Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-09-01
PASSION PLAY.
Visit of Maine Tourists to
Oberammergau.
The Wonderful Presentation Of the
Sacred Drama.
AVhid skst.h Of the Scenes Of Chris!'s Trial
and Cruciiixion.
Oberammergau, Aug. {, 1900.

Early in the morning, dilfioSl peioi'@
dawn all Oberammergau was astir
for at six o'clock the church bells
+ called to mass. The daybreak showed
. new light on hill and valley and rugged
Koff with its cross-crowned summit
stood out in bolder outline. We reached
our places in the theatre before eight,
the hour the play begins, and could not
but notice the utter absence or all hur-
ry and confusion. Without haste,
without rest" each one was seated.
thousands filing the high arched
building The stage setting represents
two streets in Jerusalem entirely open
to the sky. At either side are the
dwellings of Pontius PLATE and the
High Priest. The distant background
Of green hills, the nearer trees whose
leaves swayed in the breeze. the little
birds that chirping fluttered in and ouf,
al! made the scene reality itself. A
hush falls on the waiting multitude aS
music from some hidden source Is
heard; in rhythm with the slow majes-
tic measure the guardian angels enter
from both sides. Their role is 10 sing
in chorus what the Prologuer, Joseph
Mayer. first outlines, descriptive of the
tableaux from the Old Testament,
which foreshadow the MesSiah'S life.
Two of the fourteen tableauX precede
each acted scene from the New Testa-
ment and are strikingly beautiful in
coloring and wonderful in grouping.
The chorus slowly wjthdraws as the
music dies away: we hear far on "
distant tumult. Nearer il comes; then
men. women and little children crowd the
narrow streets. waving palm branches
and shouting "HOsannah, Hosannah,
In the midst Of the throng we see Jo-
hannes with the actual loving face we
all have pictured in our minds, lead
ing the ass upon which the Master sits.
The one thing which impressed us
throughout the day was the utter at
sence of awkward gesture. or studied
manner. All was naturalness itself.
AS Jesus stands amid the excited null
titude the curtain parts, revealing the
sellers In the temple. Tables of the
money lenders line the sides, men bar
ter and exchange. 1t is indeed den OF
thieves rather than a house of prayer.
Upon this scene the ChristuS enters
and. with burning words, oVerturnS
the tables. freeing the doves, that cir
cling round, fly out into the open air.
Then seizing the rope near by, ne
drives the angry sellers from the tenn
pie. With lowering looks. vowing ven
geance, they seek the high priests. This
incident. with its money loss to the
graSping traders, their consequent
hatred and thirst for revenge, is eni-
phasized over and over in the play as
the one primary cause that furnishes
the high priest the coveted prOteXt for
destroying the Nazarene. Not an hour
do His enemies lose. At midnight the
high council is called to listen to the
excited tradesmen make their COM
plant, PhariseeS reassuring them. we
are here to render justice" while
priests foster hatred and hypocrisy to
gain their end. What words alone
could bring before one 50 vividly the
relentless persecution, the indomitabl"
determination to compass the destruc-
ton Of the new prophet as the sight
Of those evil faces. We are now trans
ported to the little home in Bethany
where with his friends Jesus and the
disciples for a short space rest before
the coming conflict. We enter vita
theu ne house of Simon. where the
MaEdalene uses the precious ointment
which Judas 50 bewails. What mild
reprOof, yet searching power is in thc
glance the Christus turns upon him q"
he says: Friend, lay thy hand upon
thy heart; is it only out Of sympathy for
the poor thou art 50 greatly mOved?"
But the one scene most touching in its
naturalnesS, and making us realize
more keenly Christ's deep human kim
ship. was the parting with hi' mother.
She knows intuitiycly what this jour
ney to Jerusalem must mean. She
pleads with tears to follow. the women
Join in supplication. Then is Jesus
Sorely troubled and as Mary'S heart
rendng cry. ''mein SDhn. mein SOhn,
is heard brokenly comes the tender,
"meine Mutter." No eyes We're dry no
heart but felt the anguish of that sOr-
row. The wonderful difference in the
manner and bearing Of the twelve
apostles more tnan realized our ideals.
Peters impetuosity betrays itself by
his eager glance before he speaks.
JudaS's greed is shown in his very
clutch upon the bag. one interesting
and to us unexpected aspect of the
play was the insight given into the
many sided natures and the varied mo-
tives governing the different charaC-
ter.. The skill with which the willy
tradesmen at the instigatiOn Of the
high priest played upon Judas's Sordid
nature and under guiSe Of friendship
and alluring promises lead him to his
ruin. gave wholly new impressions.
AS the guardian angels again and
again appear to sing in chorus and eX-
plain by prophetic tahleaux the last
days of our saviour, what might seem
10 some but a needless break served
IN the end to rest our mind and
thought for the overwhelming scenes
that follow. The Passover is to be
celebrated and the two. Peter and
John. are sent to make all ready
They recognize the servant at the we'll
and joyfully the r:aSter Of the house
receives them. So familiar on canvas
is the subject Of the Last Supper"
we only felt. as the drawn curtain dis
closed the Christus with his apostles
that beonardo da Niucis picture had
breath and motion. II seemed no more
a SacrileSe for that mild face to turn
and look upon each loved friend. that
gentle voice to speak, that form with
SLOW. SAD mien, to move from one dis
ciple to the next and wash their feet
than ii would be to look upon the pic-
tured Semblance What those peas