Evening star., 1919-10-12

thirteen big local pageants and 3S5
small plays. This made considerably
more than 1000 performances. 1t Is
estimated that more than 800 persons
ing out entirely the hundreds OF thou
sands of people who saw the pag-
eants.
The District War Camp Community
Service spent $4,000 on this work. A
little figuring. therefore. shows the
These figures show that a large
amount of recreation can be provided
on a small budget.
Invited to Continue.
The District War Camp Community
Service has been requested to continue
this phase of work here for several
months. 1t is hoped by that time that
the drama and pageantry work will
become part of the work of the mu-
nicipal playground work of the Dis
trict of Columbia. The District Com
mlssioners are now considering this
proposition
The service coming under the direc-
tlon of Mrs. Forrest. who Is national
~ known for her work in pageantry,
Is threefold in Observation-Disclosures
small plays and camp and hospital en-
tertainment. Mrs. Maud Howell Smith
Is hrst assistant director in charge Of
small plays. and Miss E. d. Schreiner
is director Of camp entertainment.
warren Dahler of the Neighborhood
Playhouse. New York, is associated
with the small play department of the
local work. and is busy these days
painting scenery for the community
theater. at 91S 10th street. 1t is on
this stage. and with sets furnished
by Mr.. Dahler, that the plays in the
recently held prize contest will be
presented shortly.
Mr.. Dahler is an exponent of the
Russian system of stage setting by
means of drop curtains treated in the
enect1ve daring way which has dis
tlnguished that school. 1t is declared
that when the curtains which he is
engaged upon at the 10th street play
house are seen. spectators will see
something not commonly seen here.
In Camps and Hospitals.
The work of the department in camp
and hospital entertainment is still
going on. and has enlisted the volun-
teer aid of hundreds of the National
Capitals best singers and entertain
ers. Entertainments have been given
at Walter Reed General Hospital. st.
Elizabeth's Hospital. Camps Meade,
Leach, Meigs and Humphreys and Fort
Myer, Liberty and Eagle huts.
The community drama and pageant
ry work SO successful during the war.
can be extended infinitely in the days
to come, according to Mrs. Forrest.
who is enthusiastic in her visions of
the future of this sort of activity in
the National Capital.
1t is believed by her, and by other
workers in pageantry. including Percy
McKaye, the poet. that perhaps nn
other city in the United States holds
such vast possibilities for pageantry
work as does Washington. This is the
National Capital, the city in which all
people of the United States feel an
interest. and which. from California
to Maine. is looked upon as being the
real center Of the great country of
which all are part.
Because this Is the focus of all
Americans the District of Columbia
is regarded as the ideal place for the
presentation of pageants. both ma
tional and local. This is the reason
that the National Festival Association
has been projected.
This association is composed of the
people of all the states which are pre-
senting pageantry And pageantry
fore, as city after city. county after
county and state after state comes to
celebrate its Tooth anniversary.
Parks Ideal Stages.
The parks in the District of Column
bia present ideal stages for the pres
entation of pageants. 1t is the idea
of the National Festival Association,
as soon as fine pageant is given any
where in the United States, to bring
that pageant here in the spring of
the year, when Washington parks are
at their height of beauty, and present
it, so that the people of the National
Capital, including all those govern
ment workers from the city, county or
state where the pageant originated,
may witness it.
This pageantry work will help ce-
ment the country into a greater ma
ton, Mrs. Forrest believes. She re-
CARDS pageantry essentially as
teacher. The local work here must be
in high degree national In addi-
ton to this large work, the small play
activities will help in the development
of the younger people in the govern
ment departments and the school chill
dren. 1t is planned to establish a
community lyceum, and therein pool
the entertainment talent of the city.