New-York tribune., 1900-08-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
HIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE PASSION PLAY
THE ACTING NOTABLE

THE ACTING NOTABLE
Charles Stewart Smith. ex-president ot thu
Cnarn0er OF Commerce. under date or August &
has written TO George wZs0u secretary az ths
Chamber. az account OF the Oberanmergau Pas
sion Play, as follows
We are making a weeks coaching triD through
f1e 1yrol ana German Alps district v1llze-suilv
avail myself OF leisure hour 10 send % YOU a
PrTt.l-s51 -1 ny impressions % O5eranlrasrgau-
nllls At the opening OF q gorge A nizh peak re
s huge cross. dominates tne scene ~ re ss--7-
ray Inls play oy reason o. its traditions sor more
Us size. perhaps the most celebrated in ras world
The one SPOT for a plIz-7-.aga 4-0-- ~ - = =
ne oase or the AoeTeL which is reached 5y Z
-atlgulng walk or one and a half hours. where one
: rewarded oy seeing a me colossal group of the
.FFuc1xlo5 presented 70 The town IN $50 BY Lud-
inhabitants one-hals OF whom (-50 including men
the Derfcruauce T11-f1r Ths $500 - - - =
tlVe rnonthsl the management provides 1850 beds
-or visitors scattered about IN the small iuns CO..
tages and farm houses ana it IS surprising 70 dnd
now reascns bly, comfortable guests are made
You have read. no dou5-. the detailed accounts OF
nIustrgred. 50 shan eonhne what have 70 say %
No habitue q the great dramatic theatres OF the
word can fail % be impressed with rls artistic an
The costumes are Oriental; they are Harmonious in
- 81. - an se n ,I2ii correct
Characters persouitsd me rass1nE OF large groups
dret, is mastery. as for example il The scenes or
the entry OF Christ 70 Jerusalem and the angry
MOD beIore Flate.s house Whicn are most IN
presstve Many metropolitan stage manager
- -17- "a ~. --L-- l--isi---s ---e1-le
and faithfu representation OF the historic incidents
Changed all civiIiza-i1n ard r10I4eI rr- 5s-1v ~
humanity The simp.e fact thar four thousand
people remain sitting in absolute silence upon hard
boards for Two sessions OF four hours each. with
t1at every Representations for I'VE months Is crowd
IS conclusive evidence THAT the Passion Play mas
classes OF men and women which are present IN
To watch the sea OF faces and study the varied
emotions depicted upon the counrenarces was most
A bright American woman whose eyes showed
traces Of tears. remarked 20 after rle play that
do all this" and 50 It would BE-. II THIS we're H.
orally true but IL IS oy no means the case The
from Munich have for wears contributed their In
gau must be an acc0-nuIished reac1e- 81 71rzs~ a
village church can extraordinariIy dne ore} has
play To-day every child of ten born in The place
performance, which, you know, occurs every ten
The representations fo- thirty FORTY years past
pertty OF the town ard 70 the e1aoeshnenr o. the
II is a question Of observation. or perhaps more
strictly Of temperament or sentiment. whether
edly formerly prevailed Is row the dominant mo-
the Increasing success or The rep-es-ntariou and
peeuniary considerations have 10r been mingled
from personal experience crat rh= Ortves are n0t
altogether religious az the present rtrae
As 70 the music. IL far better than 0-5
could have expected Tha chorus leader s
tailor We lodged az his loUS-- He s7uE several
tenor solos quite acCeptably- bis daughter a 1ce
looking girl Cf about r-ve-rv--w0 years. sang 4
soprano solo remarkably well and came home %
wait upon the table ar luncheon Ecs mother cooked
the dinner The actors. many Cr them W7u-1
hare been acceptable uDou any dramatic stage
The Christ had the typical face which the paint
er's ideaIiZed We bad tEe pleasure %
shaking hands with him and exchanging Few
words when called landlord As
rule, the acting C1 the men was superior 20 thar
OF the
and thirty feet wide and siXcy-fve feet high: the
and side walls sustained by s1N lr1D arches
IN the same form and stvIe the Gra1d Central
Station New-T1rk. The depth IS sufficient %
give co seats and wide aiSleS There zen
thve each SiCeI. Win wide doors over
doors ten large wooden shutters, W1ich
slide 1n5 down Ike a carriage window and
from thase openings the surrounding hills are
,-isble The stage Is IN the open air. bur has
covered houses and p0rcicoS il -he h1ci~grcr1-a.
rarreSeurir- Pilates and Caiaphasas houses, and q
c1frrain@d for the Cableaus. Wl-cl were
models 0f their kind ia all respects