Evening star., 1949-10-21
Author Gives
0ut|ineofP|ans
For Sesqui Play
Five Days Of Life
Of Washington to Be
Covered in Drumu

du ll1lOlltSu Ol1lCldlS CUud.
even as Dramatist Paul Greer
outlined plans for his symphonic
drama. a feature of next year!
celebration.
The Pulitzer prize winning
dramatist told newsmen at a Hote
Statler reception last night tina
his effort probably will show fiv,
days of George Washington'S lift
TAT the most robust period of hi
career. yet in the great crisis o
his life" ....-.
Mr.. Green's contribution, to b.
shown in a Rock Creek Parl
amphitheater, presents none o
the problems Of the Freedom Fair
Federal. District and Sesquicen
tennial officials who met in a two
hour fact finding session yester'
day were without authority tt
settle definitely on the Anacostis
flats area at the foot of East Cap
itol street for the exhibition
grounds.
Decision Due Next Week.
That decision will be left to tn,
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission at a meeting
next week. The National Capita
Parks Office has approved the site
and the Fine Arts Commission {
general plan for temporary exhi.
bitfon buildings, but NCPPC ha.
raised points of possible objection
The commission is concerned
with the disturbance of recreation
areas and plans for other improve.
ments. There is also the question
of whether a proposed new Ana.
costa River bridge will be con.
structed in line with East Capito
street. and thus possibly conf1ic
with the Freedom Fair site plans
The District Highway Depart.
ment recently proposed this sitt
for. the bridge. but NCCPC ha!
favored the bridge on a line with
&N4doOclO1lQSCtUS dFCl1uC.
While Edward Boykin, Sesqui.
centennial Commission director
spoke optimistically about tn,
sites approval, another ofhcia
pointed out that NCPPC legally
can block it If so minded.
NCPPC Must Approve Sites.
The act setting up the exposi
ton requires NCPPC approval fol
building sites and landscaping
When the Sesquicentennial groul
got written permission for tn,
Anacostia ground from the In,
terror Department it believed thai
settled matters.
But part of the land Is under
jurisdiction of the Chief of Arm.
Engineers. which has additiona
dredging and grading work to dt
at Kingman Lake in Anacostis
Park.
NCPPC was represented on tn
Co-ordinating Committee which
met yesterday. In fact. Johl
Nolen, director of NCPPC plan
ming, is chairman of the groul
representing all agencies inter
ested in the Sesquicentennial.
Park officials said use of tn,
Anacostia flats would mean clos
ing down of baseball diamond
there.
Mr.. Green told newsmen he wa
half way through the writing O
his drama, to be presented mex
July in an amphitheater Nationa
Capital Parks will build in I.
natural bowl south of Morrow
drive and west Of Sixteenth
street NV.
Hopes for Annual Production.
The dramatist hopes the pla,
will become an annual production
here, such as his "The Common
Glory" at Williamsburg, Va, ant
THE Lost Colony" at Roanok
Island, N. c.
Through f1ashbacks the dram,
will take Washington back to hi
early days. But mostly it will b
a forward-looking exposition, will
Washington. Alexander Hamilton
and other Revolutionary figure
peering into the future of Amer
lea.
Il am trying to take five day
Of Washington's life to give tn
full story of his significance" MI
Green said. "It is a play abou
Washington and his part in tn
creation of the democratic natiol
and the philosophy of self-gov
ernment."
He has read everything avail
able about his subject and tn
Capital and has visited such his
toric spots as Valley Forge an,
Morristown.
Mr.. Green hopes to uncove
some Of Washington's early lif
in Ohio, where he hanged som
people and to depict Benedic
Arnold in his true likeness. H
plans to incorporate a scene O
Washington's mother asking he
illustrious son at fredericksburg
Where are you going now?" as h
went on to new honors in the ney
Republic.
Cast of 100 to $50.
Most of the cast of 100 to IS
will be. young Washington people
with a "few fine professionals.
Into it will be written Eighteenth
Century words and music, witt
such scenes as soldiers around
campfire. singing an old Englisl
song.
But an incongruous touch to tn
old words, songs and costume
will be an amplifying stysten
which will permit the audiences o
$500 to 1000 to hear well.
Mr.. Green still is undecided o.
q title, but it will be somethin
like "Merciless Days. or DAY
Without Mercy"
While the amphitheater is unde
construction, he expects to com
I.1rA Nf%1x. l.