The Washington times., 1922-04-16
APPROVE BOOK
PLAN Of GREAT
PAGEANT IN VA.
Committee Agrees on Outline
of Episodes for Historical
Spectacle in May.

RICHMOND, Va, April 16.-The
complete text of the scenes for the
Virginia historical pageant. to be
staged in Richmond the week begin
ming Monday, May %, submitted by
Lle author, Thomas Wood Stevens,
has been approved by The book COM
mittee, which has also made selection
of the final outline of the episoces
for the great spectacle, which VIII
depict Virginia's history from the
year 1907 down 90 date.
The story of the pagednt Is a series
of the great moments In the history
of the State. The performance Is to
begin with prologue Rt the court OF
Queen Elizabeth, in which the name
Virginia is bestowed upon the new
land.
Following the prologue. the tone OF
the play becomes more realistic, and
deals In condensed dialogue with the
events of the colonial period. The
committee has made the final choice
of these events: First, the scene OF
the landing at Jamestown, at which
the box containing the names OF the
councillors Is opened. the site OF the
settlement decided, and Capt. John
Smith, brought ashore In chains, Is
sent up the James river with the FIRST
explorers.
The second episode Is Smiths cap
ture by Opechancanough, the rescue
from Powhatan by Pocahontas. This
scene uses to the full the peculiar de-
vices of the zone stage. 1t is largely
In pantomime, and the words that are
spoken are almost all in the Algcn-
quin tongue as Ii was known TO Capt.
John Smith.
Probably the most powerful in dra-
matic mood of all the scenes of the
colonial period is the third, dealing
with the Starving Time" 1t is fol
lowed by an idyllic note I'm the wed
ding of Pocahontas. and this In turn
gives way to the first assembly.
A more gay and romantic note
follows, In the coming of the maids.
the home-makers; and again a tragic
and violent one in the massacre
scene of 1922. From the massacre
the pageant goes directly to Bacon's
rebellion. which is treated in the
longest and most intricate action
OF any single episode of the evei
ming The scene of the French and
Indian war closes the colonial
The revolution is treated more
briefly. 1t opens with Patrick
Henry's most famous speech, In
st. Johns Church; this is swiftly
followed by the events of the fol-
lowing year, the bill of rights, and
the instructions to the Virginia
delegates to vote in the Continental
Congress for Independence. One
scene deals with George Rogers
Clark's expedition which captured
Kaskaskia and Vincennes both
then in Virginia territory. The
revolutionary section closes with
military spectacle of the surrender
at Yorktown.
The confederacy Is treated in four
episodes. beginning with the Nir-
ginia convention. and General Lees
acceptance OF the command of the
army. There will be military
spectacle including Lee and his
generals, and a battle scen9 will
show a phase OF the action at
Charlottesville.
The performance will close with
a more symbolic treatment of re-
cent wars and of the present and
future Virginia. In addition TO the
regular pageant each night there
will be special scenes contributed by
players from Alexandria, Norfolk.
Roanoke. the college of William and
Mary and the University of Vir-
ginia, eacn OF which has been as
signed special night.