, 1881-03-20
tationS Of mysteries before the year 1850,
WHEREIN WOMEN WERE SUFFERED 70 A1'-

tatlonS Of mysteries before the gear 1850,
WHEREIN WOMEN WERE SUFFERED 70 Ar-
The first known ~ @ theSs ,v,s -onraeo,+,-
fion at Nfet1 ~ mvetass, a1;,, mu :. e. Ga.
erins RI, Tomnt S,,n; !, sn,..e" o.. @'..~ ~
yate indiyihnnI nna 7>,,gee Gatpr;5a np ~ pp,-
;,nicha WIN 1,,;g 'e o,i .ae ,ha casuetioe oau-
REPRESENTATION nrohah,u .;,,eE, s., =, ,an1 ar
! OF the ladJS patron saint. The part
! o1 aaht catneflne % was taken BY
snch nvely ana plleoas fashion that many
| persons were provoked 70 weeping. a gen
! tleman OF nope hirth among the spectators
| 1ell IN love "lIl l!e f9ung actress 9na snort
y atter"afa marr'ed her, though she was OF
PLAYED the part Of the Holy Virgin IN repre-
sentatloh OF the tass1ot at Gfeenoble: was
much Tetnarked Ior me chafm Ili @ Of her d5ction,
| as wen as lor her grace anu oenut1. bat N
genera M women "sIe I iiot i, nalowea @ 10 s9ea5
upoI lne stase- 4AeIf 1otes "elS cohnuea
70 simple pantomlnse OF y posu1g ~ ttto-
,cadE rlcd1lts oonle o. t,le IaSL sne Mele
" nc mems OF mofat oT ,iN Mo4s:1'
G;haraGlef. ;:I On tne entry ol ta, A"uls ~ ~
fore him y group Of sirens as little clad rs is is
Inc ehus ae.: aleaicl, ana tue pageant, 50
lar from scahdahzlns the spec1ators' MAS
hMGil MI AAmlIeu. u....x, ~o os
LIZ actors t III fae mysteries, ana ao ole ny es
ssonately devoted to their parts partlcnlatly
IT the!r foles gave them an opportunity OF
appearing IN rlcn attlre, al1d M q personaatlns
SAINTS: ropes. or hlngs. Inc lhnrcn Glo Iot
to dect nS Its fundess = asanSs ihS
meme lof me morallsts anu satlrlsS ol tae
day: Sometimes THIS passion was carried SO
lat tlat lac 1oles VI losal anu 1lop4e pe1son-
ages were
SOLD tn THE HIGHEST RrDnER.
1,hera ov,ets for ;nctorc. ,1ocrment
,irn,..,, ~, h," e,a ~, -, Toua'as
If tte yi}iaTc iii ~ ny nf Wis Wiz ~ mar IL I Pny' datei
Ini,.o y: TX: ~, 80, -. 1.G ., .,o;1 ~.
,n3 ~ a'so, s1u ~ ~ " A atte ~ pau
;.o If ro,ras..i ~ snI a ~ 6ms.an NJ
Eronca aIl tha nni,ioe 1S, 81 +hs;r aoTrt trba
- ,.'ee .fllo tlle "i!es y. .l'eE euu'.. ,ad &
- ,w Any ~. 1,e,,ss,t v ',tn;na
Tiarmat 81 49, *'u a',,,t " ~ 81 p;,o, ;rhat
of fIe oupeu Svns ~ nprni,as.d .in fnr Two
p,T = ,n.rcar ,,,n l. III ti.st;nsI ~ ~ liz danpntar
Nnrguer;te frha nther characters we're maid
for in proportion To their importance
Yet all was not splendar and amusement
in the lives OF the mystery-playerS. The pro-
fession Of an actor, even in those days, was a
were the most ardently sought after, inl-
posed degree OF toll and fatigue on those
who accepted them whereof few men would
be capable to-day For instance, Christ, IN
lines to recite. and the crucifixlon on the
stage, as was remarked, lasted rs long as in
the reality. The actor, suspended to the
cross in state Of almost total nudity, Tecited,
in that situaton. some 300 or 400 lines. In
the Savior in 4 passion-play. came
near dying on the cross lit good earn-
est, from sheer fatigue and exhaustion.
III the same play the representative OF
adn f hHef h an ssf desh @ Ss aa 9xas:s as ne asa
ly dead when taken. down, so that his fellow
actors were forced to "carry him into
neighboring spot, there to rub him with vine
gar and other restoratives." Souletl mes the
three or four actors each, and this was es
pecially the case when the parsonage to be
represented was shown at different stages of
his Or her career. Thus, three actors were
gin, one impersonating her as q child, au-
other as a young girl, and the third as .
woman OF mature age.
rur ,,1sr-rx-scryE; OF THE MYSTERIES.
+,ar1,. rr;.,;-;,,o a,,a,r,, IL, ;ts or,r;no1 "a
tnousm pllt1'e s.omn III itS snd oe1',-
slgn was 1rten extremely splenalf4 aaa aaa con-, nj
pllcaaeu. aHG.e @ & W. ~ inai,,e tu.a3tv ~
gnt s ace 't;s,ps W eGG psT rha Ht,e was "snn
" of vast size, one Of 100 feet i'll
breadth and as many in depth being
of ordinary dimensions. \ barrier caslea te
crenen1t separated the stage from the auolto-
rum. At what wo11tu be styled IN modern
sentation Of nell, which was an opening lend
Ing beneath the stage, the entrance to which
was simulated, sometimes by 4 curtain on
which was painted hldeons gr1nnlng heaa,
but more often, by an enormous. dragons
head, the wide expanded Jaws forming inc
entrance to the Internal regions, ana 1fom
WHICH tiatneS and smoke Hot thI1eqIentiy IS
sued. Back OF this were ranged row
OF closed structures VITA GoolHass
which could oe opened or cioseo :.t
will. while IN Inc extreme packglounq
rose m eullnence Representing Taradtse, aIlo
destined to De occupied oy 1ne Dlsmfty, tne h
angels, anu otner ce!eSta! ucto1s III tne
drama. WHEREOF tney remained p4sstse
spectators when noe actuaAy MllS SIlng III tue
action. Ill TACT, all the actors IN TIE pfcce r.
manned upon the stage during aie "siote
progress of the dratna7 standing notloniess
at one SIDE when tney nag notnng 70 sly OF
do. For there were no s1ae-sce11e5 ho oe-
hind the scenes where 1hey could take
refuge. As to the closed structures alore-
said, they took the place OF scenery anu weLe
palaces, cottages, temples, aceor9ns 70 tue
necessities OF the piece, their destanataon oe-
ing sometimes ShoW3! W Wrlilel1 piacalus
At the Universal Exhibition OF ls's, III me
dramatic sectloa, Nas eA!lto'teo h'ooeA "
TILE STAGE CONSTRUCTED AT vALESCr-
ENSEs IN l54T
for representation Of the Passion. This
vast stage was not less than $50 feet square.
On it from left to right was established, iirst
ayiiion with columns. above which rose
Paradise. on which our Lord sat enthrone1
in glory, surrounded by the angels and
by the four Virtues. Next came a
wall pierced with n door between