"Lexington": A Pageant-Drama of the American Freedom — Background and Themes

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Authors: Howard, Sidney Coe, 1891-1939 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2021 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Lexington, Battle of, Lexington, Mass., 1775 -- Drama; Pageants -- Massachusetts -- Lexington; United States -- History -- Drama Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 20,039

Reading time 88 min

Text sections 18

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #65048

Sidney Howard's 1924 pageant-drama uses allegorical figures, choral interludes, and episodic scenes to dramatize the Battle of Lexington and the founding of the United States, blending historical speech with theatrical ritual.

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SECOND PRESENTATION _of the_ HISTORICAL PAGEANT DRAMA “_Lexington_” COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY _of the_ BATTLE OF LEXINGTON

ENACTED EVERY TEN YEARS _by the_ CITIZENS OF LEXINGTON MASSACHUSETTS

_AMPHITHEATRE_ EVERY EVENING, WEEK OF JUNE 15TH 1925

_The production staged and under the personal direction of_

JUNE 15--PRESIDENT’S NIGHT In Honor of the President of the United States.

JUNE 16--GOVERNORS’ NIGHT In Honor of the Governors of the Thirteen Original States.

JUNE 17--BUNKER HILL NIGHT In Memory of the Patriots who fought at Bunker Hill.

JUNE 18--COLLEGE NIGHT In Honor of the visiting Alumni of the New England Colleges.

JUNE 19--HISTORICAL NIGHT In Honor of the Historical Societies of America.

JUNE 20--MILITARY NIGHT In Memory of the sons of Lexington who have fallen in the service of their country.

1775 “_Pageant of Lexington_” 1925 INC.

EDWARD C. STONE, _President_ WALDO F. GLIDDEN, _Vice-President_ EDWARD W. KIMBALL, _Vice-President_ EDWIN B. WORTHEN, _Treasurer_ DANIEL B. LEWIS, _Auditor_

FLETCHER W. TAFT _Director of Publicity_

WILLARD D. BROWN _Chairman of Construction_

SHELDON A. ROBINSON _Chairman, Grounds Committee_

DAVID HENNESSY _Superintendent Amphitheatre_

_Citizens’ Committee of One Hundred_

EDWIN B. WORTHEN, _Chairman_ HARRY M. ALDRICH WILLIAM H. BALLARD S. LEWIS BARBOUR DR. WILLIAM L. BARNES EDWIN A. BAYLEY HALLIE C. BLAKE ARTHUR L. BLODGETT GEORGE E. BRIGGS FRED K. BROWN LEROY S. BROWN WILLARD D. BROWN ALBERT H. BURNHAM JOHN CALDER LYON CARTER WILLIAM E. CHAMBERLAIN CALVIN W. CHILDS EDMUND S. CHILDS ROBERT P. CLAPP JOSEPH H. CODY THEODORE A. CUSTANCE FRANCIS S. DANE CHARLES B. DAVIS FREDERICK L. EMERY RICHARD ENGSTROM ROBERT J. FAWCETT HARRY F. FAY ROBERT W. FERNALD EDWIN F. FOBES FREDERICK R. GALLOUPE GEORGE H. GIBSON GEORGE L. GILMORE WALDO F. GLIDDEN C. EDWARD GLYNN WM. ROGER GREELEY CHARLES ELLIOTT HADLEY GEORGE D. HARRINGTON ALTON H. HATHAWAY J. WILLARD HAYDEN, JR. DAVID HENNESSY WILLARD C. HILL CHARLES E. HOLT ROBERT H. HOLT RANDALL B. HOUGHTON WILLIAM HUNT J. CHESTER HUTCHINSON EDWARD W. KIMBALL HAROLD B. LAMONT DANIEL B. LEWIS HARRY W. LITCHFIELD ARTHUR N. MADDISON EDWARD H. MARA HUGH D. MCLELLAN EDWARD P. MERRIAM CHARLES H. MILES FRED W. MILLER FRED H. MOULTON JOHN E. A. MULLIKEN HERMANN DUDLEY MURPHY GEORGE W. NORTON CHARLES P. NUNN TIMOTHY H. O’CONNOR ALFRED PIERCE FRANK D. PIERCE DR. FRED S. PIPER ELWYN G. PRESTON WILLIAM W. REED WALTER W. ROWSE ROBERT L. RYDER EDWARD H. SARGENT EDWARD D. SAWYER O. GILBERT SEELEY JULIUS SELTZER CLARENCE SHANNON FRANK R. SHEPARD WILLIAM H. SHURTLEFF FRANKLIN P. SIMONDS CLARENCE E. SPRAGUE LESTER E. SMITH JAMES STUART SMITH JAMES W. SMITH WILLIAM L. SMITH EDWIN C. STEVENS EDWARD C. STONE ALBERT B. TENNEY ROCKWELL C. TENNEY DR. J. ODIN TILTON JOHN F. TURNER DR. WINSOR M. TYLER DR. HENRY C. VALENTINE HENRY L. WADSWORTH JAMES J. WALSH HOLLIS WEBSTER HERBERT L. WELLINGTON HARRY A. WHEELER HARVEY C. WHEELER HARVEY F. WINLOCK EDWARD WOOD FREDERICK O. WOODRUFF SYDNEY R. WRIGHTINGTON

