Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-06
PILGRIM PAGEANTs.

The great finale of the year of celebrations marking
sne tercentenary OF the landing Of the Pilgrims at Plyn-
5outh Rock will be an elaborate pageant at the historic
landing place beginning July 13, and continuing at inter
svals fora month. The fact that all the performances are
not to be given on successive days is due to the e1igencies
or the tides. In reproducing as closely as possible the
conditions which prevailed at the time of the actual land
ting three hundred years ago it is necessary that the base
Of the famous rock. shall be washed by the tide. and this
condition will be met on the days>chosen for the several
performances, July 10, IA, Is and Is; August /, 2, 8, and
August 10, IL, ~, 1a.
There will be some 1,4oo people in the cast, and in
the selection Of these the effort has been to link up the
past with the present, and to symbolic the manner in
which the Spirit Of the Pilgrims" has aided in bringing
together in sympathy and ideals the people of many
races and the inhabitants Of many lands. In the cast
will be descendants Of some of the passengers on the
Mayflower, as well as others whose families have not
that historic background. Not only will there be repre-
ss~entatives of the old English stock. but Dutch, italians.
Portuguese and others of races which have been drawn
upon to form our present population.
There are difficulties in the presentation of such a
pageant which do not arise when the spectacle is staged
by professional actors. The professionals are strangers
IN the community, and, if their work is well done, they
arr accepted IN the characters which they impersonate,
and for the moment the whole affair is real to the spec
tatorE Where the actors are drawn from the community
itself their own personality tends to obtrude itself upon
the spectators. 1t is more difficult to accept ones neigh
Dor than a stranger in an assumed character. 1t is diff
cult to keep the thought from straying from the eharac-
ter depicted to the personality behind the disguise.
To make such a pageant a success there is necessary
the spirit of profound sincerity on the part OF both a-
tors and audience. Where the subject. as i'm this case, is
a. patriotic one, all must meet on the CONNIE ground of
patriotism. With this, success Is possible. ID
The Passion Play at O~berammergau is an ILLUSTRATION
of what is possible in this direction. There the incidents
Of the most tremendous drama ever enacted on earth
have been depicted year after year, until the war inter
rupted, by humble peasants, many Of them almost or
wholly iliterate. A false note would have been fatal.
The intrusion of a thought Of the actors personality
would have destroyed the whole solemn illusion Yet the
attitude Of both participants and spectators has been
such that there seems to have been no departure from
ne reverential spirit.
Where this spirit can be mate to surround the pres
atAtton OF impressive scenes from our nations history,
4ch as are likely to characterize the Forthcoming climax
it Plymouth Rock the nation itself will be Strengthened,
or its people wtllTlearn to love and appreciate it more.