The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-04-14
The Passion Play.

Morse's theatre, in West Twenty
third street, last evening, to attend
"private entertainment of the
Passion Play, and by So'clock the
house was packed. Entrance
was by ticket, and men and women
struggled with difficulty through
the narrow doorway. Clothes
were torn, and watches stolen and
one woman tainted. Hundreds
were turned away.
The hum of voices ceased soon
after s o'clock, when strains oi
music soft and low came from the
hidden orchestra. The quaint
melody sounded like a dirge, and
the audience was perfectly silent
when the curtains rose on the first
act. The scene was the Temple
in which the Jewish mothers were
assembled to present their babes
to the " High Priest.n In variga-
ted dress, they were ranged on the
right by the massive pillars and
the great molten sea that rested
on twelve golden lions. Opposite
were the Levites in long white
robes and high tapering hats, and
white-haired Simeon.n Roman
soldiers, Egyptian and Armenians,
in picturesque dress, filed out the
background. The "High PRIEST y
in monotone, chanted Thus Saith
the Lord,n while another priest
proceeded across the stage hold.
ing aloft the secret scroll. One
by one the mothers advanced with
their babes, and the " High Priest
bowed his head and raised his
hands in benediction. In turn
the "virgin Mary" with the in.
fint " Christi sought his blessing
for her child, but the High Priests
hands did not rise and his eyes
were averted. The Virgin
shrank back in alarm and gathered
her babe more closely to her
breast, when "Simeon' cried in inn
passioned speech that this was lie
born of an immaculate virgin, who
would sit on David's throne,
Herod' shall instantly know
this,n exclaims the "High Priest y
and leaves the Temple precipitate-
ly. There was singing to the "Hal'
lelujah' chorus, sung by mothers
in praise of Him who would be
"Savior of man depravcd." There
was a abriefsilence before ANNA,
the witch, rushed in with her gray
hair streaming over her yellow
ochre dress and her long crook
lifted high in the air, and wildly
prophesied the dcsolation await
ing the "Virgin Mother' and child.
She cried ont to the mother of Is
rael to flee with the innocent
from the danger to come and moi
trust to the honeyed words OF
skiing Herrod." Her dramatic
speech excited the first applause
of the evening. The "Virgin y
gazed lovingly on the face of hel
"Chih," ard the mothers sang an
invocation OF safety for the babe
following the Levites. The !" High
Priest" re-entcrs and holds q
council with the Messenger OF
Herod,' a splendid looking fellow
in blue velvet, decorated with gold
iigure.work and after the story Of
the course of the star of Bethle
hem is told the procession of wo
men march again on the stage, and
the messenger scans the faces o.
the babes to find the young
Christ As he meets the "Vir
vim" he raises a dagger to stat
the child, but is suddenly trans
fixed with awe and drops the
weapon, falls on his knees and pas
sionately declares that "His king
dom shall be without end" Then
the" " Hallejah chorus is sung
again in capital style, and wher
the curtain fell it had to be hunl
up in response to the enthusiastic
applause, and enlisted an encore
Cries of "Morse ! Morse " fillet
the house, and Salmi, pushed the
curtains aside, came ont before the
foot-lights, and laying his hand OF
his heart, thanked the audience
for their large attendance. They
made him very proud, he said aht
he was happy. He thought he
could no tsay more if he talked an
hour, and bowed himself off the
stage. There was a buzz of lively
conversation between the acts.
don't see anything wrong about
that,r and "lf that's all they made
arrow about they made a mistake
were typical remarks. Commits
sioner Hess said he did not SEE
anything in the play to which the
most fastidious could object. The
subject of the second was the
Massacre of the Innocents," and
the curtain rose on the "Virgin