■ /\, ".TOP*.- ^-i^X '-^m: ^%'^V o^ 'bV'^ '^0^ \.«^ /ji^'-. x.^-^' ymi'^ %/ '^^^''' '•\ '°-i-B.'> ./>-^i>^ /,c:^."<=o ^^0^ ^^Ho, w. THE MASQUE OF THE TITANS OF FREEDOM GEORGE WASHINGTON ABRAHAM LINCOLN WILLIAM CHAUNCY LANGDON ^THE MASQUE OF THE TITANS OF FREEDOM GEORGE WASHINGTON ABRAHAM LINCOLN WILLIAM CHAUNCY LANGDON J SMusic Composed by JOHN LAWRENCE ERB Urbana - Champaign Illinois 1918 ^ Coiiyri:!:ht, 1918 By William Ciiaun'cy Langdon All Rights Reserved y All actins rights and motion picture rights are reserved by the author. Permission for performance must be secured in writing from him. Address: William Chauncy Langdon University of Illinois V, Urbana, Illinois / .JIJN -7 1918 ^CI.D 49774 THE PERSONS OF THE MASQUE REALISTIC FIGURES George Washington Abraham Lincoln The Custis Children Tad Mrs. Bixby and Her Sons Washington's Opponents Lincoln's Opponents Revolutionary Picket Civil War Picket Soldiers of the Great War SYMBOLIC FIGURES America Belgium France Britain Italy The Majestic Ones of Life The Human Spirits of Earth Pastoral Elves Sprites of Humor THE WASHINGTON THEME Slow and dignified • John Lawrence Erb ^^U:.^i^ ' i H.\i \ ^-i ^jii S-^ i >' ;i':Mf u \ n t' ^ ^ ^^^ ^ I » oil° 1 ' » oH = > i ^ — -^M ^ Copyright, 1918, by j. L. Erb THE LINCOLN THEME Slow, with simplicity John Lawrence Erb &. &'' l ^°' :l|' J. l i ^ 7. ^r rif f Copyright, 1918, by J . L. Erb THE MASQUE OF THE TITANS OF FREEDOM GEORGE WASHINGTON ABRAHAM LINCOLN The Masque begins with the Organ playing the openijig straiiis of the Washington theme, plamly stated, and of the Lincoln theme, in equally simple form. All is dark, save for a faint glow of daivn in the sky seen betiveen two tall massive columns at the head of soyne steps. On either side, at the foot of the steps, are two stone benches. The music recurs to the Washingto7i theme, playing it more fully. The gloiv in the sky deepens arid rapidly becomes brighter until it is brilliant ivith red and golden light. From the east there come tall stately figures, who are joined by others like them from the west. As the light increases, it i& seen that they are in robes of dazzling brightness. They are the Majestic Ones of Life. Then similarly the music plays the Lincoln theme in full. Blue light rises up over the sky from the west, blending with the red into a gorgeous purple. At the same time there come in still other figures, sensitive and re- sponsive, joyous and sad interchangeably. They are the Hu- man Spirits of this Earth. They join with the Majestic Ones in the rhythmic motion, as the music interiv eaves the two themes. The music again passes into a clear statement of the Lin- coln theme. The red light in the sky gradually softens and the blue becomes stronger and richer, until it is all a deep blue glow like the night sky. The Majestic Ones recede to either side and kneel or recline. The Human Spirits also come for- ward and form a central reclining group, as Abraham Lincoln comes in. The music continuesjhe Lincoln theme in the minor. Lincoln is tired and depressed as at the eyid of a long hard day. He stands a solitary figure, lonely and hearing his burden, until as the music reaches a long soft chord he speaks. Lincoln : With malice toward none, with charity toward all ! Then he straightens up and throws off his melancholy as the music passes into the rnajor. Again he speaks. Lincoln: With firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, — we must strive on. With a few quiet chords, alteimately minor a7id major, the music ceases. Lincoln brushes his hair back from his forehead with a sigh and resumes his meditations. Lincoln : But I must in all candor say I do not think myself fit for the Presidency. — Yes, even one of my old friends and neighbors said to me today, "Well, Mr. Lincoln, if anybody had told me that in a great crisis like this the people were going out to a little one-horse town and pick out a one-horse lawyer for President, I would not have be- lieved it." He did not mean to hurt my feelings of course, but there is truth in it. What could I say but "Neither would I," and laugh. — No, I was not the best man to pick for this place. Seward, or Chase, or — I can but do my best for these dear people. A woman appears in the shadoiv of the columns behind him. With her are five young men in uniform. Lincoln turns kiyidly to her. Lincoln: And you, my good woman, what is your name? Are you Mrs. Bixby? And these are your five sons? My dear Madam, I feel how weak and helpless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming, but I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found [6] in the thanks of the republic they died to save. I pray our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride