The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-16
THE PASSION PLAY.
IT'S PRODUCTION AT SAN FRANCIS co.
The Audience and How 1t Behaved-In-
complete Representation Of the Play.

The Audience and How 1t Behaved-In-
complete Representation Of the Play.
[San Francisco Chronicle March a.
The announcement of the revival OF the me-
diBval drama In the form Of tn ePassion Play
at the Grand Opera House last evening
created intense feeling among religious people
In all denominations. and every influence was
brought to bear to suppress the sacrilege, as
1t Is regarded. The emphatic protest against
the performance through the press and pull.
Dit would doubtless deter many people from
patronizing the entertainment, but the mega
tive effect Of the pious denunciations could
only be to advertise the exhibition and con-
duce enormously TO Its peeuniary success.
The manager manifesting no disposition to
yield to the clamor OF Indignation by with
drawing the play after mourning heavy out
lay In its preparation, vigorous efforts were
made yesterday to procure the interference OF
the authorities. As the performances was adj
vertised as sacred affair, and that style Of
Passion plays being without precedent In this
city, it was not clear that the police had au-
thority to act directly, and the supervisors
were beset by people particularly excited In
the matter to take measures for the sup
preston of the play. Supervisors Rountree
and Danforth constituted themselves a
committee TO wait upon the manager Of
the Objectionable play and were met with o
decisive refusal to withdraw 1t. They then
submitted the matter to City and County At
torney Burdett with a view Of determining
the powers OF the board, and adopting an or
dinance prohibiting any order OF entertain
ment that may be deemed sacrilegious. The
matter was brought up and acted upon at the
meeting Of the board OF supervisors last even
Ing, The excitement created by the opposition
to the production OF the play had the effect OF
drawing large crowd to the front of the
opera house last evening, largely composed
OF class too ready to improve any opportu-
nifty that might occur for tho creation OF
tumult and disorder. without the slightest
reference to any religious sentiment, however.
The attendance was very fair, the parquet
and dress circle being filed with very select
and quiet audience. There WAS some man
ifestation of q disorderly element In the
gallery, but after = few slight attempts
at ridicue at the outset it subsidized into
respectful attention, and any Interruptions
were suppressed with marked Impressions
OF dsepproval by the audience gen
received with n reveren,ial silence, which
their deep solemnity seemed to command,
without exception, and any attempt at ridi-
Guile at such times could not have been re-
Uarded otherwise than In the light OF horrible
sacrilege, without regard to the propriety of
the play. The representa- n terminated alb
ruptly with the scene In which the Saviour,
crowned with thorns. Is delivered into the
hands Of the clamorous multitude by the Ro-
man governor, Pontius Plate. The audience
still tarried, uncertain whether the exhi-
bition had concluded. until the manager final
IN appeared in front Of the curtain in re-
Spouse to clamorous appeal for explana-
ton. He stated that the play embraced four
additional scenes, which had been prepared,
but In consequence OF the violent opposition
that had been raised against the exhibition
by the press and pulpit, it had been deemed
advisable To cut them, and he asked the in
diligence Of the audience for this obedience to
the antaponistic sentiment. The audience
then quietly withdrew.
The cast of the play was as follows: