The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-11
BuRRELL ON PASSION PLAY.
AS a Spectacular Drama II. is Equal to
Anything He Has Ever
Seen.

!
well, thus: Oher, upper; Ammer is
river of that name; gau, pronoun'
: ced gou. is valley; so the name
means the upper valley of the Am
mer.
!, In 1854 plague ragged here. The
pious peasants vowed that if it were
stayed, they would play the Passion
once every ten years. They kept the
covenant until the law or decree for
babe the playing anywhere but in
Munich. This was repealed, and
since 1870 the rendition of this play
i has made the valley of the Ammer
4 famous. Advertising. puffery have
4 clapped wings on Oberammergau, and
what was once pious but provincial
has been put on a commercial basis.
| Religious at first, playing once in ten
years, they now play "a times in
decade, and rake in the coin. No
doubt they give ample value received.
/ | have not seen it yet. The play
opens Sunday a. m. at s o'clock and
runs till 1880. Intermission for lunch,
/ then at it again till 6 p. m. Writers
say it is sort o. shocking, because it
does not cog or track with our strict
notions, and jars with sense of the
| homogeneous. to see the actor Jesus
Christ go out between acts to drink
schooner of Bayarian beer.
1t has been delight all afternoon
4 to watch these peasants under green
hats. with green embroideries on
breaches, bare knees and ankles,
| tricked out in flowers and feathers
and long curly hair.
| l do not mean to write up the play.
! Read Stoddard's lecture and Stead's
/ little book. These are easily access
ible. and / shall not tire my game
hand writing a criticism. The most
I'll attempt is to state honestly the
Impressions made by the presenta-
ton of the tragedy and the degree Of
merit in the performance.
But to bark back to the Passion
Play. Its artistic merit has not been
one whit exaggerated 1t is no fake.
/ AS a spectacular drama it is up to
anything | have ever seen. 1t is re-
markable, it is astonishing that the
500 peasants. who do this thing, do
it so finely. 1t is truly dramatic, not
melo-dramatic. In parts it is pro-
foundry affecting, reaching depths of
emotion far below the level of tears.
The costuming is true to the period.
The play opens with the entry of
Jesus into Jerusalem and ends with
the resurrection, the last being the
only weak feature. There are sew
enteen acts, each divided into many
d scenes. The chorus heralds each act
and comes in twenty-five times. It
consists of forty singers, wearing
white robes and over these flowing
robes in red. green, blue, scarlet,
orange every shade you can think of
The forty-frst person recites pre-
lude, and then the superb band plays,
and soloist breaks into song, joined
here and there by the chorus. The
: music was to me the most delightful
feature of the magnificent show.
First. get correct idea of the
fine building that seats 5000. 1t was
jam-full, and they had to play again
Monday, to accommodate the over
flow, as many more. The amphithea
ire Is entered at six, perhaps eight
doors at the sides. The lofty roof i
supported by several powerful stee
: trusses. No pillars in the way. TIL
band sits in front, as in all theaters
Beyond is wide stage open to tn
sky, and beyond that Greek temple
: covered, in which many scenes ar
acted. This temple connects with tn
amphitheatre with semi-circular struc
lures and colonnades. The choru
enters half and half, from either co
: onnade, and fills the open stage
IL rains. no matter. They do nc
y finch, but sing like angels. To thes
mountaineers rain is as nothing
Jesus wears flowing hair. parte
in the middle, and red robe Anto
2 Lang personates him with dignit,
: but does not near fill my ideal {
: that first true gentleman that eve
breathed. No one but the Dresde
painter, Holman. paints the Jesu
of my dreams. and especially on ths
!. wonderful canvas where Jesus talk
:. TO the rich young man. 1t affects m
:. more than any picture ! saw in tn
Vatican. in st. Peters, in ANTWERP
in Dresden, in Florence. So far,
!. count II the ncblest portraiture hi
= man hand ever wrought. Around tn
! sea Of Galiiee. in Cana, in Nazaretl
j il Bethany, in Jesusalem, ever.
: where In Palestine that / hate. the
Holman fare and figure cleaned 0
my nafnd's eye, IN all the aridit.
the dirt, the vile smells, the Ara
cf.atser 81 the rank imposture an
= psoEa fragd Of the churches. thu
a1i@Bdfd figure and face gisddene
M sight At Jscob's well saw jui
that nan talking wonderfully to tn
woman 81 Samarfa. saw him toilin
y up the steep hill from Bethany,
y white robe, On sandaIled feet: i sa
him standing on the crest. weepir
e over Jerusalem, how often would
ny have gathered thee as a hen gathe