which must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. The ivonian and her sojis disappear, Lincoln stretching out his arm in sympathy toward her. A little farther away a group of politicians appear, standing together, talking about him and pointing at him in a hostile manner. Lincoln sees them but at first does not heed them until he wants informa- tion from them 07i the subject that is uppermost in his heart. Then he addresses them. Lincoln : Tell me, — you may attack me, but tell me, — do the people of your State hold me in any way responsible for the loss of their friends in the Army? The politicians do 7iot answer him, simply stand together looking at him,. Finally, half addressing them, half meditating, Lincoln continues. Lincoln : I know very well that others might, in this matter as in others, do better than I can ; but though I believe I have not so much of the confidence of the people as I had some time since, I do not know that, all things considered, any other person has more; and however this may be, there is no way in which I can have any other man put where I am. I am here ; I must do the best I can, and bear the responsibility of taking the course which I feel I ought to take. Lincoln resolutely faces his opponents, ivho gradually fade aivay, disappear. Lincoln : I am as good as any of them, — These people, for- ever demanding surrender under the name of peace ! Re- versing the divine rule and calling, not sinners, but the righteous to repentance, with their invocations to Wash- ing, imploring me to unsay what Washington said, and [7] undo what Washington djd, when I never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments em- bodied in the Declaration of Independence! — I shall not last long after it is over. — Washington ! He had bitter un- fair opposition to endure as well as I ! Traitors even in his own household ! With what impeccable dignity and high supremacy of mind he met them, — in very truth the august Father of his Country ! The Washington theme is heard in the music, and then the Lincoln theme ansivering it, expressive of the very great and deep veneration that Lincoln had for the character of Wash- ington. The Washington theme recurs, louder than before and clarionlike. Rose lights begin to appear and flash through the blue night sky, increasing until the sky is biilliant ivith red and golden light flashing alternately through the blue. With the first rose lights the Majestic Ones raise themselves into attentive though still reclining positions. As the music de- velops the tivo themes together, the Lincoln theme rising in crescendo to meet the Washington theme and the Washington theme sounding louder and louder through it, the Majestic Ones rise and uplift their arms high in exaltation on either side. At the climax of the music Washington appears, in uni- form as a General of the Revolutionary War, standing by one of the columns ivith upraised hand in salutation to Lincoln. Lincoln bowing renders him most sincere greeting. They speak each other's names. Lincoln : Washington ! Washington : Abraham Lincoln ! The music continues softly in a long chord accompani- ment to the ivords spoken by Lincoln and Washington, the chords being the essential chords of the Washington theme. Lincoln : Your great example has always been the standard and the inspiration of my life, the solace and encourage- ment of my efforts in this place ! [8] Washington : You have saved the nation we created ! We are fellows, — two men who love their Country more than all things else on earth! Lincoln : The trials, the bitterness you endured ! Washington : Were like to yours ! Washington conies down to Luicoln and they grasp each other's hands. Washington : At last the people came to understand and to support the right! So with you! But now our Country passes through a third, a greater crisis than it ever has before. Lincoln: The people of America will rise, to rescue justice and to champion liberty! Washington : I trust so, but God grant they do not rise too late! The Washington theme rises holding into the major, for- tissimo, while the lights glow up into special hrilliancy, and the Majestic Ones and the Huma^i Spirits, standing in groups var- iously combined, exultantly with arms upraised signalize the moment. The music ceases. Washirigton and Lincoln sit down on the stone benches. The Majestic Ones and the Human Spirits resume their places i7i groups reclining on the ground in front. Washington : Those old experiences of bitter opposition, vituperation and personal recrimination still hang over me like a nightmare. I bore much for the sake of peace and the public good. Fifty thousand pounds would not induce me again to undergo what I