, 1879-05-15
HOUCICAuLT ON THE HpAsstoN
lLAY.1

Special nfsuafrh 10 his CsMrttr. journal I7p IL.
III 4 private lctter to friend IN this city, Mr.
Dton l}ouccault writes Tie following interesting
skctcl, Ut the notorious Passion piay,n which
l!e saw In san Francisco: IL saw thu passiun
tlay nt Tho Granu Opcra-Housu last night. 1t
wis beautiful. The lluuso was very pour.
doubt II tlIe p!ay would be permitted In tho
East. II creates peculiar fecElug. Tho City
Fathers Ut Sun Fruuciseo paascd Nh ordinance
expressly to squclcl, this performance. 1t ia
contcndcl TINT they uxcresed tEletr conslttu-
t!onal powers II, d0lmg So, ull1 0'Neil Is now
heforo tho l'ltate Vi lflc '5lope,' who has not
yet passed judgment on tle tlsatter. h1cu1l.
Wlsio ihe management has Withdrawn the
play. AB ttmre las been no objcclion to
'The Wltcii pof Endor'; El as .hese Se'i Is A, no
on1ect!on to Elijah, 'saul,,' Paradise Lost
oil Bblsral playa, oratorios, ctc., thu question
arises, where ara VIC to draw tls8 ltnGt What
biblical sublccts are tolerabtc, what aru tabooestt
II admissible i,to ,nuslc atd pa,ntius ttao elc.
tncnts Of llc dlylnn) hos ,uuct, further Into i,e
nrt may they rot Wherr Is the ltuu to be urawut
lie prnc!pal objection to me- III tile representa-
Ion is ne yulkurtT OF sonc of tie performers.
Ne doubt Simon, Peter, n,d Iohn, aiiIa, all tho
disciples were what wr call 'vugar tten, but
VIC hare put ha!O round 1llem, Hl.1 tllu actors
wear llalo like billeock. AEaln. In ttle svrne
representing thc Lust Supper the .stagc ~ IL.
ystled thus: On tho loft IL n fantastic shanly
tic tab!u aud form frame to Du Ylucl's plct.
nrc. The osher half of the stugo !s 4 wood,
lnts"ded to represent TIC darduu OF Gctlsca,:
lcAycs tlo talle und goes outsElo to
pray. During Ills few words all tho disciples
instdo simultaneously droop forward Wit, thelr
faces down on tl!e table. Ranged IN rugitncntal
slcep ~ II thu wine Ind rot tits better ot lru,.
Judas conIcs buck with two military police oil.
cers nix, rrowal, A,nl esas Chr,st IL Mrreatetl ut
supper. This rather crowds into unc spot uIhl
0hc tfno incidents thar occurred otherwise Thu
lust sso,'e, tlle ASCENT Int Heaven. was M Mt.
ts.npt 10 initiate my lust ser,sc III Fanxt md
Marguerite, hut II "as un!y partially aIsi l,npcr.
fcstIy accomplished. o'NclI looked very well,
but spoke III . nionotonc. Ilo has slight
population. by tho way, Wills looking Ut this
plaY. It ovcurrcd to lnu Auw would It atlect ,uu
to witness ille perturma,re OF tho 'Htabat Ma
ter vii! secnie illustration, dividing ll,o coIl.-
p'sition '',tu ita parts, mud accompanying each
plrt with n tab!cau of The great tnastora;
TIE bearing of thu Cfoss.
Thu rAistnY 10 thu cluss,
TtIs ctiE!Hxi0n,
Ille duscCHt trnm tho cross.
Thu Gacruslon.
Tic chorua to bs inyflble; tho voices to bo tho
.nagia &" (suprann), !!'e Nryin {contraIto), 81
yoh" ttrnor), forming tlu group ut the foot Of
tic eruas.
III runfces that did feel that .uch ccru.
1nony. II well executed, would have splrcil n.o
hFHtHtHkat AtHt <fE1u pHilIB ~ SuHn
lltU 'ubur A1lmrrgau' performance. Thu
Objectionable feature III all passion playa Is ihu
uttcraIeu VI my wnHls not tnunu III liz Gus.
poss lur who Tan mn words iAto tu nsulitt Ut
Dur daslort 1t Is uifuualve to my dramatic ss,ul
IL llear familiar e1urcseons III the mouth of
tlud. ur hrar The wor,ls u tl!e toxt altered or
paraphraaca In Any way"
THE "GOvEHSON's DEPARTURE.
asirt NJ Mf TinitE
Tho scenes NJ Mr. Wailaek's departure wcro
affecting Thu aycnuu Iealln; frota tho theatro
tn thu Grand Col,lral Depot was tllrutgel Will,
people anl illuminated With gaz-lampa. TIE
street-cars wcru craNdetl, aild tlIe omnibuscs
Oh Broadway u,st Madison ayauus reduced tluir
luru lo live ccnts. I'lu streets wcru asu BRILL
tuntly i4htrt, and thcro waa dey!re III g!aas-
wu.k in front IT tlu Union Square. 4 very
pretty display Vi caloscd bottles was malu by
thr dru. ,stotr ullUIamg tl!u thcatru. The tull-
ncl. lvu4s,.E tu furly-srcull street was opellui,
md its hollow t1ltralva suggested -tl'c Eruat
bore tlia lrin tnust bu tu tie actur-laanagur.
lle window Ut lilo EoulE wlirIl Ms. ljastun flill
fuspbrly occupied at Tho uulou Hulul rus .
populur lolnt Ut observation, It being generally
ktoFn tint Biz. Hill l,ul engaged Mr. II ullark
!or BAN frauclsco. Nutwllhst.sInIing Tie rteya.