The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-26
Frederic Haskin's Letter
On With t he Pageant.

Mott. and Elizabeth Stanton. -
story of this statue has been "a. lM
before In the Haskin letter NV sa
be placed in the rotunda Of ~ :. ~
itol, and what Miss Mackays ~.
a dramatic service with 49,, s.us
features" will be held Al fhs&
yelling. The ideals Of Tho ~ -, w.
women are to be representad Al =
symbolic figures. Banners I'll, y
brought and laid by the ststna oe
tribute paid to the memory :, .ao
three suffrage pioneers. m. ~ IN we
orial service will be presumshi %. u.
last scene in the suffrage ameu NV
ment drama. neuo-
This dramatic service, q. Nj.
Mackaye describes it, is thu a..s mss
OF poetic pageantry, quite diHs..oss
from the literal presentat;on
scenes from q persons life or , VI
tons history. The poetid n.s. "a.
in which symbolism plays So 1s.a.
a part is the kind of proSuc,,se
which has been most mi.us. oa
Sometimes too much trust is nls"al
ID the Imagination of the audisns.
and a fire spirit invoking thu '. ~,
gets taken for a lady chasing ! Nv SSu
terfly. Then again the symho, Us
Is commonplace. Love, joy. nlS.
ure and hope are all ant tn ioss
about alike. and il thu audi.n...
misses the introduction. aH.s.
comes Hope" it hasn't much cbsn.s
OF following the story.
A standard for the really ,u..
native and dramatic pageant -,
once set by Percy Mackaye, broth.r
OF Hazel Mackaye. who has written
some OF the most spectacular ana
successful pageant produced IN I'M, s
country. Mr.. Mackaye thinks ths
pageant should be capable Of rom
bining the popular appeal Of an
Isadore Duncan-Damrosch concer,
a Sorolla exhibition and a Mauts
Adams-Barrie play"
This is an odd combination ~ a.
,, fractions, but if you analyze il Won
will find that Mr.. Mackaye was tn.
ing to show what pageantry mirht
be with an original pageant for !
basis, and then careful attention
given to dancing. suitable music
color effects, stage pictures, and
acting.
The Great st. Louis Pageant
There have been a number Of par.
/ eants given which combined thi,
excellence in each side of produc
ton, and Miss Mackaye is doubt
less right when she says that nag
eanty at its best is at once as thrill
ing. entertaining and instructive a,
the best grade of regular drama
Such pageantry, which she says ca,
be achieved in any community |
enough time and energy is expend
ed, has proved its power to attrac
the people. When St Louis gave
combination pageant and masque o
the history of the city, $500 peopl
took part, and 100000 spectator
came early in the afternoon an
waited to See the pageant, and the
returned that night to see th
masque.
In further and more recent proc
Of the sustained interest in pag
eantry, Miss Mackaye reminds 20
that colleges and high schools reg
ularly make use OF il in celebration
and dedication services. During tn
war, all sorts of organizations use
pageantry as a means of inspirin
patriotism. Men overseas wrot,
produced, and acted in number {
remarkable pageants. notably on
at Domremy, the birthplace {
Jeanne D'Arc.
| The pageant has become an a.
cepted part of the safe and san
Fourth of July celebration, and otl
er holiday festivals. It is to fgur
| prominently at the Pilgrim tercel
teIary celebration at Plymouth.
J In little more than a decade
1.-THE pageant revival we have pr
! crossed from general interest
pageants to an interest in bette
pageants. A demand for instru'
ton in the art of writing and prt
ducing pageants and other forms
community drama has led seyer'
colleges to give courses in thes
/, subjects. Communities, too. al
seeking to improve local facilitit
for staging dramas Outdoor sy
van theatres are being planned, an
Iseveral cities are putting up con
munity theatres as war memorial