The age-herald., 1900-09-23

dience. In the prologue the chorus or "Choragus," as the leader is called, ex
 plained the object of the performance, the scope of the Passion Play to be exhibited ir two tableaux, the first representing the
 expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden
 symbolical of the Fall; the second, the
 Adora ton of the Cross, typical of the Redemption. It is then that the Pas
 sion Play really begins by Christ's
 triumphant enry into Jefusalem. As one
 hears the singing and rejoicing as the pro-
 cession comes upon the stage and sees the
 Chrstus and his Disciples among the
 throngs of men, women and children who
 gre waving palm branches and shouting
 their hosannas, the effect upon the audi
 ence is wonderful. The Christus as he
 stood in the sunlight was of tail and com-
 mandinS height and in appearance was an
 exact likeness of the Christ as painted by
 Leonardo de Vinci in The Last Supper.
 which Is the accepted model of the Chris
 tan world.
 while the Christus is addressing few
 words to his disciples a number of high
 priests attracted by the singing of the
 hosannas, enter the stage and it Is here
 that the cenral curtain is raised and the
 temple scene is revealed in which Christ
 cast out the money changers.
 'The priesthood then cry by what au-
 thority "dost thou this.' and dramatically
 charging the Christus with rebellng
 against the low of Moses, the conspiracy
 against the Saviour is innmed ditely evident.
 .'The next scene brings the Christus be-
 fore the high council, which is the Jewish
 Sandhedrim, and then later on comes the
 pathetic scene at Bethany when the Chris
 tus bids farewell to his mother, to Mary
 Magdalene and Martha in which he ex-
 claims with unutterable sadness, Thou dear, hospitable Bethany, never again shall Ilinger in thy quiet valleys
 But it would be impossible for me to en- ter into description of the various scenes that were so full of dramatic interest. Fhe Betrayal, the Garden of Gethsamene, Christ before Caiphas, the despair of Judas. Christ before Pilate, the scourging and crowning, the sentence, the bearing of the Cross to Galgotha, were scenes that wruns the hearts of the spectators, and l heard the sobs of women, while strong men trembled from emotion
 '"The sceen of the crucifxon was of course the climax, and is copied after Rubens celebrated painting. The minut- l est incident is carried out as mentioned in the gospel, even to the casting of lots for the SaViour's garments.
 "The curtain rises revealing Calvary. l The Chrlstus hangs upon the cross, while l above is the inscription King of the | Jews" Back of the cross stands Mary, | and when at last the space about the I cross is cleared, she, with Mary Mazda i lena, kneel at it's feet, and the Christus, 1 with indescribable tenderness looks down 1 upon the mother ana upon tne beloved | disciple John, who is standing near.
 "The Passion Play does not, however, l conclude with the crucifiXon. The Resur- | rection scene is revealed, in which four | soldiers watching at the tomb of the l Savior. Finally they fell asleep. the stone | from the sepulchre is rolled away and the | Christus rises from the grave and disap- | pears in the garden.
 ''The ascension closes the Passion | drama. In the center of the stage stands | the risen Christ, his right hand raised as | If to bless those who bow at his feet Or 1 either side are two angelic figures, while in | the tabeau are Mary and John and Peter, 1 together with those friends who comferted the Lord at Bethany-Mary MasdaleDa, l Martha, Lazarus. While they watch the | Chrstus, he slowly ascends, while the cho- l sus sing hymn of victory with the con stant refrain of Halluujahs."
 | While the tradition of the Passion Play 1 is generally known, still in speaking of the l peasants who present 1t, the story may be | here touched upon briefly, as it will empha- size the fact that these peasant actors do 1 not regard the Passion Play in the nature | of dramatic performance, but as an act of worship. The tradition is given as | follows:
 In the year 1633 fearful pestience broke l out in the neighboring villages. So fearful indeed it was thought everybody would d1e In Kohgrub, distant nine miles from Ober- | ammergau great were the ravages l made by the disease, that only two married couples were left in the village. Not%.ss.- | standing the strict measures taken by the | people of Ammergau to prevent the plague | being introduced into their village, day laborer named Caspar Schuchler who had l been working at Eschenloke, where the plague prevailed, succeeded in entering the village where he wished to visit his wife
 and children. In day or two he, was a corpse. He had brought with him the | germs of the disease which spread with | such feaffu rapdity that within one month l eighty-four persons belonging to the village had died. Then the villagers, in their sad trial, assembled and solernnly vowed that if God would take away the pestilence they would perform the Passion Tragedy