Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-03-31
TELEoRAPHlc HRevIrIes.

bONo NV vi liit III 81 TIME
Roman Catholic authorities have ap-
parently indorsed a theatrical per-
formance, and that this unusual sane
ton should be given to the Passion
Play is the astonishment of the com
munity.
The immense French National thea
ter in st. Lawrence street, where the
performances are being given, s
constantly crowded with thousands
of spectators. So far the Archbishop
Bruchesi has not spoken on the ques.
tion, but the scores of institutions, di-
rectly or indirectly under his control,
are attending the production In bod
les.
The Deaf and Dumb school, one of
the biggest in the country, took 500
pupils one night last week, and the
next 400 pupils of the Blind In
stitute listened to the solemn words
of the play. Mount St Louis instl-
tute, the most religious Catholic
school in the province, took 700 boys
who were wonderfully impressed with
the scenes, the condemnation of Je-
sus making profound sensation.
The play has been referred to at
length in many of the pulpits and
there has yet to be heard word of
condemnation. The play is in French.
but English speaking people are
equally anxious to be present, AMI
never in Montreal have so many per-
sons sat through play without the
slightest idea of what words were be
ing spoken, but yet were completely
overcome by the remarkable acting
scenes and situations that, in them
selves, suggest the dialogue 1t is no
thing to see half the audi
ence in tears during the cruciflxion
scene.
Since the cruciaxion scene was first
presented there have been a few
changes in the cast. and 1t is now
composed almost entirely of French
Canadian actors, all of whom have
United States. There We're several
old country actors, but at the end OF
last week they fell out with NJ. Julian
Daoust, the proprietor. the result be.
ing that they got Passion Play" of
their own and vent to Quebec with
it. 1t was a disastrous failure and
has been given up.
Just what there is to this famous
adaptation of the biblical story that
so remarkably to the masses
is hard to say, but there is no doubt
that every effort is being made to Sc
cure the United States rights for it.
M. Daoust said today that several New
York managers are negotiating with
him, but as yet none of them has Sc
cured the piece.
NJ. Daousts financial position in the
matter is one of the interesting fea-
lures of the whole story. 1t may al
most be said that he has come from
poverty to afiluence in two eweks. A
actor playing at the various
French theaters in this city, he an
nounced that he believed that there
was money in the Passion Play"
and, despite the protests of his friends
he got NJ. German Beaulieu, French
Canadian advocate. to write two
hour version from the original Ober-
ammergau piece. In a single night
success came to such an extent that
already NJ. Daoust's profits are estimat-
ed at many thousand dollars.
In the play NJ. Daoust assumes the
part of Jesus and his makeup Is quite
startling. His eyes are quite shrunk.
en-, and physically he is all that his
tory suggests In many respects the
part of Judas is the best role In the
play. 1t was brought out with much
force by NJ. Il. Mussott. The prlnci-
pal women in the cast are Nine. Rhea,
who appears as Madeline; Mile. Jo-
hanna, former member of Charles
Frohman's forces. takes the role OF
Martha. and Nine. Reid Bedard is the
Mary.
The play is in five acts and seven
tableaux. The triumphal arrival OF
Christ at Jerusalem. the last supper,
the Garden of Olives and the Judas
kiss, the Palace OF Pontius PLATE, the
road to Calvary, and the crucifxion
and the ascension are all shown.
The success of these performances
is the more remarkable that all pre-
vious attempt TO utilize the story OF
Christ on the professional stage have
proved so futile. In Montreal. several
years ago, when the old theater near
the Champs de Mars was running.
an effort was made to produce a YER
sion OF the Passion Play" but it
was promptly stopped by clerical dis
approval.
KANSAS CITY. No, March ~
Eight hundred striking miners OF Ma
con and Randolph counties and the
Merlin coal company have agreed 10
place their differences in the hands
Of the state board oil arbitration and
abide by the result
PITTSBURG, Pa, March 27.--It
looks today as though Senator Hanna
was making the greatest labor sue
cess OF his career Almost entirely
through his cleyerness and concilla-
tory methods and insistence OF con
cessions by the operators he will
avert the great strike which promised
to take place here next week. and
which involved one hundred and NJ.