_Executive Committee_

ROBERT P. CLAPP, _Chairman_ J. WILLARD HAYDEN, JR., _Executive Director_

HALLIE C. BLAKE GEORGE E. BRIGGS EDWARD P. MERRIAM CHARLES W. RYDER SYDNEY R. WRIGHTINGTON

EDWARD P. MERRIAM, _Chairman_

LYON CARTER RICHARD ENGSTROM GEORGE L. GILMORE ALTON H. HATHAWAY J. CHESTER HUTCHINSON H. B. LAMONT ARTHUR N. MADDISON FRED H. MOULTON ELWYN G. PRESTON F. R. SHEPARD JAMES STUART SMITH

HALLIE C. BLAKE, _Chairman_

THEODORE A. CUSTANCE FREDERICK L. EMERY W. ROGER GREELEY WILLARD C. HILL ROBERT H. HOLT CHARLES H. MILES EDWARD H. SARGENT WILLIAM L. SMITH EDWIN C. STEVENS HARRY A. WHEELER

JAMES P. MUNROE, _Chairman_

MISS MAUD E. ADLINGTON MISS MARIAN P. KIRKLAND DR. FRED S. PIPER HOLLIS WEBSTER

_Committee on Production_

WALDO F. GLIDDEN, _Chairman_

AMERICAN LEGION--STANLEY HILL POST NO. 38 Eugene J. Viano Charles M. Blake

AMERICAN LEGION--AUXILIARY NO. 38 Mrs. Clayton G. Locke Miss Lillian Viano

BOARD OF TRADE C. E. Hadley W. E. Mulliken

BUCKMAN TAVERN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Mrs. S. Randolph Kelley Mrs. E. W. Kimball

CATHOLIC CLUB (Ladies’) Mrs. Nancy M. Sealey Miss Julia O’Leary

CATHOLIC CLUB (Men’s) Geo. H. Gibson John J. Garrity

CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA Mrs. Helen R. Fitzgerald Mrs. Mary F. Buckley

DAUGHTERS OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION--LEXINGTON CHAPTER Miss Amy E. Taylor Mrs. Edward L. Child Mrs. Alice Fay Stickel

EAST LEXINGTON CIVIC ASSOCIATION Edgar Harrod Albert Ross

FIRST PARISH MEN’S CLUB (Unitarian) Louis L. Crone Ralph H. Elvedt

FOLLEN CHURCH MEN’S CLUB--EAST LEXINGTON Jos. W. Cotton James M. Nickerson

GIRL SCOUTS DRUM CORPS Miss Hazel Whiting Mrs. Dorothy G. Hall

GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC--GEO. G. MEADE POST NO. 119 John N. Morse Everett S. Locke

HANCOCK CHURCH MEN’S CLUB Henry L. Wadsworth William H. Shurtleff

HANCOCK SCHOOL Miss Harriet S. French Miss Margaret Noyes

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS--LEXINGTON COUNCIL NO. 94 James J. McKearney John J. McCormack

