The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-30

no galleries or boxes. The most eXpen
slVe seats, strangely, are in the rear
In America, at such a time, the Oppor
tuniti,S Tor hotel and ticket speculation
would be enormous, but by simple
system, vigorously carried out, the peo.
PIE OF the village have ilade such prac-
tees impossible.
All tickets for every performance
curing the cntlre season are divided
among the villagers, in proportion to
the number of beds they have been
able to set up in their houses, shops,
barns and hen coOps, for the entertain
ment OF their guests. There is no box
Offices and each ticket of admission
gees with the bed. Therefore, there is
no money transaction nth the theatre
"A village law fixes the p ices of beds
| nd seats. Tickets vary from 80 cents
to $3.50, while the beds are about 81.
Guests at Il hotel could not obtain a
ticket If they stayed Il year.
The ECONOMIC phase of the Passion
Play is almost as interesting as the
pay itself. The first performance last
year was given on May "A. They con.
iinucd every Sunday, Monday and
wednesday until September 30. The
.otal receipts, daily, averaged about
- 900. This money is tlrned over to
the village treasury, while Tie villagers
keep what is paid them by their guests.
Out OF the theatre receipts are taken,
hrst of all, the expenses of the play.
The actors salary is extremely small.
Anton Lang, the Chrstus, Anna
FlunSer, >he Maria, Peter Rcndl, the
Apostle John, receive $3.50 each for
their years salary, while the salaries
OF the others run down to about Sl2.5O
per annum. The remainder of the |
money goes to the treasury, to meet
the expenses of the little city. Obcl
anmcryau knows no taxes. The Pas |
sion Play supports It's hospital, It's gas
works, paves its streets and lays its |
sewers, cares for its poor and supports
It's Jail and contributes TO all the other |
institutions for the public good. The
school children are taught with the
money which comes through the glori- |
llcatlon OF God in their play, and the |
burial expenses of the pauper is met
by the same fund.- Each villagcr has
only his personal expenditures to meet
'lurlns he intervening 10 wears.
The actors, even those taking the
most prominent parts, wait on their
Doardcrs at all times, doing the mean
est labor. a hired servant is unknown.
1t is wonderful how generations of
Christian culture in people of rustic
have pro ,uccd, IN face and
manner, looks and qualities that 50
closely resemble the popular idea of
Christ and his associates.
chanccd to see Anton Lang
says II. ID. Rawnslcy, "at early mass
ON the morning of the performance.
lie seemed rapt in the service, and
when he left the church he walked as
III dream Others chattcd, but he
walked straight on without IL word,
and it seemed that men moved aside
and left way for hlm as if they felt
that he were almost more than a man;
at least he was moving in another
world and they knew 1t and felt it,"
The Virgin Mary of the play is M
pcrsonatcd by Anna Flungcr. She Is
10 years old, and great beauty. 1t
ls said that there is no actress on the
American or English Stage today who
could clothe the character of the Vir
yin with the sweetness, spirituality,
womanly dignity and devotion which
this unicttclcd peasant girl imparts to
1t. ct she has never seen a theatre
play III her life. Truly there must be
a divinity that shapes the end of that
village, that generation after genera
ton there should be born into it men
who can look, as well as act, the ira
,litional parts of G. rist and His be-
loved disciples.
EMORY ~. IIOLLER.