The Rockport Journal, June 12, 1936

Article was typed as it was worded in the newspaper.

Pageant Will Start Summer Festival

ACTORS ARE WORKING ON PARTS IN LINCOLN PLAY

Plans for the Lincoln Country Summer Festival to be held in the City Park of Rockport from June 28 to July 4, inclusive, are rapidly taking shape and each day promises to be one of interest. One of the outstanding programs is the presentation of a one act play in three scenes, to be given at the high school auditorium beginning at 8 o’clock on the evening of July 3.

This play, representing an episode of Lincoln’s life in Indiana, was written by Miss Alice Hebert of Evansville, granddaughter of John Chewning, Sr., and is called "Lincoln’s First Great Sorrow." Mrs. C. D. Ehrman and Miss Lucille Richards are co-chairmen of this performance. The cast of the play is as follows:

Rachel Jones, wife of Col. William Jones, Marie Lakey Kramer; Elizabeth Crawford, wife of Josiah Crawford, Ruby Seay; Mrs. Ruben Girgsby, Sr., Mrs. Claude Snyder; Sam Crawford, son of Josiah Crawford, Roy Donald Bauman; Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Grace Pattie; Thomas Lincoln, G. W. Kochersperger; 11 year old Sarah Lincoln, Esther Kessner; 9 year old Lincoln, Karl Hassel; Dennis Hanks, Oscar Boultinghouse; 16 year old Abe Lincoln, James Balderson; Rev. Elkins, Claude Snyder; Lincoln, the President, William Parsley.

In connection with this play will be given a group of dances representing the evolution of the dance form the stately and dignified minuet, the Virginia reel, the quadrille and schottisch, the polka and waltz, each given in the costume of the period. Mrs. Addie Bretz is chairman of the dances. Loney Parsley chairman of the old time song and dance, "We’ll All Go Down to Rousters."

Miss Lucille Richards is chairman of the minuet and waltz numbers. In addition to this, the Hartwell quartette of colored singers will sing the state songs of Kentucky and Indiana. The high school orchestra under the direction of Miss Helen Brother will furnish music. The Hill Billies of Tell City will also perform.

An admission fee of 25¢ will be charged for this evening’s entertainment. The officers of the various clubs of the city will be on the reception committee and a group of young ladies will be ushers.

You cannot afford to miss this evening’s entertainment.