"Lexington": A Pageant-Drama of the American FreedomHoward, Sidney Coe
History
"Lexington": A Pageant-Drama of the American Freedom
Howard, Sidney Coe
Lexington, Battle of, Lexington, Mass., 1775 -- Drama; Pageants -- Massachusetts -- Lexington; United States -- History -- Drama
_The Chronicler sits on the central throne. He is already in his
place when the doors of the auditorium are opened to admit the first
spectator. So are the two Drummers who occupy the low seats on either
side of him. So are the two Spokesmen who sit atop the two pedestals._
_For the Chronicler’s role an actor of fine Anglo-Saxon type must
be engaged, one able to speak English with beautiful and natural
precision. The same is true of the roles of the two Spokesmen._
_The Chronicler wears buff breeches, a white shirt and a blue coat
which hangs nobly from his shoulders and spreads over the arms of his
seat. His hair, of a natural brown, is pulled back from his brow and
tied with a black velvet ribbon. The lectern before him supports a
great book. At the commencement of the play he opens this book and, at
the end, he closes it. From time to time, during the action, he writes
in it, using a large and snowy-white quill pen._
_The Drummers who sit on either side of him are dressed in scarlet and
as alike as two peas, in costume, make up and cut of hair. Neither one
of them has ever any occasion to speak. Each one of them must devote
his attention wholly to playing upon a great kettledrum which will be
provided for this purpose. The two drums are tuned a diminished third
apart._
_The two Spokesmen will wear the scarlet robes and white wigs of
British justices. They never move during the entire play._
_All of these five persons, it must be repeated, will be in their
places when the auditorium opens. None of them can be allowed to move
until the auditorium has emptied. They must think of themselves as
parts of the fixed scene._
_Behind them, the slope flattens slightly and this area will,
hereinafter, be described as the “Forestage.” Behind that, again,
comes a second, slighter rise and that is succeeded by a much more
considerable level place. This second level will hereinafter be spoken
of as the “Stage.”_
_The stage is set to represent the Common of Lexington in the year
1775. The road from Cambridge and Boston enters at the back center and
divides, passing the Meeting House on either side. The Meeting House is
erected, full size, just at the back of the stage and directly in the
center, thus masking this road. A little down on the right (in these
stage directions right and left refer to the hands of the audience)
stands the Old Belfry. Further over to the right, half buried in the
trees, are the old horse sheds. Further down stage on the right stands
the Marrett-Munroe House, also half buried in foliage, and the Concord
Road leaves the Common as far down stage on the right as the planting
permits. On the left, just a little below the position occupied on the
right by the horse sheds, stands the Buckman Tavern. Then, all the way
down stage left stands the Parsonage of the Rev. Jonas Clark. This
should be set a little apart from the Common to suggest its remoteness.
A road leads past this in the direction of Bedford._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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