The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-04

| portion OF the pantomime the spectacle
/ has been very beautiful one pantomimi-
/ cally.
From a religious standpoint IL has had
| just the effect wanted. for the Scriptural
1 atmosphere has been perfectly kept and
the drama as played Is exceedingly touch
ing Dozens Of conversions are reported,
and on the occasion of each performance
cries and sobs are heard from the benches,
especially at the point where the door is
forever locked upon the unthinking women
/ Of Judea.
Not less interesting than the spectacle
itself is the comment of the Partisan
press upon IT,, which scintillates. as US
| ual with witticlsms. one journal hopes
! that the success of these living pictures
will induce Nine. La MareschaF Booth
To stage some other biblical episodes, and
suggests as appropriate dramas Eve and
the Serpent, and the Irritation Of Poti-
phar's wife with Joseph. as one-act
Curtain-raiser.
ling is greatly in favor in Paris at the
present, a tableau Of Jacob struggling
with the angel would fill the house for a
long time and still another paper puts
forward the claims of Jonah and the
Whale" as BETTING and interesting
nautical drama, containing good chance
II would be interesting IL il could be
stated definitely that there was some
chance of the Salvation Army reproduce
ing a series of scriptural living pic
lures in New York, but the news of the
Paris departure does not seem to have
reached the army here as yet. Com
mander Booth, when seen day or two
ago in his Reade street office. said that
he had heard nothing of il, and that 50
far as his knowledge was concerned the
nearest to ii that the Partisan Army had
attempted was the exhibition Of steT-
eopticOn scenes pOrtraying pictures OF
biblical events. These. he said were in
great vogue in Europe at present
While at first sight these old theatrical
performances of the Partisan Salvation
Army seem startling, in reality they are
faar m rcfa -.
the ancient religious customs of the mid
die ages, a resurrection, in truth, of the
famous old Mystery Plays Of the mid
die ages and the days of the early Christ
ian church 1t is a curious fact, often
lost sight Of, that after Rome had fallen,
and the barbarians were overrunning Eu-
rope the Catholic church assumed charge
over the drama. as she did over govern
ment and people. From the fourth to the
thirteenth centuries theaters did not ex-
list, and to extend the influence of its
teachings the church gave framatic rep
reservations of scriptural events, pre-
pared by its priests and performed In its
churches and chapels.
At first the Mystery Play was nothing
more than series Of costumed tableaux
arranged in the most religious and delicate
manner, 10 give wOrshippers visual evil
dence of what the people OF Biblical times
were. Then ecclesiastical tastes grew and
ambitions Widened and texts were written
for these dramas, at first in the Latin, af-
forwards in the Vernacular. this latter
change being originally adopted in France.
Strangely enough, these Mystery
Plays" that the early ecclesiastics ar
ranged were given the name Of come
dies" a word meaning then exactly the
opposite from what II does now. The
comedy" arranged by the church had as
its one object the teaching of moral les
sons The Passion of Christ" attri-
buted to st. Gregory Nazianzen OF the lat
ter part of the fourth century, is believed
to have been the first Mystery Play"
performed. st. Gregory was succeeded as
compiler Of the religious drama by
HTotsyitha a Benedictine nun Of Gan
dersheim, In Eastphalian, Saxony. These
Old writers initiated the immortal Terence
in their style. and their themes were mar
tyrdom and miraculous conversions, their
material being drawn from the Legends of
the saints legends Of which every village
had Its sheaf
In Germany, France and England "Mys-
terry Plays" fourished widely. one au-
thority on the subject says this: AT a
very early period-certainly already In the
fifth centGry--it was usual to increase the
attractions of public worship on special
occasions by living pictures illustrating
the gospel narrative, and accompanied by
songs, and thus a certain amount of ac-
tion gradually introduced itself into the
service of the Christian church.
In The liturgy Of the church itself these
mystical dramas certainly found their
force and their Inspiration From the
drama that is inherent in the mass as
chanted in a cathedral the transition pre-
sents comparatively few difficulties. The