New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-24
AGAINST THE PASSION PLAY.
OPINIONS OF PROMINENT CLERGiMEN.
ALL OF THEM PROTEST AGAINST BRINGING THE
ORrRAMMEEGAU PLAYERS TO CHICAGO

4
oBERAMMEEGAU PLAYERS TO CHICAGO.
The announcement recently made that the Passion
PLAY OF Oberammcrgau was likely to be gwen III
Chicago IN the summer OF 1893 must nave caus'u Il
considerable OF surprise to all VINO are lhhiar
with the spectacle it Is presented among us hatNe
mountains and those who understood that the Dropo-
sition was 81 genuine and serious must have been
no less shocked than surprised The idea OF Enact
ing the scenes OF the life OF the fouhueT VI uhe
Christian religion the stage OF 'neaue mas
always been abhOrrcnt TO the sobernlhdcd people Of
This country. and to those who nave 'arh'N 10
know the simple and fervent piety oil the peasants
of Oberammergau, tho thought that the' cou'u ne
brought from their homes and their fass'on ray
transplanted TO Il foreign ana uhoonNe" ' '
cause genuine sorrow.
The plan that has been made pubhc involves inc
transportation to this country OF some ooo or more
OF the people OF Oberammergau, ABOUT o''"''i 1'o
population OF the village. the construction OF
theatre for them in Chicago with scenery 10 r'pre
sent the natural background OF mis- winch 'he
Passion Play has at home and the proauc''o" oi
,o pav in shortened form. but otherwise rs nearly
as possible In the way in which II Is done IN It's
proper place. The Oberammereau people nave ai"aSs
been most proud and most Jealous OF tleir unique
nosscsslon I'm the Passion Play and have refused all
inducements to present It themselves esc""crc II
would therefore. be- impossible to believe thht ueS
could think or coming 10 tUfsiEV WIN - wv va
the statement that they have been persuaded mat
they will tins md advance religious iecilng
and the cause OF Christianity In this country. The
falsity Of this argument needs no enforcement mere
and II It has been successfully urged upon the Deopl>
Of Oberanmcreau they must have been permitted or
induced 10 lose sight Of the construction wHch womb
inevitably he placed on their action In taking their
plav away from their home. Already Oh IAte year,
they have been charged with merccnary motives IN
connection with this wonderful performance. Those
who have known them best have stTcnuon'N 'e
Tended them. but the charges have sun u''h De
lieved by many: and now II they come 4ooo mics
from home 10 give their play whore II cannot POS
sibly pretend to have It's original religious s'gmh
canoe. the qncston. Justly or njusty. viii be
forever scttlcd against them. They viii dlaFn TIER
friends and put destroying weapons In the hands 81
their enemies, The assertion that the pay they VIII
receive Is small helps their case but niue II 'E''
statement IS true 1t only shows that they are easily
hired 10 do what they have done before n n sacred
duty and that the company which employs uem J"
inclined to enrich Itself at their expense II Is 1" mo
credit OF the people OF Chicago and OF the United
states that the plan lad rs origin in Europe That
The most Of the stock OF the company Is owned there
and that the show. II given Will form no part Of the
Worlds Fair. but win only be set up near II I" Al
tract the crowd which will be drawn 10 Chicago next
summer.
That the Oberammergau Passion Pay was founded
in accordance with a sacred and rs recognition
OF Divine delivcrance from pcstllcncc. ana that u
hns been given I'm every decade FOR moro than go
wears everybody knows. That the peasants are stu
consistently earnest in their performance Of Il ana de-
won't I'm their regard for It everybody hn' heard
Obcrnmmergau lies far up In the Bavarian mountains
where the changes md the manners oi tho outer "ofd
seldom reach and never cOrrup, It, religious pay
there IS not what IL would DC anywhere else" ihr
place is on plain shut H. ~ mountains on all sides
- 49, aft . 1. 4
fondly look upon rs n sort Of guardian spir, The
LII has "A tall and shining cross on rs summit 10
one can enter or even approach u" village without
feeling the power Of its religious influence, and the
audience that gathers after tho many masses In the
church 10 soc the Passion ay IS filed with ave and
reverence. That there could De- no such condltoh
anywhere in this country IS statement that needs
argument.
The projectors Of the Chicago Passion Pay enter
prise have venturcd the prediction that the plan
will meet the approval 81 The people ~ the United
state, and even OF the clergy Of ia, country. Thi-
las made II seem appropriat" 20 obtain and set fori
the genuine opinions OF prominent and representative
clcreymcn IN regard tho scheme. and to DO 80 (,
the purpose of this article Not ono clergyman who
hns been approached tho subject IA, oppressed the
,lIglltest feeling IN favor Of the project. Many %
ID. most prominent and widely known ministers o;
this city and brooklyn at present away from home.
and many expressions which would have weight and
value arc therefore wanting here but all the opln
Ions which follow come from men Of TIA highest capa
lllity and Influence and II would not be- easy 10 pre-
pare list justly representative Of the sentiment
Of able and thoughtful clcrsymcn.
Arthbshop Corrlgan saw The Passion Play two year.
ago and Is thus peculiarly qualified t. speak Of IT, be-
side, being tho highest authority here Of The church t.
which tho players belong lie authorized the follow
ing statement Of bis views IA regard to the present
plan which mad" through his secretary the Rev.
J. y. Connolly Il think It would Be an outrage on
Christian sentiment to bring over those actors and
have them give their play here. The idea Of the
Passion Play originated among those good people o.
Oberammcrgau at II time when there was no such
thing as "A travelling public. The place Was shut In
and separated from the rest OF the world. Even up
10 twenty years ago ride Of eight hours or so In nm
omnibus was necessary bl order 10 reach the place.
Moreover tho play was tho fnment OF a sacred vow.
The effect OF the play given In such place ard under
such conditions is altogether different from what It
would be when given here All the good that could
be done by the Passion Play Mt Obcrammcrgau would
10 De than undOne by The evil consequences
that would occur II such representation should De
given on the boards Of theatre. and the place I'm
which IT would have TO be given In Chicago would be
practically theatre. person going b. Obcrammer-
gau, no matter how he disposed toward the Pas
sion Pay before could not fall TO be Impressed favor
ably by tho surroundings and the people and all the
circumstances. and by the prominent fnct that the
actors not making any money Every ten years
they give up II large amount OF their time and leave
their regular pursuits 10 act In the play, which Is to
them religious ceremony, and the money they get
is altogether Inadequate as compensation FOR the
tmc and the which they bcstOw or their task
Joseph Mailer. who plays the Christ. did not get
than 300 for playing the part in 1890. All the actors
In the play 60 to Holy Communion before the first
performance OF each summer when the play Is given
and before every performance they all hear mass
Here. however. IT is to De merely n money making
scheme 1T is too sacred n thing to be put the
boards OF theatre The fact that tie projectors OF
the enterprise that the people Of Obcrammcrgau
who net In II are not going 10 make money out Of It
not alter the case for somebody else f. TO make
money out OF It II they do not. hope tina, the
Christian spirit and sentiment Of the people OF the
oil Cfnin vii [