The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-17
A peralnn pnsslon PIny.

The two months of mourning OBJ
served by the Perslans commenced this
year on June "a, During these months
there is performed at private houses a
kind Of Passion Play, which usually
lasts ten days. each devoted to some
episode in the lives of the martyrs Ali
Hassan and Hussein.
The stage is erected in the courtyard
of large private house, and consists
Of a circular central platform some
three or four feet high, with a wide
passage, along which, before or be-
tween the acts of the play, so the vari-
Gus professions of camels richly
dressed with actors and musicians on
thenl), horses and riders and military
bands. Thanks to some French and
German bandmasters the Persians now
have military bands which play Euro
pean tunes remarkably we'll; but their
success ha well-nigh killed the native
music, which, with it's pipes, drums and
stringed instruments, Is very interest
ing.
We have had curious experience,
both in Egypt and here, of the fact that
our music has no associations for ORR
entails. In Cairo we have seen pilgrims
returning from Mecca to the tunes of
| Bonnie Dundee" and when Johnnie
Comes Marching Home; while here it
is hard to keep ones countenance
when, after scene of lamentation and
mourning, the band marches round
playing II am so awfully clever"
| Another doll sensation one has at
the simplicity of the tage management.
Papa saw a play in which a gigantic
snake was crewed together like fish
| ing-rod before the spectators, and this
year a certain prince, who lives next
| door to us, asked for the loan of my
small brothers bedstead, to represent a
bridal carriage, to the great indigna-
| ton of that young gentleman, who, in
| the midst of a tragic scene in the thea
| ter, shouted out, "Addie, look at my
bed" A top hat is a sufficient indica-
ton that an actor represents a Euro
| pean, and in order to become a Euro
pean lady an actor has only to wear a
/ European lady's hat, back to front per
| chance.
1 Scenery, of course there is none, and
as the women are not allowed to play
/ their parts are taken by boys or young
men. The actors sing a sort Of recita-
ton, and some have beautiful voices
| The effect on the audience Is very
/ great, and the wailing and weeping is
/ loud and prolonged. Here Is the story
of a play I saw.
Scene I.-Soiomon (King Solomon
plays al great part in Persian tales) ap
pears to a Persian prince, and, address
4 ing his Vizter, tells of the arrival O.
Hussein, son of Ali, at Kerbela, where
the armies of Koofa and Damascu;
have hemnled him in by order of ODE
/ idiliah-Leid. The prince proposes Il
help Hussein, and on his journey meet:
a number of women, whom he asks whC
Ithey are and whittier they are going
They answer that they are going t
Kerbela to help the daughters of Ali
who are friendless and in misery.
/ Scene 1.-THE son Of Hussein, Imam
i Leinel-Abedin, and the daughter of Al
ride in, seated on carnels, and bount
with ropes, and Omer-e-Lad, the com
lmander of the victorious army, order
his people to behead them in the pres
/ ence of their mothers and relatives
i Scene III.--A Christian lady with he
retinue passes the place of n1artyrdon
on her way to monastery. The part.
dismount to rest, and theNtents are or
i dered to be pitched Blood gushes from
the ground as the stakes are driven in
and the lady is told Of the people VIII,
4 have been beheaded and buried there
She and her attendants weep, and &,
4 their way.
H Scene IV.-Sareban and Janlmal
camel drivers come in search of plum
" der to the place Of martyrdom. Sare
I ban sees a valuable ring on Hussein
hand, but cannot get it off the finger
He seizes a broken sword to cut the fin
gers off, when a loud voice is heart
from heaven, saying, allah Akbar'
God is great.
Scene V.-Prince Soleiman (Solomon)
4 after several days journey, sees tw
Il Arabs riding on can1els in a deplorabl