did! Lincoln : If to be the head of Hell is as hard as what I have to undergo here, I could find it in my heart to pity Satan [9] himself! General Washington, — I understand you like best to be called General Washington ? Washington : Yes, I do. Lincoln : I have heard there were times when even your im- perturbable serenity gave way before the attacks of your enemies. General Charles Scott has said that on finding Charles Lee retreating at Monmouth you swore like an angel from Heaven. Washington: The damned poltroon! It may not be a just but it is certainly a kind providence that we sometimes get reputations for virtues after death which we did not altogether deserve while living. I am not a competent judge of General Scott's comparison. Washmgton smiles and Lincoln laughs. Washington : It is the petty falsities and irritating innuen- does that try one's temper more than the serious troubles. There was a Master of Ceremonies, a major domo, a sort of stately dancing master, when I first became President who gave me much vexation. I dislike parade and cere- mony as much as my Democratic neighbor, Mr. Jefferson, but things should be done with a sense of fitness when one is the occupant of this position. In my clothes I wanted neither lace nor embroidery — plain clothes, with a gold or silver button (if worn in genteel dress) is all I desired. But this Master of Ceremonies used so much unnecessary form at Mrs. Washington's and my first levee as to make us ridiculous, and I confess I broke out at him, "Well, you have taken me in once, but, by God, you shall never take me in a second time." Nor did he. (Laughter). Edmund Randolph with his false and ungrateful hostility in my later years tried me sore. Of him, when he brought out one of his scurrilous pamphlets, forgetting myself, I ex- claimed, "By the eternal God, he is the damnedest liar on the face of the earth !" — which was true. — Mr. Lincoln, it is very easy to confess one's sins to you. [10] Lincoln : A man has not time to spend half his life in quar- rels. If any man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past against him. Washington: That is right. I am not sure that I was as forgiving as you, but as I went gliding down the stream of life, I wished that my remaining days should be undis- turbed and tranquil; and conscious of my integrity I never undertook the painful task of recrimination, nor did I ever even enter upon my justification. It was peculiarly my wish to avoid any personal feuds or dissensions with those who were embarked in the same great national in- terest with myself; as every difference of this kind must in consequence be very injurious. I ignored hostility. Lincoln: What? Even General Conway? Washington: He complained to the Continental Congress of my cool receptions. I did not receive him in the lan- guage of a warm and cordial friend. A group of Washington's enemies appear in the hack- ground, evidently by their manner intriguing against him. Among them are Conway and Gates. Conway : A great and good God decreed that America should be free, or Washington and weak counsels would have ruined her long ago. Lincoln: Horatio Gates? Washington : My bosom friend, General Gates ! Lincoln: Benedict Arnold? Washington : His treason to our friendship grieved me be- yond all anger. Lincoln : General Washington, you were indeed magnani- mous! [11] The group of Washington's enemies fade away and dis- appear'. Washington: My whole life long I yearned to escape from it all, from the army with its endless hardships and even more from public life, and at length, dressed in the gray coat of a Virginia farmer to become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac; and under the shadow of my own vine and fig-tree, free from the bustle of a camp, and the busy scenes of public life, to solace myself with those tranquil enjoyments, of which the soldier, who is ever in pursuit of fame, and the statesman, whose watchful days and sleepless nights are spent in devising schemes to pro- mote the welfare of his own, perhaps the ruin of other countries, (as if this globe was insufficient for us all), can have very little conception. During this speech the tivo grandchildren, George Wash- ington Parke Custis and Nellie Custis come in. The hoy sits on the floor beside General Washington, while Nellie stands by him, his arm around her. Lincoln: I can sympathize with you about public life. I never had any military experience. Washington: The Black Hawk War? Lincoln : That amounted to nothing. I never really smelt powder. But you were in your element in battle. Washington : It never disturbed me. Indeed, I rather liked it, from the first fight I ever was in, at Fort Necessity. Then first I heard the