The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-12
The Oberammergau Passion Play.

The theater, like the theaters OF
Greece, is open to the sky-an Enclosure
with seats capable of holding five thous-
and persons. The little village over
flowed with people-curious spectators
from all parts of the world, and devout
throngs Of peasants from the neighbour
inc country. At five in the morning
the cannon and the bands of music an
nOunced that the great day had dawned.
The town was all astir, and crowds of
worshipers pressed to the parish church,
where high mass was celebrated. At
eight o clock the theater was packed
with people. Three cannon shots echoed
among the mountains that Overhang the
town, announcing that the play was to
begin. The country people reyerentially
uncovered-for to them the play is re-
igious festival-and the performance
began.
An orchestra of thirty performers
preluded with soft and solemn music
The blue sky shOne overhead. The
odOrs of the mountains perfumed the
fresh morning air The bells of browsing
cattle tinkled from the distant pastures.
The swallows twittered and fitted
among the scenery upon the stage,
while a chorus of nineteen-ten women
and nine men-came from either side,
and standing in a line before the audi
ence, chanting a fitting prologue. 1t is
the correspondent of the London Times
through whose eyes we look, but even
he does not attempt to give complete
account of play which, beginning at
eight in the morning, continues until
five in the afternoon. with an hours in
PERMISSION. IL is a series of symbolic
tableaux from the Old Testament, fol-
lowed by spoken scenes from the New.
The play is in two parasitic first open
ing with Christ's triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, and ending with His be-
trayal and Imprisonment; the second
beginning with His trial, and ending
with the resurrection.
The tableaux are symbOlical and Gu
rioUsly illustrate the ingenuity of the
playwright Judas'S bribe of thirty
pieces of silver, for instance, is repre-
sented as typifed by the sale of Joseph
by his brethren to the Midianites for
twenty pieces and the scene of the en-
try into Jerusalem is preceded by two
tableaux, of the expulsion of Adam and
Eve from Paradise, and the sacrifice of
Isaac. They are all perfect of their
kind. There is no looking askance at
the audience to study the effect; but the
statuesque Immortality of the rustic
performers and the felicity and complete
ness of the design and the execution,
suggest the connection between Jewish
history and what is believed to be its
Interpretation and fultillment, in man.
ner which leaves very profound and
solemn impression.
The scenes in the life of Christ which
are portrayed are the Sanhedrim taking
council against Christ, the parting at
Bethany; the Last Supper, which is a
perfect copy of Leonardo's great pict-
ure; the appearance of Christ before
His Judges; the bearing of the cross,
from Paul Veronese; the descent from
the cross, after Rubens; and the en-
tombment. from Raphael The cruel
fixion, which is the elimination of the
sublime and awful tragedy, is repre-
scented, according to our guide, with a
pathos and power which the greatest
actors could not surpass. The art is
intensely realistic. The mailing to the
cross, indeed, is not seen, but is heard
behind the scenes; but when the cross
is raised, the strongest glass could not
show that the nails did not pierce hands
and feet; and there was a murmur of
horror when crimson stain followed
the thrust of the centuriOn's spear.
1t is,a peasant named Joseph MAR
who represents Christ. with studious
fidelity to all the pictures and traditions
and with startling reality of effect, but
with some want of intellectual vigor.
But the same realism is wonderfully
illustrated by the deep and agonized
sigh, distinctly audible to the whole
audience, with which. upon the cross,
he drops his head and dies. For twenty
minutes he is rigidly suspended, but
the stiffness is not relaxed when he is
wrapped in the costly linen cloth by Jo-
seph of Arimathea. Our observer thinks
Plate to be, upon the whole, the best
acted character in the play; and after
Plate, Judas. The scowls, the visible
avarice, the shoulder Jerking, the
stealthiness and the suspicious face
were admirable and the haggling for
higher price could hardly have been
surpassed Dy Shylock. Among the
ether disciples, Peter was excellent and