Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-30
STAGE IN WsBY RUINS
Historical Play Given In Sum-
mer by Swedish Peasants.
TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS.

A Rooness Church IL the Theater.
Scene of Production similar In
some Respects 90 That Given mt
Obernmm crEnu.
Actuated ny desire to extend the
fame or their picturesque old city and
convert its historical associations and
ivy clad ruins into cash by bringing
tourists, who seldom go there now. and
al the same time to revive and pre-
serve the memories or the past the
good people OF Visby. writes William
f.. Curtis from Sweden To the Chicago
Record Herald. are trying to emulate
those OF OberammerGau and are pre-
senting historical play each sunday
during the summer season. The cast is
composed entirely of home talent. the
costumes. scenery and properties are
AL OF local design and manufacture.
and every one who participates Is AN
amateur. yOung men and women OF
gond families. who contribute their
services fOY no compensation hut glory
and the admiration of their friends.
Ossian Hamrin. superintendent of
schools. is the genius who suggested
aud organized the affair and acts aS
stage manager.
The play selected TO inaugurate the
enterprise l. entitled santa Maria"
and was written by Zacharias Topel!-
us. Finnish poet of local fame. who
died last year. Ii is based upon the
first Swedish crusade. when Rainund
Gothic went from Nisby 10 Finland
the Firms from paganiSm 10 Christian
ity. Raimund WAS accompanied 10y his
beautiful daughter Sigrun. Il mission
AIRY named Angelethus and large
company Of monks.
This play is given within the rOOtiesS
walls OF the old church OF ST. Nicholas.
The bricks are ripe with antiquity. and
the wounds which time has made are
concealed 10y masses of English ivy
which hang in fcstoonS FROM the arch
as. Tie pillars. the windows and the
arches that sustain the roof are almost
perfect. There * no more beautiful
ruin in all Europe. The stage * placed
where the altar formerly stood and is
cucirclcd by the foliage OF the trees
that grow within the sacred walls.
Long tiers or pine benches rise one aft
GER The other throughout the entire edi-
flee and make Il striking contrast Ia
the mullioncd windows. whose delicate
carving has endured for seven centu-
ries.
Tie audience came from all over the
island. from Stockholm and FROM other
ports OF sweden. from lelsinSfOrs. the
capital of Finland. and other cities of
that country. \ row of excursion steam
c-s was tied up AT the dock. aud spe-
cial trains from the uttermOst parts of
the little island OF Gotland arrived and
departed. 80 as 10 accommodate the
people vino wished to attend the play.
II WAS "A solemn and thoughtful gath
ering. The audience seemed la he inn
pressed with the romantic surroundings
and To appreciate In the profOundeSt
manner the importance OF the occasion.
We had been iu and out of churches all
tlie morning. hut nowhere did we feel
the air OF suIcmnity 81 much. People
spoke To each other in whispers. The
prattle Of children was hushed. and the
policeman who stood at the door shrank
back into the shrubbery. feeling that
lac was out of place.
The lines were recited in very anna
flourish manner. like schoolboys in Il
dialogue OH Friday afternoon. aud The
scenery and the costumes were of the
most primitive character. The robes
were Of ordinary shirting. ornamented
with the commonest kind of colorcd
cloth. The helmets and the arrows were
made of tin by the local tinsmith. and
all the other properties had home
made appearance. In such costumes