The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-16
Che aiehita nau Gayle Sunday orning septbsr Is 1900

would every ten years perform as
memorial Of Gods mercy to them. the
Passion of the Christ. There was nothing
unusual in the VOW. for ii was a Tins
when Miracle Play was, the great in
strument Of religious teaching, as ths
Sabbath School Is now. AS a result we
| have the Passion Play of today. the one
survival OF the Medieval method the
method by which the people were taught
Bible truth before books were possible
for them.
The sinile that could be drawn between
the Decamaron from Feiole south of the
Alps and the Passion Play from ober-
ammergau, north, as two things given
I our day by the Black Death, would hold
many, many lessons.
/ Then the Miracle Play deteriorated into
/ the ''NoraHties," the Oberammergau
+ presentation gathered to itself many
! things that were offensive and when
MoraHties fell under the ban of the
I church this was condemned with the
/ others, but because the presentation was
( given as the result Of vow and when
/ the people proposed to bring it back TO
+ the purity of the Miracle Play by pre-
I senting the simple Bible story the con-
( tinuance was allowed by the church and
( today St Veronica is the only tradition
/ airy personality.
The text now used is that given by the
faithful guide and teacher to this people,
Father Daisenberger. For thirty-fve
years he lived and worked among them.
As we read sketches Of the sermons
| he preached 10 them as they gathered
Fo-
Passion year, we understand why though
fifty years have passed he is still held
( IN such reverence.
The village school teacher Of that time
was Rochus Dedler and he wrote the
music as we hear the stately melody
and feel its wonderful applicability and
see the wonderful simple rendering OF
the story. that has made the Aryan
civilization and all the possibilities Of
your life and mine, we involutarily say,
How can this thing be?
Ae day break Sabbath morning, we
were Weakened by the driving rain. Soon
after the chimes OF the church rang
their melody through the valley, and
performers in the Passion Play gathered
for four o'clock mass. At five O'Clock
were with the throng that crowded
toward the church There was scarcely
standing room and as you saw the
bowed heads of the men, the reverent
look Of the boys and the devotion of the
women. you knew that among the four
thousand that day there would be wor-
shipping souls.
At half past seven the sky Vas clear
ing, soon after the rain ceased. Some
what before eight the building where
the presentation is given was filed. Four
thousand people waiting! The audience
is in building with three sides closed,
the circular roof supported by six grid
ers Of steel. The stage as a whole is
uncovered. but the central part where
the tableaux are givetn has a glass roof.
At the extreme sides Of the stage are
pillared porticoes adjoining these toward
the center on one side the house Of Pr
late; on the other house Of Annas, be-
tween these houses and the glass COW
cred portion a street Of hills utarodluuau
cred portion a street Of Jerusalem
stretching away on either side You
look back of this 70 the hills about ODER
ammergau and over all is the blue sky
throw deep shadows or seem breaking
for the sunlight.
The four Of US. Mrs Somers and her |
son. the Doctor. had seats together. It |
was very much TO us TO have friends |
near BY who knew US and ours. and |
with whom we had much in common
sympathy. We made a little audience |
OF our own, tried to forget the distance |
away we were. and the hundreds of !
strangers about US. As we looked from !
either side the procession Of the chorus |
comes making wide semi-circule reach |
ing from side to side Of the stage. They |
were led by Joseph Meyer from one side |
and the chorus leader from the other.
Their flowing oriental robes in beauti- |
full harmony Of color; the gold crown Of l
the Greek chorister on their heads; the |
long hair OF the men and the loose flow
ing hair Of the women with their soIem-
nifty of bearing made a picture memory
could never loose
Joseph Meyer. the Christus OF other
years. with his stately figure his richly /
embroidered robes, his snow white beard
his face showing the stamp of righteous
life, was the most majestic figure I
have ever seen. Constantly the thought
# Moses went through my mind as I
ooked at him. Moses the educated man;
The man chosen 10 be with his own
people: the forty years Of service in the
Mountains. who am I 70 lead this peo-
,le?''. before Pharoh; in the wilderness;
giving the law: teaching the people: go
ne from them alone to the Mount OF
5ad. Into all these conditions Joseph |
Meyer fitted himself to me. Between the
irst Prologue IN reverent lowly fear
base We. a race whom God hath cursed
while. From holy silva peace awaits We"
o the last words his quiet voice sounded
trengt hened with JOY and courage by
his sight.
Go home. friends. full Of love for Him,
whose might Of love has rescued you
rom death.
And still in heaven cherisheth.
There when il sounds the everlasting
train OF victory. Praise the Lamb who .
nee was slain"
Gathered round Him who vanquished
ain.
We all one day may, meet again. Hal
aluia,
Each Of the seventeen acts OF the pre-
eutatIon opens with a prologue TITS
rolozue IS followed by a chorus which
xpIains the tableux preceding each act,
sually two tableaux from the old tesla
lent applicable 70 the scene In the life
: Christ which succeeded them. As the
urrain raises the chorus divides, falling
ack 10 the sides OF the stage in two
emf circles.
The first tahIeaux was the expulsion OF
dam ara Eve. The second the Adors-
on % the cross; the act OF the cleaning
{ the temple. Whatever can oe gained
Y effect for the tabIeaux OF scenes by