Evening star., 1932-06-22
GREAT AMERICAN"
VIEWED BY THR0NG
Pageant Depicting Career of
Washington to Be Re-
peated Two Nights.

The Capital laid down another
tribute to George Washington last
night as part of its year-long cele-
bration of the Bicentennial of his
birth.
On the grassy slopes at the base of
the tall shaft immortalizing his men,
ory hundreds of Washingtonians, aug
mented by military contingents from
the nearby Army posts Of Forts Myer
and Washington, presented in pageant
form their version of the First Presi-
dents career. The play will be re-
peated tonight and tomorrow night.
The pages Of history were turned
back as Washington the Colonist,
Washington the Warrior and Wash
ington the Nation Builder lived again
in the natural setting of the Sylvan
Theater, speaking again the memora-
at Monmouth and at Yorktown.
In three impressive actions, COM
prising dozen colorful episodes, the
told in graphic form the rise Of
Washington from surveyor to President,
depicting in vivid scenes the stirring
moments that attended his command
of the Army and lending poignant
reality to the interpretations OF con-
tests on the battlefields.
"The Surveyor" First Episode.
The initial action of the pageant,
portraying Washington as the colonist
comprised three episodes The first OF
these, The Surveyor" showed Wash
ington as part Of the surveying party
treading upon the sacred ground of the
Indian, where warning tribes in symbol
Of peace buried their weapons. Six
years later Washington is seen as the
young Virginia colonel, speaking the
words, Dust unto dust" as in the dead
of night in the forest depths of the
lonely Monongahela, Gen. Braddock is
lowered into his secret grave.
Concluding the first action the epi-
sode THE Marriage of Washington"
constitutes one OF the impressive scenes
Gusts appears in her finely quilted
gown with silver threaded satin, flowers
in hand, as she becomes the bride Of
the stately, grave young colonel.
The marriage episode was presented
by groups representing the Henry D..
Spengler Post and Unit of the Amer
ican Legion. Immediately following, a
minuet was presented by the Capital
Society of the Children of the Amer
lean Revolution, directed by Mrs. Henry
F.. Sawtelle. A dance of bondage by
the Marian Chace and Lester Shafer
washington DeniShawn group, led BY
Michael Logan. occupied the interlude.
War cries rent the air drums rolled
and the Cambridge Common teemed
with troops as Washington took COM
mand of the Army opening the second
action. Scene two of this action takes
place at Valley Forge on Washington S
birthday, 1778. as his starving soldiery,
rejoicing that Lady Washington comes
to tighten the gloom, gather to do him
honor.
Monmouth Battle Depicted.
The third and fourth episodes of the
second action are woven about the Bat
tie of Monmouth. showing Washington
rallying the broken ranks amid the
blare of musketry and turning the tide
of defeat into victory. and the surren-
der at Yorktown, when, with arms re-
versed and flags encased the foe sub
mits. "Washington's Farewell to His
Officers" is the concluding episode of
this action
Warfare over, the third action depicts
the more peaceful days that followed
the Revolution and comprises four cpl
sodes, THE Signing of the Constitu-
tion," "The First Inauguration" "A
Presidential Ball" and THE Planter of
Mount Vernon"
The historic re-enactment of the
Signing OF the Constitution" consti-
tuted one Of the outstanding scenes of
the pageant. Here were assembled the
great men who helped lay the founda-
tion for the great Republic, held to-
gether in bonds of loyalty to shape a
Nations destiny
Music for. last nights performance
was furnished by the United States
Army Band, led by Capt. w. H. STAN
nard, while the Marine Band and the
Army Band will alternate for the per-
formances tonight and tomorrow night.
Costumes contributed much to the
success of the pageant which, accord
ing to the District Bicentennial Com
mission, sponsors Of the play, was the
outstanding event Of its kind ever
staged here. They estimated between
10000 and $4,000 persons turned out
to view the pageant.
Director and Participants.
It was directed by Mrs. Marie Moore
Forrest with the following co-operat-
ing organizations and groups partici-
pating:
United States Signal Corps. Machine
Gun Troop, Sd Cavalry, Fort Myer, Va;
Sd Battalion, 18th u. S. Infantry, Fort
Washington, Va. Anacostia Citizens
Association, Bartfield Players, Com
munity Center Department, Capital So