Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12
"JOHN THE
BAPTIST"
A Great Moral Play Produced
Successfully In Europe After
Much Opposition.

Though meeting with much o,r,,,
non from the general public and ahsA
usni from several theatrtoo,
"hasers IN various cities of tsnra,'.
.ns pay o, 1ohn the Baptist" by Har
-" ouuerman, was Presented IN.
". evening IN both the Royal D,as'
zen theater and in the Deutsche tboa,s-
III Berlin and met with an unoual,ss,
success. a royal edict forbade its ~
resehtation In the Royal theater of ~
IN anu u mas also been forbidden t.
.ne Luzerne and Munich theaters NJ. ~
iuea OF producing the series of nvss,e
.nat accehtuateu the life OF the pras,
torerunner," John the Baptist. beh,ss
the tootlights seemed at first revoi,in"
nut according to European critlo"ss'
every one Is impressed by the rem,r s.'
apiy strong lesson that 1t teaches "a
Is led to believe 1t will be u great n,os 90,
| agent for good. mural
There are five acts, introduced NJ,
prologue. In the last named Tho ~.
tory movement of the drama John a.
shown In the desert. surrounded h,, ~
people. who are crying aloud to hin, s a's
help against Herod. their tyrant ~, aVr
has lately taken unto himself his h,o,u
er Philips wife. The devout man mn
estes: yet one will come who win w, IN
ye salvation. your Messiah. He vii, ns
| must, come" "e
The story. briefly told, Of the srh..
quent dramatic details is as foIIom..,
The first act represents the rising Al.
content of the people and their dlstr,,,.
of the priests. As Herod. with HeroaI.'
| ana Salome. passes into the palace ~
two women notice John with mucb H.
terest and curlosity-the first becars,
he Is the idol of the populace and CON
sequently inimical to her the danyh,a,
| for the simple reason that he is mo-.
| and, as she thinks, very plcturesnns
one. There Is flame in her eyes 90
| she looks upon him.
| The second act shows Herod a,,o,a.
wearied of Herodlas after the br,s,
honeymoon, his lustful eyes beanirs
with pleasure upon his niece. saloss
The girl has conceived a violent mas.
| sion for John and with all the aIIprs.
ments OF II young eastern tlgress ssat,
to win him. But he remains ALBANIAN,
In the third act an attempt is mad
| to defy Herod and HerodIas. disrl,l,
of John thrusts stone into his hand,
and implores him to use II as a wean,n
of attack against the tyrant. John
raises his hand and as Herod an.
proaches cries In n voice Of thunder "In
the name of him who-who bids me
love you!'
At the critical moment the gosnel n,
love has seized upon his heart His
voice breaks. the stone falls from his
nerveless grasp. and he passiyely al.
lows Herod's servants, who have seen
the threatening attitude. to arrest and
bind him as the cortege with triumphal
flourish sweeps on into the temple.
The fourth and fifth acts hurry on
the drama to its tragical close. Herod
mockingly draws from John the confess
sion that IL was solely on account of the
doctrine of love preached by Jesus of
Nazareth that he forbade to assault
him.
Salome dances before Herod, and
when In his delight he promises to give
her anything she may desire, instgated
by her mother and prompted by her
own venomous disappointment, she asks
for the head of John the Baptist on
charger.
The prisoner Is brought In TO hear
the Judgment. The disciples arrive with
the news that Jesus Is already at the
gate. John is led away to his execution
Salome PUSHES out and is later heard
exulting over her revenge.
The shouts of themultitude are heard.
Cries of "Hosannal" rend the air.
Herod. goblet in hand. springs up per-
haps to give greeting, but food OF re-
morse brings terror to his soul, the cup
falls and. as II hiding his mental agony,
he covers his face with his mantle
Finale.
The prospect OF the play being rep
resented in the United States is doubt
ful though an attempt may be MADE
later to produce II in some OF our larger
cities. ALBERT p. SoUTHWlCk.