New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-11
REHEARSING 1HE PASSION PLAY.

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNoCENTs AND THE MUIR
DER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
The persistent Salmi Morse is going right ahead
with the preparations fOr producing his Pas ion
Play as if there were no Mayor or Police Commits
siOners or courts in existence, and If such thing
as a license was never known. Rehearsals
are held regularly in hisremOdelled church in Twen-
ty-third-st. The stage and auditorium are nearly
completed and most of the scenery is painted. Be-
hind the scenes there is collection Of the strangest
looking properties" that q stage-carpenter ever
imagined when he had the nightmare FIightful
looking beasts and three-headed monsters stare
forth from the corners and on one set Of shelves
there are packed several dozen PAPER mache babies
that are to pose as the " slaughtered innOcents"
The second and third acts OF the play were partly
rehearsed last night The second act represents the
Slaughter OF the InnOcents, and the third the
Murder of John the Baptist. The scene in which
both of these bloody events were represented as
taking place was in the mountains Of Judea. 1t was
very billy and very rocky; there was a
proiusiOn of Mexican cactus sprouting on
all sides, with here and there a. crab-apple
tree that was supposed to bear olives. The
crowd Of Jewish matrOns and Roman guards that
peOped this cactus-bearng solitude was, to say the
least motley. The matrOns looked like quarter
section OF the stream of women who may DO seen
any afternoon walking up SiXth-ave., and the Ro
man guards looked ike nothing In particular
There were ford faces and pre- ty colored faces and
pink and white faces among those guards. There
we've straw-cOlored, lampblack-cOlored and brinde
colored m0Ustaches and no moustaches at all, on
the faces. Some guards had extremely
large stOmachs, while others showed painful
lack in that portion of their anatomy. MANY Of
them had rakish look which seemed To indicate
That before they left Rome their chief occupation
nad been to hang about the gallery entrance to
the Coliseum and 10 buy pools on the gladiator con-
tests. Ii to * great amount OF explanation by
the stage manager, e.. Il. Graves to show the ma
irons how To run upon the stage and scream when
tie Roman guards were seeking to slaughter the
par ler-mache babies. There was great deal
Of feeble screaming, and that was about al
In the scene before the screeChlng took place and
carried on a stilted dialogue. The most effective
sentence in JosePPs remarks was: what have we
not riSked and escaped " Joseph wore long over
coat urncd up at the neck and lOw-crOwDed DERBY
nat Mary who was Jewcss OF pleasing appear
ance, appeared in blue walking costume and
blue urban hat. The only cha &c IN see cry for
the scene in the third act whore H6Od consents to
the murder of John the Baptist was made by bring
inc IN two aTg arm-chals beewelled with tnsel IN
regal st, 10. HerOds costume was not exactly in the
latest STYLE III the Jerusalem OF his day. HIS crown
an English ,rby; his robe was u beaver over
coat his ermine wa, loose white silk neck cloth
while his sceptre was % crutch cane, which he
wielred most royally. lie was not very tragic;
he was only mildly me odramatic: Hero
a plumcd Galnsborongh hat. She was
decided bloOd-thir,ty and demanded the head OF
John the Bapust with tragic ferceness that VIII
raise the nar on the most stOlld gallery
boy. SGlome didn't dance last night. She
gained her point without that trouble. She
made her request tor the Prophets head IN as de-
mure manner a. that in which country house
wife would ask for the head OF a spring chicken.
She didn't look if she could dance II she tried;
she was apparently rheumatic
The Police Comm islOncrs yesterday received
letter from Mayor Euson stating thar be had been
informed that Salmi Morse intended TO open his
lace of amusement, Nos. 1885, l4l and l43
West Twenty-tninl-st., for the production
of the Passion Play without license III the
evening. Acting On Instructions from the COmmIs-
s'Ouers, superintendent Wallng sent fer Captain
Williams and told him on no account to let Mt.
Morse open his theatre to the public unless he Sc
cured a license. Mr.. Morse said last night tnat lie
had no intention OF ope"ing the theatre until he
had a license. Tie added that he would give dress
rehearsal as soon rs his LIcens' was obtained.