Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-09-01
THE PASSION PLAY IN GERMANY.
Terribly Realistic Representation
.foj9t1of the CrucinxiOn. Il

Correspondence N. Y. World
Z When the curtain Of the inner theater
T rises, the Virgin Mother, accompanied by
Mary Magdalene and John, is seen NOV
ing sadly down the left hand street. AT
the same time another figure appears at
the extreme rear Of the middle stage,
soliloquizing as he comes along to the
N front. II is Simon the Cyrenean. Just
then the sound of many voices is heard,
and an excited crowd emerges from one
Of the gates of Jerusalem into the street
on our right Mounted on light bay
horse is o soldier bearing the Roman
standard, and with the advancing throng
is o centurion in command of a body of
soldiers. There is seen bending under
the weightot huge cross o sorrowing
form encompassed by guards. In the
rear are four executioners clothed in
yellow jackets, carrying adzes, hammers
and baskets on their shoulders. Near
them are the two thieves, also guarded,
hugging their crosses of much smaller
size, with the inevitable Jewish rabble
hooting, screaming and crouching. ST.
mOn, in the meantime, on the inner
stage, hearing the great outery, stops
repeatedly, listens, and moves on, till at
the stage-opening the procession of sor-
row and Hebrew ribaldry comes to his
view. Mair at that moment totters .un-
der his load, and is falling, when soldiers
address Simon, and call him to take up
the cross. He replies that he has done
jnothing wrong. The end of the hurried
interview is that he is thurst under the
rood, saying in effect that he is willing
| ~ ~nl.a.,, Al. nooJ A.. - n .l.loo-t A -.
Mary the mother, Mary Magdalene, and
John, from the street on the left, and the
procession from the street on the right
side, went in the middle of the process
sion, women from the city, some with
children in their arms, come that way
tearfully compassionating them and He
addresses them in the German tongue
with words recorded by st. Luke. Here
takes places anincident not recorded in
the, Bible, aRdi is the only one of the
play not written there. A woman full
fills the part assigned in the legend of
Saint Veronica, Offering a napkin to the
suffering one, and soon the whole pro
cession passes out Of sight. The curtain
falls, and the chorus, having for the first
time put aside their bright garments, ap-
pear in mantles of black, and mourning
wreaths instead of gilt fllets. There is
I" Jesus at Golgotha," AS they sing an
invitation to rs TO witness the last agony
Of him who redeemed us by his blood,
the sound of hammers " closing riyets
up is heard from behind the ccene. In
moment the curtain is mp Terrible
realisticis this. In the center is a cross,
some twelve feet in length, lying upon
the ground, with MAR stretch ed and
fastened thereon, its base towards the
audience, and reaching to within a
few inches of where the drop
curtain falls when down. He has the
tightly fitting flesh colored garments,
spotted with blood from the scourging, |
worn since then. The crown of thorns
is upon his head. On his forehead can
be seen the red marks, as of blood, which !
appeared after he knelt to pray, "a
stones throw off, in the garden. A
more pale and wan face one rarely looks |
upon. On either side are the two erect |
crosses of the thieves, and they fastened |
thereon. Quickly, by two orthree strong
men, the cross, with Mair upon it, is ele-
waited into the socket prepared in the
stage floor, and in an instant securely
fastened. We see the nail-heads in the
hands, and the spike-head Of the feet,
with gouts Of blood on each. No other
icontrivance Of fastening is elsewhere to
be discovered by a most powerful glass
mo cord, bandagef or strap. Descrip-
ton of details of such a scene may seem
misplaced, but ! am attempting to de-
scribe drama. The body does not hang
down by the hands as the crucifixion is
represented in most of the old paintings,
but its arms are on line with the arms
of the wood, All the narrated surround
ings and incidents of the crucifed figure
are given with vivid painful reality, and
memory Of things earliest taught tells
what they are, The four women speci-
fed in the gospels are little distance {
OF, together with John. The sufferer
distinctly ntters, in German words,
the memorable promise to the peni- s
tent thief by his side, the call to his t
mother, the legacy to the dear. disciple S
standing by, and exclaims in tones heard
everywhere, Ell, Eli, lama Sdbbach-
thani" He thirsts, and quickly sol J
dier takes . sponge, dips it, places it
upon long stick, and applies it to his j
lips. He proclaims "'it is. finished" 8
andIthe head drops naturally and easily t
in beautiful resignation to one side.
Everything is represented according to {
the scripture letter.. With an india I
rubber club, and mounted upon ladder, q
one Of the soldiers strikes the legs of 3
each Of the malefactors blows that re- {
sound throughout the whole place, and Z
in due time the thieves are taken down t
and away. When the soldier descends |
and is about to do the same to the CEN I
trail figure, Mary advancing catches his I
arm and stays the club. Then another S
Of the, soldiers takes the spear and /
places the point to his side, and when a
removed the spot is reddened. She re-
presents the Virgin Mother, throws her v
head in sobs upon the shoulder of John, p
Mary Magdalene falls TO her knees clasp Il
ing the foot of the cross, and all is overl n
That instant a messenger rushes in, l
speaks to the high priest, and terror, c
by expression OF rage, is de Ii
picted in the faces of those who cluster b
around TO hear the tidings, which are /
hat the veil of the temple is rent "
rom top TO bottom. Violent now n
ire the nienaces Of the irenzied Jews to- n
yard the central cross. just then appears s.
Joseph ofiArimathea, with an order from a
PLATE 20 take the body of Jesus, and I,
here is a loRg-too long-wrangle be- Il
ween them as TO thetrue relation Joseph fl
,ears, and has borne, to the cruciied n
me. The incident Of tearing and dis 81
ributihg his mantle by the soldiers, and n
iasting lots for the seamless robe is ad- p
nirahly done. Nothing could surpass 0
he naturalness and the expression of al
with which, seated upon ths a
round, the big dice, ct least an inch G
quafe, were repeatedly thrown, and the "a