The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-06-04

speech which became Galileans. whose |
speech betrayed them il the capital"
The par; OF Judas, which some he !
heve tO be the most difficult in the play, |
will be taken this, rs last year. by Gregur !
Lechner, whose acting in 1870 was con- |
sidercd not at all inferior to Mair's. In |
the scene where Judas Is tempted To be- |
tray his Master, his performance of the |
part is described as having been admIra- |
BILE, and terribly true To nature. There |
was agrImeccentricIty about him that was
both quaint and startling; his nervous
attitude of restless musing, clutching at
his yellow robes, his sudden start when
touched upon the shoulder by one of
HE tempterS, the conflicting emotions of
greed, fear, and sorrow, all passing
through his mind, touched the audience
with feelings they could scarcely re-
prest. So wonderful WAS the power
with which this character was portrayed,
and SO sad the picture of poor human
nature given over to evil. that the au-
dience could hardly restrain from open
expressions of sympathy and SORROW for
his sin"
In the scene, again, where Judas, in
the presence of the chief priests, agrees
for price to betray his Master, Lech-
ner's acting WAS painfully real, and "his
temptation and final acceptance of the
bride, the nervous, eager counting out of
the money ON Il table before the council,
the grasping of a coin that rolled away
from the heap. and his retreat with the
bag that held the price of blood, excited
the audience TO almost the only outward
expression or manifestation during the
day"
But the remorse of Judas is the crown
ing scene in his part, and then, in an
agony of accusing conscience, he filings
| away the bag of silver, and with wild
shrek of despair, rushes to the nearest
tree, and climbs it, as the curtain falls,
to hang himself. The dramatic effect is
tremendous, and women sometimes faint
under the overpowering emotions which
it excites.
Another climax, and the principal one
in the play, is that where Christ appears
upon the cross. That scene, as presented
in 1870, is thus described: "Christ
| fastened to the cross, is lying on the
| ground. and on either side the two
thieves, already raised, are hanging
| bound with cords. The soldiers slowly
raise the central figure into its position,
which reaches nearly to the top OF the
proscenium, the crowd falls back, and
we see Il living Christ upon the cross.
1t matters not to the spectators how the
beautiful form of Christ is suspended
/
every limb should fall into the most per-
feet Illness 1t Is enough for us TO record
that every detail of the Gospel nara
| lives is brought realistically before us /;
we see the suffering figure, the torn and
bleeding hands, and the bruised head
with the crown of thorns. Everything is
| carried out to the letter. even to the
piercing of the side with spear,
and the breaking OF the legs of the
thieves. Every incident is depicted with
terrible reality, and when the end comes,
when the Savior utters the final words,
at is finished" when darkness ensues,
and crash of thunder follows, and u
messenger comes rushing breathless on
the stage to announce to the awe strick-
en- crowd that the veil of the temple is
rent in twain, the climax of tragedy is
reached. The effect upon the audience
ut this moment is perhaps the most i'm.
pressivc and fearful ever witnessed in a
theater. The poor peasants, men and
women, gave way under the strain, and
wept aloud, and even those who could
look upon it as an ordinary drama held
their breath"
Again, when the body is loosened and
lowered from the cross, 1--WE are remind
ed of paintings so familiar to US that the
living copy is startling. All three fig
ures are finally lowered, the limbs fall
ing one by one as they are released, with
an effect almost too deathlike and terri
BILE. 1t will not be surprising to Learn
that here one or two women tainted, and
that several had to leave the theater"
The tableaux and choruseS are ar
ranged with reference to their appro
: priateness t. the different parts of the
! play, and 50 as to give it a good scenic
and artistic setting. In the last perform
ance (Which, by the way, though inter
, rupted bp the war, was renewed in 1871
they were pronounced to be of very su
periOr merit, the massing of color in til,
. tableaux being @sthetically correct anC
often exceeding beautiful.
The village of Oberammergau lie
> about sixty miles south of Munich, from
whence threequarters of the distance, a
8 far as Murnau, may now be Travelled b,
= rail. From the south the places may b
reached by diligence in one day from
4, Innsbruck. There are also some yer,
attractive pedestrian routes, and thu
: whole neighboring region, indeed,
very attractive to the tourists.
More elaborate preparations have bee
j, made for the play this year Than ever be
= fore. Extraordinary sums have bee
spent on new costumes and in fitting VI
:, the theater, and it is feared that the pei
: fOrmance will lose much of il
premitive simplicity and effect from tn
, artificial splendors that will surround i
!, Arrangements are now making for
= larger influx of visitors than has eve
= been realized before, and there is reaso
= to believe that the accommodation
y will be taxed to their utmost. The clea
> and quiet little village of Oberamme
. gau will convert itself into a dormitor
:, and boarding house, and by way of SUI
= plemanting its limited capacities in thi
- line, extra trains will be run froI
- Munich on the play days to carry o
! those who will be unable to lodge IN I'll
- village.
IL !. In short, so far as pains and expense
- go, nothing will be spared to make ii
- play as interesting and as popular as
~ was in 1870. when, according to son
10 authorities, it was better than it had ev,
'' been before, OF indeed ever could
-, again. HEATH.
IL Joseph MAR says the writer here quote
lie was suspended ON The cross for twenty mi
hi utes- tie was supported by q concealed bal
I'M round the waist, iron clamps for the hand
and rest for the left foot The physical g
Is ertiou in this position WAS much greater thu
II, would appear from distance The perfe
Of pose OF his figure, copied from well know
. paintings OF the IrucIlXion. actually eXcee
u ed them in beauty. The light flesh. color
- dress he wore refined the outline and heigl
he ened the effect.