Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-17
STAGING n1sroEIcAL PAGEANT.
AT, FORT GMswOLD, GROToN

- i-.3 &
The pageant to be given at Fort Girls
void, Groton, on May 1e, at s. p M; is
to be oneeof unsurpassed merit. Itlis. the
inspiration of Mrs. Netties S. CrsndafI
one Of the teachers of the - Groton
Heights school, under the auspices OF
which the pageant has been gfven.gz The
pageant was also written and arranged
BY Mrs. Crandalf and named Americas
Place in the WoTfd The school au-
thorities were consulted and. the pos
sibility of It's presentation was effected
Through the efforts of Mrs. Crandal az
so the possibility Of its presentation, at
Fort Griswold was Effected ASA result
after several months of diEgelt sz7d
constant preparation on the partzssof
the children and teachers tot ,Iroton
Heights school, what is perhaps the
greatest event of MS, ma ture ever 4pro7
duced insthis section Will he staged at
the historical fort ~
The directing of the s. rehearsals
throughout. the, entire periedN of: pre- lfIn=
mary: preparations has been done by
Miss M. Antoinettes Taylor Of Connec7
ticut. college who has already "a med
much prominence in such work at the
college. The costuming is being done
under the direction of Miss Mildred
Keefe This latter feature Is TO be one
OIL mo Snldll a. edS1i VI lAiC
$50 children who appear in the pageant
are to be costumed. The pageant will
be given with music furnished by. Pierces
orchestra. 49, =
One of the NEST spectacular features
of the pageant VIII De that Of the porf
trayal Of the American nag By 90 OF,
the young children who are TO be seat
ed on b .eAchers at the south s.de OF
| the fort arena. Each VIII be Consumed
| according to their pace in the nag he7
| ing gowned in red, white and b.ue To
effect the those VINO are to be set
| in the blue field will wear large siz-
| ed stars on their heads, numbering 4s
| to correspond with9 the number of stars
on the national emblem! -.
The extensive preparations which viii
| be necessitated nave already begun and
the bleachers on winch wifi be portray
edl.the flag have been Completed Be
| sides this set Of bleachers there is to be
a platform on the east side of the fort
on, the parapet upon wi1ich VIII sit the
Goddess Of Liberty and her many at
tenoants The affair begins at o'clock
daylight time Friday Of tbs week and IN
! the event Of rain on that day the spec
tacle will take place the next fair day
exclusive of Sunday At the begin
ring of the pageant there VIII appear
Columbia, preceded -. 50 tiny ofl.l-
dren strewing flowers IN ner path; -ao-
vancing to he rada,s. Here, looking into
| the 5vast eGpanse of the setting sun,
she, the spirit, Of America, sees in 4
vision representing Prosperity and Ease,
her great nag composed of, nearly 4ee
| school children who with the eoioTS Of
their. costumes win reproduce In effect
the American nag. Interpretation of the
! dream follows: Dances OF snow, sun
| shine, wind and rain. flowers depict ma
lures gifts, while her IS states appear
to- do homage to her. The Spirit OF
i Ease enchants and lulls all her. subjects
into sleep and Inactivity Even Colunl-
hia herself. falls under the spell till the
spirit Of high purpose awakens her
and she lin. turn wa kes,i her Sleeping sll
host.
The second vision is a group bearing
the universe, extending imp oring han g
This challenge &to ser ssse sjs interpreted
and answered by a group Of foreign
countries who having given America o.
her products to dnrich her now CONS
; beseechinx aid in knowledge and justice
This is followed. by the Rainbow dance
The third vision is a spirit OF. peace
meaning fuifilrnent. Volunteers who Of
! fer themselves for service, .docters
teachers, nurses are rendered a: Srecep
ton and farewell.
Dance of the hours! and also Of thu
seasons follow, when the angel Of Peaci
ascends to occupy the dais-with Coluna
bia. ana with extending, hands, invoke
. the blessing over all the waiting throrg
Led by the spirit of peace, the volun
teers move onward followed. by tn
countries who did, not ask 4neevair. Al
. pass in review ending the pageant. :.
There could not be a more approprizt
place for I've staging, Of. the specta cl
l-than the arena Of Fort Griswold whiel
; at present is the only -Conrecticut fof
: dating back to the Revolutionary wa
that has not been disnantled. TIL
, largest crowd of spectators ever at
J tending any performance in Groton sine
the unwilling of the cannon now in from
/ | of the Groton Monument is expected t
! | witness this event. The cannon was dis
mantled from the Spanish ship Maris
: Theresa captured by this country in tn
: Spanish American war.
: With fair weather conditions on tn
< nineteenth everything points toward Z
. successful event asa reward for man
months Of untiring work on tho part Q
the people who have been interested /
! the work and given their time IN its be