New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-10
whae.-lol lay I'd and their enemies perish In the

Aetion-The ~ The Chief Priests An angel in
n ,Tms ne women Of the resurrection
The Ascension of CArst Tae cnor1 ai singing
A"' 10 ConGnerng and 10 conquer alI +.
Fcfih He comes IN all NJ hhgn.,
yn The graves funereal night.
uaIlelujah! Christ Is risen! &C. &c
s % these alogies-as, for instance, the sixth,
-, fifteenth. and sixteenth-are well-chosen and
t,cgle while Others rather farietched Inc nlho-
b,itv Of the figures in the tabeauN was almost aOsoue
IN the h and fourteenth there were over 200 persons
ON the stage including many young children scine OF
whom stood with outstreichcd arms and held TINS uIe
some position three minutes Their success IN 90
inc so probaby arises from the fact thas they are accus
toned 10 work. so that their muscles have become
tough The grouping arranged by a native auS'
from old drawings and pictures. ,r
The great untes were admirably brought out Inc
rracefulness OF composition and of individual pose wac
truly artistic, while the harmony of coiois III INC 0o
tuues displavcd extraordinary skill in arrangement
The imitation OF the old masters was most patent ~
John was taken evidently from Albert Dhrer p'ue ~
the Munich Gallery. st. Peter might Wen nav "a. ~.
a. >. pot, IN LacTime Of Guido in the Plttl at
Florence and Mary a good copy oI Oniio Dot0 Vi
80 got a, sassofe rrao hut the halfdiVine Madonna
~ Nruro in the Pitt Raphaels san Sisto, was not 10
ho seep The neutral and mixed tints OF the Apostles
robes were peculiarly good. that ia to say good we
consider the pictures Of the early masters as modes-ahd
we certainly have no others
cling with simplicity and ending there-and this very
simplicity Is the striking feature IN the Ammergau
drama When the cOuntryman went to see GarrlcK ana
was asked how he liked him he replied, 81 don't call that
acting for he does just rs any common man would 40
This utter absence Of conyentonasm is the charm of
the acting OF these peasants Their gestures were easy
their enunciaton distinct and unaffected And even
ur Booth or the faraed German Devrient might study
20 advantage the walk Of these amateurs, and learn 10
abandon the ung1aceful stage-stride.
The entrance into Jerusalem after the opening tabeau
was very impressive because the humanity of Christ
seemed 20 real The living seated on the ass bless
ing the little children and seemingly conscious OF his
future suffering banished all remembrance OF the
divinity OF Christ and fastcIed the mind upon jesus te
man OF sorrows There one single word or action
of the Chrisus that Jared the feelings throughout
the drama his action full OF calm dignity, OF sweet
resignation, of meekness and tender love- His superior
position well brought out No familiarity was used
toward him by the disciples Peter and John were the
only ones who ever very close TO him. The Last
Sumner the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, the
trial and the scourgng, considered purely from eTt
cal point, could not be surpassed The acting was
perfect.
The character Of Judas also well represented Its
contrast 10 that of the Christ made conspic
uous. Judas always uneasy and restless-qmck IN
his movements and conscious. The scene was peculiarly
good where the servant of the chefpres first proposed
to him the betrayal Of his master He wayered ana heh
crime but the further mention OF money worked TOO
strongly on his ayarce and he yielded the temptation
His eagerness receive the money from the council his
uneasness at the Last supper his guilty stealthy manner
in the garden and his final remOrse, were all very ninety
rendered Ss Peter and John also very good. An
other wccOnceved and welexecuted point in the play
was the tone and manner OF the chieprests and scrbes
During the trial they maintained stiff official dignity,
and were much concerned about the public good, Dut
when they left the councihal they displayed all their
selfish motives and undetermined designs.
The old Greek cOnventiOnaism OF having the multi
I'm 10 sneak in concert was the only real fault 10 be found
in the piece and this often marred the effect seriously
IT was very much out of place when the multitude enters
Jerusalem with Christ and still more so when the people
camored for the death of Christ and the release OF Ba
rabbas Various unreguated cries would be the natural
and most evident of expressing the agitation OF
crowd but in the Passion play there is no deviation
from this frequently eonventlonahsm at once
so impossible, unnatural and unpleasant
The parts of the were rather insignificant, and
10, given those of the The parts of Cal
aphas PLATE, thieves, and Barabbas were all
good During the eight hours Of this first representation
not single mishap occurred either on the stage or in
the audience Not an actor hesitaed once for word
Not premature entr6e exit not even false or inap-
propate gesture, not smile in the abeau, and not one
moments delay or confusion was to be observed NO
corps Of actors in Europe could gain the hstrionc vic
tory that these peasants have gained During four hours
in the morning and four the afternoon they riv
eed the eyes Of 6O Observers and chained their atten
tons 70 the action.
This may seem, doubtless. like an exaggeration, and
many persons would feel inclined to deny it, asking what
could I've the of such result, considering the
source and materials think the following reasons are
sufficient explanation; In the first place the actors are
Obliged and grasp the idea of but single
play thus there confusion OF language nor OF idea
2 The actors have the benefit of criticism that has con-
tnued years With the single exception already
mentioned there is an utter absence OF cOnventionasn
The actions all simple and quite within the reach
OF peasants. Adam is farmer, Joseph shepherd boy
Abraham an old man who goes up the mountain with his
son; Plate is the burgOmasteT and st. Peter Is Usher
man. g. Not only are the characters and actions In
themselves simple but far as possible absolutely those
actors their daily life The disciples were aDOr
ing men and these peasants Mary was the vile
carpenter and the Mary of the play is the daughter
O. a wood-carver Christ worked in the workshop OF
JoSpb and the Christ of the play himself Of
wood But all these do not suffice, there Is still
another for G. The minds OF the actors are impressed
with the responsibility Of the sacred ancestral vow, and
thoroughly imbued with the spirit and soenty OF
this greatest Of all dramas. They identity themselves
with the character TO be played and then act out the
feelings whereas the professional actor THINKS out what
the feeling and how II should find expression IN ms ac
amateurs and combined with the intrinsic dramatic
value of play makes it of the most deeply inter
sidered only an exhibition of histrionic talent Many
persons have come rom distant lands I0r the sore puI
aud have been wen repaid for doing so.
gous effect OF this drama upon Protesants who are so
unaccustemed to any religious spectacular ceremonies
dies and one clergyman and we all agreed in saying
aud Impressed deeply-nO book no picture,
mon no of religious revival could ever equal its
optrfui solemnizing effect The impressive silence of
he Last supper the sad scene OF Christ bearing His
cross awful sound of the hammer at the Crelfxion
budy can never be efaced from memory and their