New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-27
A SCRIPTURAL DRAMA.
"1oBN THE BAPTIST" IN BERLIN.
,,,n,,pu,xN.s PLAY INCREASING IN FAVOR
THE TREATMENT OF THE STORY
AND TIE PERFORMANCE.


at the ucutschcs Thcater. i. was pronounced ny
o,srvhodv nrrscnt to BE- more or less failurc'
Tho te,,por,ry unwiliingness Of the police 10
ouoa. i. to he given had prepared tho public Tor
something unusually sensational. ana IL WAS
disonnoir,od TO ;ind that the play had so httle
o~c;tirc action Since then. however. OPINION
has entirely swung around. and from ioohihs
unon il as nasco the Bcrliners have come 10
consider Is The best work that Sldcrmahh has
as vet done With few Exceptions II mas Dec"
given every night since its production. ana 'heie
IS every likelihood that it viii remain Oh '''
boards for months to come. ii IS now i''coi'if'.
rensible WIZ the police should have been a'rau
10 let the play appear Religious feelings a'e do
little wounded by it as they would DC III
nraver,neetiog ard It might even be given in
a church ,,ithou, offending public morals
The pIot Is exceedingly simple. Johns psy-
GEOLOGICAL Development. how he eFen'uany
came to 500 that the Messiah he awaited was
net a worldly king who would destroy His enc
mics hut 4 messenger Of love and peace. IS the
portrayal attempted. He first appears IN the
wilderness surrounded by the poor and suherihe'
He tells them OF their low condition. pollicaIy
as well as @, onomically how they nave become
subjects of a cruel and unscrupulouS ioreIG"
ruler. and promises theT salvation thfouEh Il
new KING who is to conc ana VINO WI" peat
down thei. opprcarors and lead them To prosper
ity and freedom once more We SOC HIM next III
lrrr.alcu, barangulnE the people TO revolt
asainst iicrol and the wckedness when sur
rounds his CONT. As in the wilderness. here
also he a."ris more fierce rcyoluuonl"t imam
ANYTHING else. ard ho has not yet grasped the
true mcanir., Of the coming Messiah. lie Is also
an ascetic. and this trait in his character comes
y
Hcrodias's daughter. tries to tempt him win
tor seducinc charms He spurns her as sorne-
thing to be despiscd.
In tbe mean time he has heard voice in the
crowd saving that greater than law and "a r.
fee is love" but he canno; fully grasp It's sig
nifcanco He has lived 100 long in the hope 0!
q martial Messiah who shall com" sword II
hand KILN, all those who oppose him. and h'
cannot see how love and mercy are to ac-
conplish the things upon which H. mas set hi'
heart Love seems TO him powerless to do TN
work which he believes the Messiah OF his mag
nation will do. and he continues to await
worldly avenger Of his peoples wrongs. IL Is
nm old hegrar woman called Meseumeth. who
helps to bring him to Il realization OF the mis-
take he has made He meets her On the morn
ing OF the Passover. on the Temple steps al
Jerusalem. and she stops him. saying Fol
'oi! S'd'' ii''''''''' ''N 49,. :,
mere '"''ou'' anu nv" ,
l. very "iie'c"' "io'''''' ''0',' W. -, 49,.
you p'cd'" '"i' '''" ''.
who will save the poor and lowly. whose whole
life is to lee given up to them, but He VIII MOI
come in the form you imagine"
JOHNS CHANGE or HEART.
This episode hastcns the climax Of the Bap-
fists struggle with himself The voice that NJ
had heard speaking Of "loNe' had influenced MN