Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-07-21
THE PASSION PLAY AT
THE NJ. E. CHURCH


The NJ Il. church is to be congratu
lated on its enterprise in bringing tr
Durango the pictures of the Passion
/ Play which a packed house wit
messed with wrapt interest last night
even though. as announced by the
management, the electric power was
too feeble TO reproduce the scenes ms
they would under a stronger light an
pear.
All present, who had heretofore in.
dulged in dreams OF Oberammergau
upon one of the notable occasions
when this play is presented there by
the God-fearing peasants, (whose
chiefer occupation is carving cruciRxes
and saints and presenting the Pas
sion Play" once in ten years to enter.
tain visitors from other countries. who
icieutly sanctified to do the same
thing, the last presentation having
been in 1900 of which the pictures of
last night We're reproduction were
aspecially Gratiiied, and although the
lips OF the participants in the play
we're silent. the grand pantomime of
the dhest tragedy the world has
known was profoundly impressive. and
brought aoutely to many minds that
which had heretofore been vague.
Anton Lang, the person who repre-
sents the Christ bears a striking like
ness to the pictures we have of the
Savior. and looking upon the cos
tunes Of twenty Centuries ago. and
the scenes made familiar by the testi-
mon5 of the Apostles. he of intense
nature was at once transported to that
ime, shared the joy of the shepherds
IN discovering the star in the east the
horror Of Herod's murderous knife. the
anxiety OF Mary and Joseph on their
flight into Egypt.
The intense soul stood at the tomb
OF Lazarus and shared the awe of the
people as the dead man walked forth
from the sepulchre; sat at the Last
Supper and mourned with the Christ
over his knowledge Of trcachery
among the disciples: and would fain
have slain Judas when he kissed the
Savior to identify him to his horde of
butchers: weeping, knelt with the
.hree women at the foot of the cross
with them, were first at the door OF
he tomb. And viewing the Ascen-
sion, with quickened pulse and hot
cheeks. bent his head in shame. when
be thought OF the lives unmind-
pol of the Divine Sacrifice made two
thousand years ago to ANNIHILATE
SELF FROM THE HUMAN HEART.
1t is a lamentable fact that men
clothed in little brief authority" E"
and more scanty mortaIs. who control
the great cities of our country. have
mp to the present time suppressed all
attempts to produce the Passion
Play" holding that it would be sacre-
legious to permit members of the the
atrical profession to impersonate the
Savior and His Mother. This pre-
tense of reverence is almost as inter
esting as the Judas Kiss. when the un-
utterable shame and nameless crime
these same authorities license. parti-
cipate in and wink at, are considered.
1t would seem far better to lay
aside the physical imperfections of our
great artists and permit them to en-
Joy their genius in plays that would
uplift humanity than to confine them
to such Shiny productions as "Zaza. 3"
The degenerate" and "Sappho," :"
which must lower its moral standard.
1t has been said. and truly. that
Jesus did more to ameliorate the CON
dition of woman than all other agen-
cies combined, that he was ever wom-
ans friend and champion. 1t was no
ticeable last night to the close observ-
er that the mother of Jesus was
woman, and that women were last at
the cross and first at the tomb Their
appreciation of His friendship was
eloquently evident, as it is now in our
churches, where the congregations
consist chiefly of women, the only
church the writer has ever visited
where the men outnumbered the wom-
en-, being Dowie's church OF Chicago.
If We have not a theatrical profes-
sion worthy to produce the Divine Ira
sedy, we will on "A day not far distant
nave a pcasantry poor enough. if not
holy enough to do so; and we may
hope to have an original production of