The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-07
SC0WCROF T S
SEE GREAT
PLAY

.ourlhS Europe with his family The
ietter states that the Ogdenltes
stopped at Zurich. Switzerland where
tney passed several days with the
otah boys who are laboring In the
missionary field at that point
Ihey visited with Thomas Mckay,
who Is In charge OF the Swiss and
German missions. and Dow Browning.
son OF Chief of Police Browning, WIN
Driver and VIII Wright. all OF Ogden.
The Ogden boys were taken for sew
/, eral automobile rides and were treat
ed TO trout and chicken dinner,
which was greatly appreciated The
boys are said TO be doing excellent
| work
Leaving Switzerland. the Scowcroft
! party proceeded BY circuitous route
F., To Ober-Ammergau, where they at
! tended the first performance of the
| 1910 Passion play
Description Of Passion Play.
Regarding this celebrated produc-
, tlon. clipping from the London
Daily Mail. which was enclosed with
I the letter. says:
The first regular performance Of the
Passion Play (Which is presented
every ten years) took place today In
glorious weather. very different from
the wintry conditions of tho dress re-
hearsals, when the thinly-clad actors
suffered intensely from the cold In the
open-air thcater
The auditorium holds over 600
people. but so many visitors have
come that a second performance Will
be held tomorrow Yesterday the
Papal Nuncio celebrated mass in the
parish church and announced a mes
sage of greeting from the pope This
is the first time the play has been
officially recognized in this manner,
although Anton Lang was received in
audience by the pope after his per-
formancc as Chrlstus In 1900
Everything points to an enormous
influx of people throughout the sum-
mer. rooms and tickets being booked
months ahead
The day began with festival mass
at the parish church, which all tho
players attended for the days per
formance, 10 many a matter of more
curiosity, Is to them high religious
ceremony They knelt there, men,
women and children. with nothing to
distinguish them from the Inhabitants
Of other Bayarlon villages except the
long hair of the men and boys and
something solemn and dignifled in
their bearing and the expression of
their faces There were caryers and
potters. bakers and carpenters and
shoemakers, woodsmen. day laborcrs.
road cleaners. and their sisters and
daughters.
1000 Spectators.
BY s O'Clock the 1000 spectators
had found their places in the great
theater. which Is merely vast shell
ter upheld with arched Girders and
filed with rows OF plain seats sloping
gradually up to the back In front IL
is quite open. and the stage fills the
whole width, which is about 40 feet
In the middle of it. some little dis
tance back. Is the fine. maSsivelv built
proscenilim. enclosing a secondary
roofed-in stage, on which the tableauX
are set and some OF the chief scenes
take place On either side is IN arch
way. through which are seen the
streets of Jerusalem, and beyond these
again are the houses of PLATE and
Annas, with flights Of steps leading up
10 their logglas The stage Is closed.
in with cloisters, and the whole has a
very handsome and spacious effect.
The pine-covered mountains rise 10
the right OF the stage buildings and
the blue or cloudy sky is over all.
The chorus which comments on and
explains the scenes all through moves
apart. and the curtains are drawn
aside for the first tableau. A bright
angel with a flaming sword Is driving
Adam and Eve. girt with white sheep
skins and covering together. from the
Garden of Eden. We are shown the
fall OF man and Immediately after
wards, In the second tableau, the
promise OF ultimate redemption a
group OF children and young girls.
decked with flowers. stands and kneels
in alteration OF the cross. while the
sun shines out through rent in the
gloomy clouds Nothing could exceed
the beauty of these living pictures. I
have seen nothing TO surpass them on
any stage.
Then comes the first great scene of
the play. Filling the streets of Jeru-
salem comes a crowd. singing and
shouting and waving palm branches.
They are dressed In all manner of
lnNN hIt VI GIL eE'o' itph
white haired old men TO tiny children,
and there are many hundreds of them.
In their midst is the figure of Christ.
surrounded by his disciples. riding on
an ass led by the youthful Apostle
John. He dlsmounts and silently
blesses the children Dressed in
long. loose-seeved blush grey gar
ment, with a red cloak thrown over his
shoulder. and draped about his figure.
he might have stepped out OF one OF
the old pictures known 10 every gsner-
alton OF childhood. The crowd is an
eastern crowd and their costumes
elaborately realistic. but Christ and
the apostles are figures of n different
age the universal age created by the
great religious painters OF the past
Tho central stage shows the traders
with their merchandise In the temple.
Christ rebukes them. overthrows tho
tables of The money changers. trees
the doves. which Gy into the open air.
and drives the traders away with
scourge of cords. The angry traders
complain to one OF the priests of the
temple, and the hatred and envy that
are to eliminate In the scene OF The