OF this majestic
works. DR.. Crowther uses two lead
ing characters to develope mis- theme
and link the episode portions into
a connective whole.
The wandarer, enacted by Henry
II erhert. typfies that element in
society is skentical of the future
Il CT a nc ;tt bx rhs4
Yurka, Is the RECONCILIATION of exis-
tant hope Of the omnipotence of the
Almighty, and is pregnantly expressed
in the concluding lines of her speech
to the wanderer in the desolation
scene;
His Voice To Thee. Wayfarer, Speaks
From Galilee.
Let Thy Heart Oppressed With
Trnuhlz re