The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-07
Sees the Passion Play
A Magnificent Description Of the Great
pectacle. Written for the Review
by J. H. Mckeever.

and children and the whole scene
seemed to be one mass of heads and
faces, yet the grouping and harmony
of color We'd with the best of paintings.
And the absolute quiet was marvellous;
not the wink of an eye or the swaying
of an uplifted arm could be discerned
and at the noon intermission | heard a
heated argument to prove that they
were not real but paintings and one
man wanted to wager that zone groupe
was of wax.
The stage extends clear across the
open end of the building and must be
$50 feet wide. In the center is pros
cenium aud stage with curtaned OPP
ening probably so feet wide. This part
is covered and has hys for setting diff
ferent scenes like in any theater and
therein it is that the tableax and chief
scenes in the play are presented. On
both sides are arched passages running
back to the rear and representing
streets in ancient Jerusalem Beyond
them across the angle at the sides are
broad steps leading up to porticos. on
one side to the house of PLATE and on
the other to that of .Annas. the high
| priest.
After the first picture. the expulsion
of Adam and Eve from the garden
which typifes the fall Of man and an
other representing the Alteration of
the Cross, Christ comes. We heard
| a great shouting aud sounds of rejoice
ing and then a crowd began to pour on
1 to the stage from the narrow street
/ that ran past Pilates house. The men
and women were waving palm branches
and the children skipping and dancing
along but all looking back to some one
following. AT last, still with the hap
/, Ply multitude following Jesus with pen
sive face, appeared. riding on diminu-
tive donkey which the sweet faced
John led. AS he rode he blessed the
people with outstretched hands and
they kept on with their publications.
Just IN front of the temple, the enclos-
ed stage. a crimson cloth was spread
and Jesus descended. He started in
dignant as he saw the busy scene with
in the portico. the buying aud hag-
CLING, the priests with the money
changers and all the hubbub of bar
gaining at its height With sudden
| indiCnant nr,, ssLJbo+ 600 T ba,o9., No
advanced toward the traders who look
ed at him amazed as he continued his
protest. They angrily demanded who
the intruder could be and toe people
shouted, He is the great prophet
from Nazareth in Galilee.' Then Jesus
moved firmly and quickly into the
midst OF the traders and pushing over
a table scattered money Gathering over
the floor He pushed aside a cage of
pigeons and the birds went flying away
into the air Then Selling knotted
rope be drove the servile traders out.
they skulking off like whipped dogs.
The priests having recovered their
self possession stood forth in protest,
but the people drown their words and
Christ and His disciples went into the
inner court. Then it was that the
priests began to harangue the crowd
and when the traders came trooping
back crying for revenge they soon had
J all turned against the man they were
} so lately acclaiming.
That night the high priests, rulers,
scribes and Pharisees gathered togeth.
er in all the regal splendor of the coun.
Gil of the Sanhedrin and with Caiaphas
in robes OF white and gold and jewels
sitting on raised dias, resolved at his
urging to arrest the intruder. Their
the traders came in demanding ven
gance for the humiliation they had suf
. fered and to them was given the task
OF securing his capture. Jesus is mex
: seen on his last visit to Bethany with
His disciples. He dimes at the house
OF Simon and then meets and take
: leave OF his mother, Of all the sad in
cidents in these last few days of Hi
d life this must have been one of tn,
most heart rending They go back t,
Jerusalem but after the halt on til,
way whence the two are sent on to pre-
pare the Passover. Judas remains ant
soliloquizing. decides to quit the Mas
: ter. There one of the traders come
y upon him and soon wins his agreemen
y to show where Jesus goes at night
o Then he hurries on to be at the las
supper. The next scene, one of tn
5 utmost solemnity and pathos. whel
g Christ after washing the feet of tn
: disciples, Institutes the ordinance o
e sacrament. So the story is enacted
Judas is given his money by the San