The herald., 1895-07-21

will be presented new version of the
Passion Play. With rare exceptions the
production nowadays of a play of this
kind. dealing as it does with living and
beathing representation OF Christ upon
tho stage, provokes little opposition n
many OF the European countries.
This country has not yet outgrown it's
puritanical adherence Of the Passion
Play, but in certain sections OF Europe
the desire on the part of the public for
productions of this kind is growing. Vio-
lent opposition at times greeted the first
performances of the play at Oberammer-
gau some years ago, but all this is
changed. Some of the foreign writer's
and thinkers regard this change not in
religious light at all. They assert that it
is merely one of the revolutions in taste
Of the stage-loving public. and point to
the fact that in the realm OF theatric art
a change is rapidly working in the direc-
tion of the popular plays or mysteries of
the middle ages. The public. they claim,
want plays of this kind. and in meeting
the demand the theatrical folks have gone
much further back; in fact, to biblical
times.
With the forthcoming Passion Play at
Selzach and a sacred opera called Chris
tus, by the late Anton Rubihstein, now
being produced at the Bremen opera
house. the Europeans should have sur
felt of stage productions of this kind.
Runinstein's opera. after it has run the
gauntlet of the European capitals. will
probably be brought to this country. but
it is question whether its production
will be permitted. 1t will be a question
of local option with the cities, and even
if it is eventually staged heie 1T will be
only after most bitter fights with the op-
rs Of nf mil
also be largely modified as in its present
shape it presents all of the leading events
of Christ's life upon earth with the ex-
ception of the crucifixion.
The play to be produced at Selzach
goes into more details than Rubinstein's
opera. Two years ago the Passion Play
was given at Selzach. The success
achieved was very marked. as the best
critics of Europe agreed that it tar ex.
celled the Oberammergau production.
The wealthy people of Selzach. after the
successes OF 1888 at once began the crea-
ton of fund for the erection OF Pass
ion Play theater. The construction of
this building is quite different from the
ordinary playhouse, being designed to
meet the peculiar demands of the plays
to be produced.
The stage is in the open air, where all
the, spectacular effects can be fully
realized. The auditorium, however, is
covered, and fashioned much after the
plan of the ordinary theater- 1t will seat
1900 people. The parts designed for the
orchestra and choruses are built after the
plan of the Wagner theater of Bayreuth.
They are beneath the stage surface, and
entirely out of the sight of the specta tors.
This arrangement intenslfies the specuac-
ular features of the production, the music
seeming to come up out of the ground.
1t will take six hours to produce the
play, allowing for half hours intermis-
sion for luncheon. This necessitates the
beginning of the performance at IL a. M.
and concluding at p. m. Next Sunday
the first presentation will be made, and
the play will be enacted on every succeed
ing Sunday until September The only
week day on which it will be given is
Thursday, August Is, the Festival of the
Assumption.
Two hundred musicians, singers and
actors take part in the performance. The
music is by the German composer, II. f.
Mueller. and the play is divided into two
parts. one occupying the morning session
and the second taking up the afternoon
session.
The scenes of tho morning session are
largely taken from the Old Testament
the first picturing the lite OF Adam and
Eve in tie Garden OF Eden. Their fight
from the garden is shown. The murder