bullets whistle, and believe me, there was something charming in the sound. — It was always my prayer that the God of Armies would bestow sufficient abilities on me to bring the war to a speedy and happy conclusion, thereby enabling me to sink into sweet retirement and the full enjoyment of that peace and hap- piness which accompanies a domestic life. That was al- ways the first wish and most fervent prayer of my soul. [12] Nellie Custis : When he came back to Mount Vernon after the war, Grandpa was much pleased with being once more Farmer Washington. Weren't you, Grandpa? Lincoln : This your little girl ? Washington: This is my little granddaughter, or Mrs. Washington's; and grandson. Go over and speak to President Lincoln, my dear. The two children go over to Lincoln. Lincoln: You would not pass me without shaking hands, would you? I had no little girls. All my children were boys, four boys. I wonder where Tad is ! Tad ! Tad ! Tad comes in. He comes to his father and hangs over his shoulder as he sits on the bench. Tad is in a little Civil War Lieutenant's uniform. Lincoln: Tad, go over and pay your respects to General Washington, the Father of your Country. Tad very seriously comes to attention and salutes General Washington; he smilingly and graciously acknowledges the salute. Then Tad goes over and shakes hands with him. Lincoln : And these are his grandchildren. This is my clos- est friend, Tad. Tad shakes hands with the two Custis children and then they all return to their parents and listen to them. Soon Tad slips down to the floor and goes to sleep. Lincoln : I was never much of a farmer. I reckon I was too lazy. I used to chop wood a little out in the shed at Spring- field, and I split rails when I was young too. Washington: We both began as surveyors, I remember. I knew that region you came from, Illinois. I had a keen [13] eye for bottom lands. I took a trip through there once, that is, down the Ohio Rivfer, maybe not as far north aa where your town, Springfield, is. The Indians were all through there in my day; the Illini, "the real men", they called themselves. — Agriculture has always been the most favorite amusement of my life. The more I am ac- quainted with agricultural affairs the better I am pleased with them. To see plants rise from the earth and flourish by the superior skill and bounty of the laborer fills the contemplative mind with ideas which are more easy to be conceived than expressed. How much the rotation of crops has accomplished! It was almost unknown in my day; but I practised it a little! It was my greatest pride to be thought the first farmer of America ! As Washington sits genially musing on his home life at Mount Vernon, the music again plays his theme, this time ivith a fresh springlike pastoral quality introduced by the flutes. The lights become soft and pink as of early morning. Pastoral Elves, in light greens and grain colors, smaller than the other spirits and quicker in motion, run out and dance back and forth betiveen the other groups. As the music and the dancing come to a close, Lincoln quietly rises. Lincoln : I must be taking this soldier upstairs and put him to bed pretty soon or he will have me court-martialed in the morning for neglect of duty ! Tad sees that everything goes all right in the White House. Even Stanton does whatever he tells him to. That is more than he will do for me! (With a quizzical laugh.) One day someone came to me to ask for a pass through the lines over Stanton's re- fusal. I told him, "I can do nothing; you must know I have very little influence in this administration." In the music the Lincoln theme ripples out in accelerated tempo and with very humorous droll effect. Little Sprites of Humor, funny lovable little tots, run out on either side and romp about for a few moments as Lincoln smiling watches them. [14] Lincoln: That man I told I had but little influence in my administration makes me think, General Washington, you and I did the best thing, but not the easiest thing, when we appointed our Cabinets and gathered into them pretty much all the leaders of every party or faction in the whole country. Why, I even offered a place to the South, besides making Bates of Missouri, Attorney General ; and at that time we did not know for sure whether Missouri was North or South. Our example did not seem to prove very attractive to other Presidents! WASHINGTON: Coalition ministries do not make quiet fam- ilies! Jefferson and Hamilton and Randolph! Lincoln: Seward and Stanton and Chase! — When I went down the Mississippi on a flatboat, I knew a man, a flat- boatman on the Sangamon River in Illinois who to please his children once brought one of them a parrot and the other a monkey all the way up