The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-08-21

| need not here mention. There
were about 200 parts Of persons who
had talking to do, and $50 persons
representing named characters, and
100 in all upon the stage in such
scenes as the entry into Jerusalem,
the way to the Cross, the beginning
Of the Cruci6xion. The costumes
were historically quite accurate, pre-
pared at a cost of $40. 900 under the
most learned commentators and
scholars of Eastern antiquities. The
''stage business" was as we'll and
deftlv done as one ever saw in first
class American theatres, the very
greatest care being taken with all
the stage "properties;' the scenes
were mainly freshly painted for this
1890 representation by the best ar
lists in Munich. SO that YOU can
see there was nothing wanting in any
direction to help bring the whole
grand play of Christ's Passion vivid
Iy and really before the eye and i'm
agination. To show this by men,
tioning details in illustration, when
the Lord was fixed on the cross by 5
or 6 executioner sClad in flaming red,
the nails-iron spikes-were SO cum
ningly drawn between his fingers as
to appear to pass through his palms:
his feet were so arranged, one behind
the other. (the left behind on con-
cealed foot rest, the right brought
around in front of the left, with
apparentIy-a large spike piercing
the centre), as to give one the idea
that they were both truly spiked to
the main beam. The crown Of
thorns-such Il crown and such
thorns as we see always represented
in the best paintings and engravings
of the Lords head-was pressed
firmly down over the pallid white
brows, and from hands, feet and
head the blood drops were spattered
down-not TOO profusely, but just
naturally. He wore skin tight,
flesh colored shirt, having the Gus
tomary loin cloth about his middle.
and the effect was startingly perfect.
The two thieves-as you will see
from the picture of the cruCifxion
either in this letter, or when can
show it or send it to you-were not
crucifed as the Lord was, but their
arms were hooked back over the
cross beam, a much less painful po-
sition than that of the chief sufferer,
whose arms were extended at full
length and seemingly fastened to
the ends of the cross beam by spikes,
dripping blood through the palms.
When the agony was over the execu-
TONERS ran up light ladders on the
two thieves crosses, and with club
"a stuffed, but natural looking affair."
broke their legs; the very swapping
of the bones was naturally represent
ed somewhere close by. behind the
scenes; both thieves were living at
the time, and when the club blows
fell on their legs and chests, they
dropped their heads in a very lifelike
manner and appeared to die The
executioners then bodily carried
them down from the two crosses and
carried them off. They did not use
the club on the Lords limbs, but the
centurion, to make sure, he said, that
the culprit was dead, raised his long
spear and appeared to plunge it into
his side. To show you how faith
fully every detail which could 60 to
impress the imagination and eye
with the reality of the scene that was
carried out, there had been sewed
into Joseph Mayr's skin tight shirt
thin bag about the size Of a silver
dollar, of some red, blood like fluid:
the spear pierced this, and SO deftly
was it done, that the spear head
seemed to penetrate the Lords body
and the blood spurted redly about its
point. l noticed a shudder run
through many of the spectators at
this extreme piece Of realism.
I must by no means omit brief
description of the chorus. This
consisted of IL men and IL women,
clad in long garments, somewhat
toga-like, clasped at the bosom with
gilt clasps, and beng of various del
icate shades. brown, drab and some
purple, violet and orange, all wear
ing gilded crowns. They stood in
an oval extending entirely across the
stage, and before the allegOrical
tableaux from the Old Testament in
PRODUCING each of the IS scenes
wherein the main action of the Pas
sion went on, they marched on the
stage, II from each side portico,
and, headed by their choragus, or
leader, recited partly in prose and
partly in metrical language to mu-
sic, brief description both of the
"type" old testament tableaux which
was Immediately to follow, and also
of the particular scene in the Pas
sion which was To follow the tvDical