The Chapel Hill weekly., 1958-07-10

oaA GlCSu W AHdpCL I'LL ~ lltC
author Of The confederacy.' al
new outdoor drama being given
this summer at Virginia Beach,
where 1t had its premiere We'd
nesday evening, July 2. The per-
formance was reviewed by Lewis
Funke in the July 3 issue of the
New York Times as follows:
Although it soon will be 100
years since the War Between the
States, that tragic chapter in the
nations history has not been--nor
can il ever be-forgotten The
principles for which it was fought |
by both sides. the sacrifice. hero
ism and tragedy that It embodied
are inextricabH integrated into
the fabric of our heritage.
Now Paul Green. who for years
has devoted himself to recountingi
various aspects of our past. has
taken up the tumultuous episode
/ in The Confederacy." latest of
his outdoor summer dramas, which
had its inaugural performance
here last night before capacity
audience that included J. Lindsay
Almond Jr.. Governor of Virginia.
| That Mr.. Green, Southerner.
would get around to the subject
probably was inevitable. That he
should approach it with humility,
Sensitivity and reverence was
vouchsafed. The result is a spec
tacle that Is an impressive. infor-
NATIVE and occasionally inspiring
evocation Of the terrible days when
tie Union teetered perilously near
! dissolution.
Southerners are bound to view
The Confederacy" with pride and
affection and. perhaps. with a bit
of sadness. too Northerners will
gain from it a clearer conception
of the conflict and its causes.
There is no recrimination in Mr..
Green's creation. Though it states
Ilucidly and proudly why the South
fought. it also sounds an urgent
fanfare for greater national unity.
Specifically. Mr.. Green has
woven his historical pageant
around the life of that great Vir-
ginian Robert f. Lee, who led the
Southern armies in the ill-fated
struggle To Lee. who had served
the United States Army for thirty
years, the thought of a war be-
tween the states was abhorrent.
lie was against disunion, had
given his own slaves their free
dom and regarded the institution
of slavery as "a moral and poll
tical evil in any country"
He. nevertheless, believed, as
he wrote to his son, that he could
not abide a Union held together
by swords and bayonetS.
If the Union is dissolved" he
wrote. and the Government dis
rupted. | shall return to my native
state and share the miseries of
my people and. save in defense,
will draw my sword on none"
When Virginia did secede he
maintained his word. He refused
President Lincoln's request that
he lead the Unions armies, re-
turned to his home and in the face
OF attack took up arms.
All this Mr. Green has scrupu.
lously related And always,
throughout the saga. he keeps be-
fore us the picture OF man. dedi.
Gated TO duty as he defined ii. a
man modest in victory. courageous
in adversely and thoroughly be-
loved by his men who served
Wherever ne commanded.
The Confederacy" follows the
events Of the war through the var
i0us battles, through the hardship
and travail And finally there is
the meeting at Appomattox and
Lees assumtion Of the presidency
OF Washington College in Lexing-
ton. Va (now Washington and Lee)
so that he could be in a position
to further the education OF South
ern youth into the spirit OF loyalty
to the new conditions.
The setting for the drama Is
ideal. An attractive amphitheatre
has been carved out of heavy
stand OF towering pines. and last
night under canopy Of clear sky
silvered by huge moon, memory
and emotion were easily logged. |
Although the company Of 100
has been handicapped by earlier
inclement weather the players. |
VI II