from New Orleans, and steered the flatboat too at the same time. Washington : Were you that man ? Lincoln : I was not. I could not do that. Washington : If he accomplished his purpose, he should have been made President of the United States. He showed qualifications. Lincoln : I even had to read the riot act to my Cabinet once. Influence? I had to tell them plainly, "I must myself be the judge how long to retain in and when to remove any one of you from his position. It would greatly pain me to discover any of you endeavoring to procure another's removal, or in any way to prejudice him before the pub- lic. Such endeavor would be a wrong to me, and much worse, a wrong to the country." And, I added, "My wish is that on this subject no remark be made nor question asked by any of you, here or elsewhere, now or hereafter." [ 15 ] Washington : Yet it was common report that you were only a figure head in the administration. Both Washington and Lincoln laugh heartily. Lincoln : But they made a glorious Cabinet, men every one of them of great power, of surpassing ability. Stanton! — the winning of the war was the only passion of his loyal soul! He regarded nothing else; and no one. I gave a man a card to him once with a request he wanted. Soon he came back and told me that Stanton in a rage tore my card up and threw it in the waste-basket. Now that was just like Stanton! (Lincoln laughs; and Washington smiles, appreciating both sides of the anecdote.) One time a Congressman who had had an altercation with Stanton thought he was playing the ace of trumps and taking high, low, jack and the game, by coming to me and telling me that Stanton had said I was a fool. I shall never forget the expression on that man's face when I leaned over to him and said confidentially, "If Stanton said I was a fool, I must be a fool, for Stanton is nearly alw 'ys right and generally says what he means." (Laughs). No, in Stanton I had the right Secretary of War! It t" ' a long time to find a General to match. Washington: We both of us were most fortunate in our Secretaries of War. Henry Knox, — with respect to Gen- eral Knox I can say with truth there was no man in the United States with whom I was in habits of greater in- timacy, no one whom I loved more sincerely. Alexander Hamilton, — I called him my boy. For a while he felt estranged from me, but that had all been forgotten when he became my Secretary of the Treasury. There was no one upon whom I relied more implicitly. In ability, I think it a fair question which was the greater financier, he or Robert Morris. Lincoln : All money matters I left entirely to Chase. I knew nothing about money. Of all the great men I have known. Chase was equal to about one and a half of the best of them. He did not think much of me. He was not of an [16] impetuous generous nature, like Stanton. When I was considering the nomination for Chief Justice, I received piles of telegrams and letters protesting against my nom- inating him, most of them on petty and personal grounds. Now I knew meaner things about Governor Chase than any of those men could tell me. But what had my quali- ties, my likes or dislikes, or his dislike for me to do with the matter? Of course I nominated him, and he made a fine Chief Justice. — But speaking of profanity and the strain on the temper. General Washington, you should have had Seward for your Secretary of State! Seward was a statesman of preeminent ability; with it he had a classic dignity of manner. One time we were going to the telegraph office together, but were interrupted and de- tained until I thought we should never get there. As we went into the room, I remarked offhand, "By jings, Gov- ernor, we are here at last!" Seward turned to me with a reproving manner and said, "Mr. President, where did you learn that inelegant expression?" I did not answer him directly, but turned to the young telegraph operators and said, "Young gentlemen, excuse me for swearing be- fore you. 'By jings' is swearing, for my good old mother taught me that any thing that had a 'by' before it was swearing." Seward was puzzled. (Laughter). But I am tiring you with my stories. Washington: No, indeed, Mr. Lincoln; I enjoy them most heartily. I wish that I had had such a sure relief from strain and worry as you had in your sense of humor! I had no escape except to seek refuge within the dignity of my position and retire behind a reserved manner. And that gave me no refuge from my own thoughts and dis- couragement. Lincoln: When I was President, if I could not have told those stories, I should have died. Those pestiferous office- seekers! Hardly even a personal friend came to see me but he had at least a postmaster in his pocket that wanted to get