LAFAYETTE CLUB Miss Mary Manley Miss Anne Moakley

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Sidney Howard's Lexington: A Pageant-Drama of the American Freedom (1924) was written for a decennial outdoor performance by Lexington citizens, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the battle. The text is not a conventional play but a civic ritual: it employs a Chronicler, a Chorus, and an allegorical figure named Freedom who interacts with historical characters. The excerpts show that Howard weaves verbatim quotations from Washington's Farewell Address into the dialogue, while stage directions specify torchlight processions, singing of “Yankee Doodle,” and symbolic lighting shifts. This blend of documentary speech and pageantry creates a work that is part history lesson, part patriotic ceremony.

Allegory and Historical Figures

Howard places the allegorical figure Freedom onstage alongside historical actors such as Washington and Hamilton. In the excerpts, Freedom speaks directly to them, putting hands on their shoulders and looking into their eyes—a gesture that literalizes the abstract concept of liberty as a tangible presence. The Chronicler, a narrator figure, introduces each era with formal pronouncements: “The nation being established conceives the empire.” This triadic structure (allegorical figure, historical person, narrator) allows Howard to move between symbolic commentary and documented events without adhering to realistic drama. The effect is a staged meditation on national ideals rather than a plot-driven narrative.

Choral Interludes and Musical Direction

The Chorus and Choir provide lyrical commentary, often quoting or adapting familiar songs. In Part Three, the Choir sings “Pioneers! O Pioneers!”—a direct reference to Walt Whitman’s poem, linking westward expansion to a literary tradition of manifest destiny. Stage directions specify a “soft, wild march theme” as Freedom evokes the Western migration. Howard uses music to cue emotional transitions: the scene of Washington’s inauguration ends with “the frantic joy of the crowd and much singing of ‘Yankee Doodle,’” then the stage darkens as the Chronicler speaks. These musical cues are integral to the pageant’s rhythm, shaping audience response without relying on naturalistic dialogue.

Documentary Speech as Dramatic Text

Howard incorporates extended passages from Washington’s Farewell Address, including warnings against “the baneful effects of the spirit of party” and “overgrown military establishments.” These are spoken by Washington as the stage directions indicate that the people stand “absolutely still and unresponsive” in shadow. By isolating Washington’s words in a moment of stillness, Howard treats the historical text as a dramatic monologue, emphasizing its gravity. The Chronicler frames these speeches as counsel: “The counsel is spoken. The farewell remains.” This technique transforms archival material into theatrical performance, asking the audience to hear familiar words anew within a staged context.

Stage Directions as Choreographed Ritual

The stage directions in the excerpts are unusually detailed, specifying not only movement but also lighting and crowd behavior. For example, after Washington’s farewell, “Freedom puts her hands on the shoulders of Washington and Hamilton and looks into their eyes and the distant Chorus sings.” The scene ends with Freedom “last seen looking after them” as darkness takes the scene. These instructions create a choreographed, almost liturgical sequence. The pageant’s structure—with special nights dedicated to presidents, governors, and historical societies—further underscores its function as a community ritual. Howard’s directions treat the citizens of Lexington as performers, not just audience, reinforcing the pageant’s role in local commemorative practice.

Readers approaching this text should attend to its dual nature: it is both a script for performance and a document of early twentieth-century civic pageantry. Howard’s choices—allegorical figures, choral interludes, verbatim historical speeches—reveal an author working to make the past present through theatrical means. The excerpts offer only fragments of the full pageant, but they show a deliberate craft in blending documentary fidelity with symbolic staging. For those interested in how communities have dramatized national origins, this work provides a specific, localized example of that tradition.

I found Sidney Howard's Lexington pageant on a rainy afternoon, its choral voices and ritual scenes oddly moving in their earnestness. It made me think of another quiet drama I'd shelved nearby — one where enlightenment unfolds through dialogue rather than battle. Both feel like attempts to give form to inner awakenings, though one is public and the other profoundly still. The Buddha: A Drama in Five Acts and Four Interludes — Reading Companion stayed with me longer, perhaps because its silences spoke more gently.