Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-01-31
THE PASSION PLAY.
A Fine Discourse by DR.. J. Perry
Worden at Hardin College.

A Fine Discourse by DR.. ]. Perry
Worden at Hardin College.
When Or. J. Perry Worden began his
Of lectures on literature and art
with the lecture on "Oberammergau
and Its 1900 Passion Play" at Hardin
College last evening, he was greeted
BY one of the most ~appreciatiye audi
recently gathered in the great
Concert Hall. The young doctor, who
has been quite a traveller and still de-
votes much time religiously TO the
pleasures Of the pedestrian, seemed in
the prime Of health, and for over an
hour and a half held the close atten-
tiOn Of his hearers by his rigorous and
enthusiastic narrative. He sketched
the rise and history of the Passion
Play, described the homes of the peas
ant actors and finally rehearsed, with
graphic power, the main features of
the Passion drama. From start to
finish the lecture was accompanied by
many stereopticon views of high ar
tistic value, the work, in part, Of DIR.
Worden, making still more vivid the
descriptions by the lecturer, and add
ing very much to the value Of the adj
dress. Professor c. |. Flory operated
the ~stereoscOpe.
Centuries ago, said DR.. Worden, a
plague spread over the M fair
country, Bavaria causing Oberammer-
gau to isolate itself from the rest Of
the world. Casper Schuchler, a day
laborer, returned however, TO his ma
tive town and brought the plague with
him. Like wlld-dre 1t spread through
the village until the Oberammer-
gauers vowed to God that II he would
help them, they would, in gratitude
perform the passion Of His Son every
ten years. God heard their prayer,
and the plague was stayed; and the
faithful Oberammergauers have kept
their pledge pretty regularly ever
since, except when interfered with
by the Gorrumals and the Franco
Prussian war. For this reason the be-
lief has become common that the play
originated in 1888, but DR.. Worden
has succeeded in following the inyesti-
cations laid down by German scholars,
and has learned beyond a doubt that
the play existed centuries before,
but had fallen with disuse. Origin
ally, it was marked by grotesque pas
sages, introducing, for example, a
a company Of devils aSsaultlng Judas,
after he has hanged himself, and TAX
ing from him his intestines, a string
of sausage, which they eagerly devour.
The play has been sogreatly improved,
however, that now it never ofiends
good taste and its 1900 performance
must be ranked as n Of the finest Of
modern times.
DR.. Worden approached Oberam-
mergau from Munich over the Bava-
rian Highlands and entering the little
isolated mountain village, led his
auditors up the steep slopes Of the
dangerous Kopel.
Following this historical and de
scriptive introduction, which gave
evidence of the very considerable and
scholarly labor expened by the lect-
urer in his original researches, DR..
WOrden outlined the play itself, de-
scribing wildly the realistic scenes in
the last days Of Jesus from the time
when he stirred up againt him the
hatred Of the merchants in the tenn
pie to his betrayal by Judas, his
mock trial before PLATE, his weary
climb to GolgOtha and his crucifixiOn
and ascension. The vain repentance Of
Judas, the unabating storm Of wrath Of
the mob gathered to accuse Jesus he
fore Pontius PLATE and especially the
fearful scene OF the crucifxion, which
occurred once while Or. WOrden was
at Oberammergau in the midst OF a
thunder and lightning storm, and the
marvellous scene OF the descent from
the cross, patterned after Ruben's
masterpiece, we're very impressive in
their reproduction by DR.. Worden and
for over one hour and a half he held
the observer so spell-bouud that a pin
could be heard to drop anywhere in
the great Concert hall.
The Christ, OF Oberammergau, hung
upon the cross nearly twenty minutes
and when he first attempted the role.
he tainted from fatigue.
DIR. Worden fortunately secured a
number Of valuable Illustrations,
a number Of both the negatives and
slides being made by himself, and
these, with the running narrative Of !
the eyewitness, interspeTsed with
short p~oetieal ~translations from the
sermon, made the lecture unique and
among the best entertainments we
ever heard, and gave abundant prom.
Use Of the quality Of the remaining
lectures In the course. An who could
not be present last night should strive
to attend the remaining numbers Of
the course.
Tho next lecture by Dr. W0rden
will be OF "Delft Ware: Its Origin,
Development and Making on Feb. T..