something out of me! — And the court-martials with their death penalties ! Every week I really had to [17] go through those papers and see if I could not find an ex- cuse to let those poor fellows off! General Washington, maybe you can tell me, — if God Almighty gives a man a cowardly pair of legs, how can he help their running away with him? I remember one young girl who came to me to plead for her brother's life. She had no friend to in- troduce her, no influence to bring to bear in his behalf. Simply she loved her brother. I could not help saying to her, "My poor girl, you have come here with no Governor, or Senator, or Member of Congress to speak in your cause ; you seem honest, and truthful, and you don't wear hoop-skirts, and I'll be whipped if I don't pardon him." Then I felt better! — Now I must take this little fellow up to his bed. Please excuse me a few minutes. Come on, Tad! Lincoln carefully picks up Tad, who is sound asleep, puts him over his shoulder^ 2uithout ivaking him, and carries him off. Washington and the Spirits all ivatch him silently. Then as he goes, the music pours forth the Lincoln theme in swift crescendo and glorious harmonies. The lights in the sky brighten to a supernal hrilliayice. Washington rises and stands ivith boived head, his hat in his hand, ajid all the Spirits rise and raise their arms in heart-felt tribute to Lincoln. At the end of the Lincoln music a drum is heard beating the long roll, far atvay, then gradually a little nearer. Two groups of soldiers come out on either side and take their places as night pickets. One group, on the east, on Washington's side, are Revolutionary soldiers. The other group, on the west, on Lincoln's side, are Civil War soldiers. There are about five in each group. They take their places like two proscenium groups of statuary, not motionless, but quietly keeping guard through the night. Washington ivraps his military cloak about him and goes down to the Revolutionary group. Silently they rise and stand at attention ivhile Washington speaks to them. Lincoln returns and, ivith Washington goes dotvn to the group of Civil War soldiers, ivho likeivise rise and stand at attention ivhile Lincoln talks ivith them. The long roll on the drum comes to an end. Washington and Lincoln return to their places. [18 1 Washington: Ever their guard they keep over the nation they died to create! Lincoln : The nation they died to save ! The long roll 07i the drum begins again. Washington : The preservation of the sacred fire of Liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, as finally intrusted to the hands of the American people. Lincoln : The nations of the earth are all in arms to fight for mutual Independence and united Liberty! Washington : To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined. Oh may our st)ns and grandsons quickly come with victory to the rescue of the world ! Lincoln: This is Memorial Day. Not only they, but all the hosts that fought with you and Green; that sailed with John Paul Jones and Perry; followed Jackson, Scott and Taylor; Grant and Farragut and Lee, together rise and march to reenforce their sons and grandsons over there in France! Washington : Again the Men of '76 advance to meet . the Hessians ! Lincoln : The Grave and Death cannot restrain them ! Softly the drum resolves its beat into a march and softly with it are heard, as if only in imaginatioyi, the fifes playirig first Yankee Doodle and then The Girl I Left Behind Me. The measured tramp of marching feet is heard to the sound of fifes and drum. Washington : The skies are full of marching troops ! From north and south, from east and west they throng the [19] clouds with cheer and courage for their sons who fight, with welcome for the wounded and the dead! Lincoln: The last time I sailed up the Potomac, just after the close of the Civil War, as the steamer passed your place there at Mount Vernon, I thought of you, and think- ing of you quoted those surpassing lines of Shakespeare's in Macbeth, — Duncan is in his grave; After life's fitful fever he sleeps well. Treason has done its worst ; nor steel, nor poison, Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing Can touch him further, and thought that soon I too should follow you to rest for- ever. Washington : There is no rest for us when all to which we gave our souls each moment stands in jeopardy. No rest but vigilance and prayer ! Lincoln : I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended you we cannot succeed. But with that assistance we cannot fail. Washington : With that assistance we cannot fail. Lincoln : I am not deeply concerned to know if the Lord is on my side, but whether I am on the Lord's side. Washington : The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained. Lincoln : This is God's fight and He will win it in His own good time. Washington : Our service, yours and mine, was to bring to the people of our day the vision of America that glorified the purpose of our lives ! So still we lead our generations, [20] and the generations that have followed, on to perfect ser- vice. No work is done, no life is given, no suffering en- dured, no prayer is prayed for Liberty but lasts forever, piling up its strength and buttressing its might through all the centuries and ages yet to come ! America ! Amer- ica! For thee we lived and died; for thee we ever live! And now the might of all thy generations do we call to back thy soldiers fighting with thine Allies now in France ! The music pours forth fortissimo the tivo themes, the Washington and the Lincoln, iyi strong clear statement. Then ivith them is heard the theme of America, like clarion peals interrupting. Marching from the ivest toivard the east the figure of America appears, luith drawn sivord in hand, carry- ing the American Flag and ivearing the Shield of the United States on her shoulder. Folloiving her are American soldiers of the Great War. As she goes up to the highest point of the stage there come in from the east, meeting her and ivelcoming her the figures of the Allies, — Belgium, France, Britain, and Italy. As the Revolutionary and the Civil War pickets and the Spirits belotv her surge forivard toivard her ivith upraised arms of acclamation and as the light pours in dazzling bril- liance upon her, America raises the Flag high above her and the Music pours out the full harmony of America. Washing- ton kneels ivith sword drawn and Lincoln stands ivith bowed head, and all join in singing the four stanzas of AMERICA With the last stanza, "Our fathers' God, to Thee", all kneel. Then the music playing the tivo themes, first the Lincoln and then the Washington, as at the beginning of the Masque, and the lights fading aivay into darkness, all the figures rise and receding disappear from vieiv. Note — The dialogue is almost all of it in the words of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln themselves. It has not been thought necessary to indicate where modifications have been made in the wording to adapt it to the present dramatic purpose. W. C. L. [21] FIRST PERFORMANCE THE MASQUE OF THE TITANS OF FREEDOM under the auspices of THE WAR COMMITTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS in the University Auditorium MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 30, 1918 George Washington . . Abraham Lincoln , . The Custis Children Tad Mrs. Bixby Continental Congressman Civil War Congressman Revolutionary Picket . Civil War Picket . . . Francis Keese Wynkoop Drury Rev. Stephen Elias Fisher Agnes Elford Johnston and John Benjamin Drury Richard Dunlap Mrs. Morgan Brooks Don Clausen, Richard Bell, T. F. Hay, E. G. Mason Al. Rapp, Louis P. McKay, R. Smykal, R. P. Wettstein David J. Kadyk, Orville Crews, Walter Barry, H. B. Carr, William E. Fulrath Palmer G. Craig, Morgan Fitch Fred W. Myers, I. M. Funk Harold R. Pinckard America Gertrude Sawyer American Soldiers of THE Great War . . Captain Gerald Darfield Stopp and Cadets of the United States School of Military Aeronautics The Allies: Belgium . Dorothy Doty France . Lois Marie Scott Britain . Ethel Hottinger Italy . . Mildred Winifred Wright [22] The Majestic Ones of Life: Dorothy Bahe, Lillian John- ston, Margaret Pahl, Northa Ann Price, Astrid Dodge, Goldia Butzer. The Human Spirits of Earth : Eunice Badger, Margaret Kutledge, Katherine Fay Miller, Beulah Prante, Flor- ence Bartow Johnston, Mary Jane Weir. The Pastoral Elves: Lucile Abraham, Ruble Turnquist, Mary Mumford, Christine Hyland, Marion Treat, Mar- garet Langdon. The Sprites of Humors Beatrice Sloan, Virginia Mumford, Betty Ballantine, Catharine Colvin. The Music of the Titans of Freedom composed for the Or- gan by John Lawrence Erb, F.A.G.O., and played by him at the first performance. Rehearsal Accompanists : Clara G. Armington and Laura A. Dole ; The Costumes designed by Mrs. William Chauncy Langdon ; The Dances led by Dorothy Bahe ; The University War Committee — David Kinley, Chairman; Eugene Davenport, Stephen Alfred Forbes, Frederick Haynes Newell, Stuart Pratt Sherman, Charles Alton Ellis, Charles Manfred Thompson; The Committee on Decoration Day Celebration — Daniel Kilham Dodge, Chairman ; Harry Franklin Harring- ton, William Chauncy Langdon, Rex R. Thompson. [23] [Twin Cmr Printing Company "I ChRmpaign, Illinois J 89 i A- ^ •.- ^^ O^ *»«o' .0-' V "•<'•' -^ iOv\ ^^-^^^ ^0^ -^0^ r/ >^'\ "5 ^ ^ •.-•''*/' 'V'^'^'V'' V*^-'V \''-^'\/ X v ..^■J?, ""' \ c°^^^i^% /\v;;i;c'\ /.i^^'^^o 4 o