Patriotic Plays and Pageants for Young PeopleMackay, Constance D'Arcy
History
Patriotic Plays and Pageants for Young People
Mackay, Constance D'Arcy
Pageants; Patriotic plays, American
[As they sing the darkies move towards background. The voices grow
fainter and fainter. The scene ends.
COSTUMES
LORD FAIRFAX. Plum-colored velvet. Three-cornered black hat. White wig
with cue.
GEORGE WASHINGTON. Frontiersman's suit of cotton khaki, made on Indian
lines, with Indian tunic, and knee-breeches. Tan stockings, with
strappings of khaki wound round them, and moccasins.
MADAM WASHINGTON. Dark green quilted petticoat. Overdress and bodice of
dark green, flowered in old rose. Elbow sleeves. White ruffles of lace.
White lawn fichu. Powdered hair.
The plantation negroes wear tropically bright colors. All the colors
are solid. Aunt Rachel has a bright blue dress with a white apron and
kerchief, and a black cloak across her shoulders. She wears a scarlet
and yellow turban, and huge gold hoops in her ears. The negro girls
wear red and blue and green cotton dresses with white kerchiefs, and
colored aprons--a yellow apron with a red dress, and so on. Some of
them wear gay little turbans. Their feet are bare. The boys wear black
knee-breeches, and bright-colored shirts, open at the neck. Uncle Ned
wears black knee-breeches, low black shoes, and a faded scarlet vest
with gilt buttons opening over a soft white shirt.
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S FORTUNE
(Founded on a legend of him youth.)
CHARACTERS
GEORGE WASHINGTON, a Youthful Surveyor
Young Lads who serve respectfully as "chainmen" and "pilots"
RICHARD GLENN
JAMES TALBOT
KEITH CARY
A FRONTIERSMAN
RED ROWAN, his daughter
SCENE: An open woodland glade that is part of the wilderness portion of
Lord Fairfax's estate beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia,
1748. Trees at right, left, and background. Trailing vines. Low bushes.
Underfoot a carpet of rotting leaves. At the left, near foreground, a
fire smolders. Near it are spread a bearskin used as a
sleeping-blanket, some pine boughs, surveyors' tools, and a tin box. At
the right a fallen tree-trunk, mossed, vine-covered. The time is
mid-afternoon. The lads who enter wear the garb of frontiersmen; but
when the play begins the forest glade is deserted until Richard Genn's
voice is heard from the woods in background.
RICHARD GENN.
Come on, then, Washington. Hurry there, Talbot! (Genn enters, carrying
chains and a surveyor's pole, and comes quickly to the fire.) Why, the
ashes have kept their heat since morning. We will not have to start
another fire.
JAMES TALBOT
(entering with Washington from background).
That's good hearing, for I'm famished. How say you, Washington?
WASHINGTON
(laughing and coming to fire).
I could eat a wild turkey, feathers and all. This life in the
wilderness makes one keenly hungry. What's in the box, Richard?
TALBOT
(delving into tin box).
Bacon. Some dry bread.
WASHINGTON.
Toast the bacon between the bread, and we'll have such a feast as is
due to young surveyors who've tramped a good ten miles since morning.
Now then, Richard. Here are some sticks. Let each lad toast his own.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account