Evening star., 1939-02-26
Sesquicentennia|
Pageant 10 Depict
Founding Of 6. U.
Cast of $50 Students
Will Take Part in
Program June 3

Plans for historical pageant de-
plotting the founding of Georgetown
University in 1889 and its develop
ment were announced yesterday as
a major feature in connection with
the universitys official sesquicen-
tennial celebration this year.
The pageant will be presented by
q cast of $50 students on June 3,
the evening preceding the close of
the sysquicentennial week. Re-
hearsals are to begin next week un-
der the direction of Arthur Behrens,
director of dramatics at the uni
versity.
DR.. Edmund A. Walsh, S. j., is
chairman of the Sesquicentennial
Committee, serving under the Very
Rev. Arthur A. O'Leary, S. j., presi-
dent. An attendance of about 10000
alumni is the goal for the celebra-
ton and for this reason the pageant
will be presented in local audi
torium.
Prologue and l8 Tableaux.
The pageant, which is entitled
Sons of Georgetown" will consist of
a prologue and a series of 18 tab
leauX. During six months of re-
search on the part of Mr.. Behrens.
the author, wealth of background
material was found in the George
town archives.
The pageant will open with a scene
depicting the arrival of the original
Lord Baltimore colonists in 1884, on
the Ark of the Dove, at the mouth of
st. Marys River. The colonists, led
by Leonard Calvert, will be shown
signing treaty of peace with the
PiscataWay Indians. These scenes,
together with the Rev. Andrews
White, Jesuit chaplain, form a pro-
logue.
Georgetown University's origin
goes back to those years and the
opening of the little school at st.
Indigoes, Md
The pageant proper will begin with
the founding of Georgetown Col
lege in 1889 by Archbishop John
Carroll of Baltimore The Old North
Building. one of the earliest units
of the college, is still in use. 1t was
from the portico of this building
that George Washington addressed
the students in 1896, shortly before
his death. From the same portico
the Marquis de Lafayette in later
years also addressed the students
and soon after the World War, Mar
shal Foch of France spoke from it
Behrens Nephew of MantelI.
The tableaux will unfold the rec
ord of Georgetown prominent par
tlclpatlon in the making of the Ma
ton, the anniversary of its founding
being coincident with the adoption
OF the Constitution of the United
States in 1889.
Mr.. Behrens, the director, is a
nephew of the late Robert Mantell
the Shakespearean actor under
whom he received his own early
training for the stage. He came
to Georgetown to direct the Mask
and Bauble Club in 1887. He has
written and produced Joan of Arc
and Greater Glory" sponsored by
the American Historical Society anc
directed the university's latest pro.
duction, John Drinkwater's "Abra-
ham Lincoln"
During his historical research into
the background of Georgetown Mr.
Behrens received cooperation from
the American Indian Division of the
Library of Congress. 1t was the
friendliness of the Piscataway In.
dlans that enabled Lord Baltimore
tiny group of colonists to survive
their first year in the new MARYLAND
The Rev. DR.. Wilfrid Parsons, S. J..
director OF the Georgetown College
archives, has been busy for month;
assembling historical data for ex-
hibits during the sesquicentennia
observance.