Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-18
Especial Correspondence

our way through the dusty streets We
passed numerous tourists, many Amer
leans among them. Just before we
reached the theatcr a cannon upon the
mountain side was fired which was the
signal for the performance to begin
So We FASTENED into the barn-like audi
forum and took our seats. Tine house
was very well filled. and IL rs sup
posed to seat about 1900 people. All
sat on benches, which are the same
throughout the house. the place was
covered and closed in on three sides,
with just plain boards, which had been
Whitewashed, and we're not very pleas
ant 60 the eye. ON the fourth side was
the stage which was very large-as
wide as a Salt Lake street.
At one side OF the stage was the
palace OF Pilatus and at the other end
the palace OF the high priests. In
the middle, between these houses was
another sort Of a stage or platform and
on this smaller stage they had all OF
their tableaus and a large part OF the
drama was played on IL. This whole
stage was out In the open, having the
blue sky for the flies and large
mountain about a block away for
back ground. The picture was very
realistic and made me reflect back
to the days when | had learned some
thing about the ancient Greek drama
and how IL was presented
rs We entered there was chorus
on the stage of about 80 voices. arrang-
ed I'm triangle from one end OF the
stage To the other Standing In the
middle was one man holding himself
very erect ana speaking i'm a clear ana
slow manner the prologue of the per-
Torrance. After he had finished the
chorus sang few verses describing a
tableau which followed. The tableaus.
which We're "a in number. were taken
from stories in the old Testament.
tf .a1
ham Offering up Isaac, etc. After the
choir had sung the preludes, the play
proper started out.
] won't attempt to criticize the rev.
crcnd doctor who wrote the Passion
Play, but 1t seemed to me a better title
would have been the Life OF Christ"
as IL Is merely the beautiful tale OF
the life OF our savior according 10 the
New Testament IL Is presented in
very good detail, taking the Savior
from the time he starts his mission
among the Jews, till he is crucihed
and ascends to heaven. Preceding every
act Of the drama, the chorus enters,
the man in the center rcoites an in
PRODUCTION OF what viii follow. and
tho chorus sings. 4 think the music
was all made up OF whole notes. Thcy
sang slowly with good harmony. Many
solos were also sung with the chorus
Joining in. 1 don't think they had
did extremely well with the material
they had.
Tine acting throughout was fairly
good, everyone reading his lines very
Nell. one could see that they had re-
hearsed and rehcarsed and worked
very hard To get up the play and drlll
themselves in the different characters
taken from the Bible The company
consists OF over 800, taken from pop
ulation OF about 2.OOO. Practically
everybody in Oberammergau is IN
the play.
All OF the people live lives which will
enable them TO play the different roles.
Tho children have long, curly hair,
wearing little green suits trimmed with
black or dark red braid, which Is the
dress Of the Tyroliers In Bayern. The
main ambition of these little fellows
is u be able to play one of the leading
roles in the Passion Play some day
When they become old enough they
Join the company so to speak. Those
who get to represent the main char
actcrs OF the play viii live such lives,
that Is In dress and habit, as Will en-
able them 10 play Peter or Judas or
John without making up OF course
they do this after their idea OF the
early apostles. These actors are only
farmers, and II is quite noticeable by
their coarse features. All of the men
have long. curly hair, and go onto the
stage with little or absolutely no facial
make up." Those who play the parts
Of old men are real Old men with nat
ural gray hair and wrinkles. The part
OF Jonn. the apostle, was played by
very young man.
Tney all spoke very slowly and dis
tlnctly. Herr Lang, who played the
part OF Christ, was the best actor OF
an lie spoke his lines very we'll and
held his audience with a sort OF a
magnetism. When he goes up into the
mountains 10 pray Just before Judas
kisses him and causes the mob To
seize him, he does some fine acting,
though he showed the weakness OF the
mortal. He was best when he washed
the feet OF the apostles and gave them
tho sacrament: the scene where he Is
nailed on the cross was also very good,
though ! don't want to see II every
day. The way he acted. and the way
IL was staged including the suffering of
the two thieves, and the wailing Of
Mary, his mother, was we'll and rcalls-
tically done. / imagine n was an
awful strain on Mr. Lang and II he
isn't a healthy man he won't play
that part many more times. When
they took him down from the cross
and placed him In his mothers arms,
/ must confess a lump came into my
throat. Before he was lifted down 1
wondered how they could possibly do
IL. now ne Was NuDpObtu u bt
dead II worked out very well, to my
SURPRISE He was then carried TO the
tomb, and the soldiers were placed to
watch the grave. In due course the
rock rolled away and he came
forth. frightening the soldiers away.
Then Mary enters and finds him gone.
when he appears, he tells her to go
and tell the apostles that he ascends
10 their Father in Heaven. Then
comes the last tableau, where he as
conds from the earth
The scenery was very good being
practically new. The costumes that
were worn were simple, and rather
cheap-looking. Tights were worn by
very few. Most OF them appeared In
bare feet and legs when the occasion
called for H. The citizens and soldiers.
OF which there were plenty $500 with
out exaggeration) played their parts
nnely The way they moved around on
the stage and spoke their lines, show
ed that they had been put through
some good drills by someone who
knew something about the business.
The chorus was more like n colon
made OF broom-sticks. they entered
and left the stage. as II they were
parading In a funeral They wore the
Roman costume or dress. the women
in the play are worthy OF mention,
though they did not have very large
roles. The plate was a typical Ro-
man boss" The high priests had very
important parts. and did their fault