Great Falls tribune., 1921-01-27
b. FREDERIC.
hASkM

dedication Of the statue of Susan b.
Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth
Stanton. The story of the statue has
been given before in the Haskin letter.
1t is to be placed in the rotunda of the
capital. and what Miss Mackaye calls
dramatic service with pageant feat
ures" will be held at the unveiling. The
ideals of the three women are to be
represented by symbolic figures. Ban
ners will be brought and laid by the
statue and tribute paid to the mem
ory of the three suffrage pioneers.
The memorial service will be presum-
ably the last scene in the suffrage
amendment drama.
This dramatic service. as Miss Mac
kaye describes it, is the essence Of
poetic pageantry, quite different from
the literal presentation of scenes from
The poetic pageant in which symbolism
plays so large a part is the kind Of
production which has been most mis-
used. Sometimes too much trust is
placed in the imagination of the audi
ence, and fire spirit invoking the sun
gets taken from lady chasing but
terfly. Then again, the symbol is
commonplace. Love, JOY, pleasure and
hope are all apt to look alike, and II
the audience misses the introduction
Here comes Hope it hasn't much
chance of following the story.
A standard for the really magma
tive and dramatic pageant was once
set by Percy Mackaye, bother OF
Hazel Mackaye, who has written some
of the most spectacular and success
full pageants produced in this country.
Mr.. Mackaye thinks the pageant should
be capable of combining the popular
appeal of an Isadora Duncan Dam
rosch concert, a Sorella exhibition, and
a Maude AdamsBarrie play
This is an odd combination of at
fractions, but if you analyze it you will
find that Mr.. Mackaye was trying to
show what pageantry might 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 number of pa
geants given which combined this ex-
cellence in each side of production,
and Miss Mackaye is doubtless right
when she says that pageantry at its
best is at once as thrilling, entertain
ing and instructive as the best grade
Of regular drama. Such pageantry,
which she says can be achieved III any
community if enough time and energy
IS expended, has proved its power TO
attract the people. When st. Louis
gave combination pageant and masaue
of the history Of the city. 1900 people
took part, and 10000 spectators
came early in the afternoon and waited
to see the pageant, and then returned
that night to see the masque.
In further and more recent proof
of the sustained interest IN pageantry,
Miss Mackaye reminds you that col
leges and high schools regularly make
use of It IN celebrations aud dedica-
ton services During the war, all
sorts of organizations used pageantry
as a means of inspiring patriotism:
Men overseas wrote. produced. ana
acted in number of remarkable pa
geants. notably one at Domremy. the
birthplace of Jeanne Dare.
The pageant has become an accepted
part of the safe and sane Fourth of
July celebration. and other holiday fes-
t;vals. 1t is to figure prominently at
the Pilgrim tercentenary celebration
at Plymouth.
In little more than a decade of the
pageant revival we have progressed
from general interest in pageants
to an interest in better pageants. A
demand for instruction in the art of
writing and producing pageants and
other forms of community drama has
led several colleges to give courses in
these subjects. Communities. too, are
seeking to improve local facilities for |
staging dramas. Outdoor sylvan |
theaters are being planned, and several |
cities are putting up community thea |
ters as war memorials.