New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-18
Order of the Passionist
Fathers Amazed at
Results.
COMMUNITY CAST
INSPIRED BY ZEAL
Priest Weaves Tradition of Yer.
onica's Veil Into Drama of Cal.
vary and Roman Martyrs.

over the doorway Of every car n the
hudson Tubes lie an advertisement
strange among the shoe. biscuit and
medicine advertisements. II is a pict-
ure Of Christ bearing the cross. and
1t carries the legend, "A New Passion
Play-Veronica's Veil-A Religious
Drama. Sundays and Tuesdays. March
l2th-April 18th, at st. Joseph's Audi
forum, West Hoboken."
A Passion Play in West Hoboken, Il
has an odd sound to any one who
knows the suburbs to the west Of New
York, with their miles OF monotonous
frame houses and other unsemp. miles
OF back lots. Except that in West Ho-
ooken the streets are apt 20 end
abruptly on cliff. the town that is
producing Passion Play is outwarGly
as dull as any Of its neighbors. And
yet there is among its citizens some
thing OF the same religious spirit that
has existed in the beautiful German
village Of Oberammergau for centuries.
and their Passion Play il a work Of the
entire Catholic community. though il
is made up Of men and women who
work as clerks. stenographers, mechan-
les and shopkeepers
Auditorium Built for the PLAY.
everything concerned with the pro-
duction Of "Veronica's Veil" except
the painting of the scenery. has meant
months Of labor on the part Of the
whole parish from the day that the cor
nerstone of the auditorium built for
the purpose was laid to its public per
Torrance this spring. The costumes
have been made by dozens Of girls.
who have given up their evenings to
sewing after working all day in the
city The extensive lighting equipment
FOR the stage was installed in their
free hours by trained electrician and
d tinsfith Of the parish; ingenious
stage devices are the product Of
band OF amateur carpenters; score
OF musicians from different churches
have formed an orchestra TO play the
incidental music written for the play
The auditorium itself belongs to the
people, though il is nominally in
charge of the Order Of Passionist
Fathers. whose churches and monastery
are at the highest point of q bleak
windswept street. The parish has little
money and the community itself Is not
an overprosperous one, so that the
$4,000 which this building represents
and the thousands that have been spent
in preparation for their Passion Play
represent seif-sacriice and devotion.
The people feel that the play and the
theatre are theirs; they have toiled for
them. and low that the preliminary
work is finished they are the actors, the
scene shifters. ushers, electricians, car
penters and box Office attendants.
Father Bernardine the Author.
"Veronica's Veil" is concerned with
the typical incidents of the Passion
Play, though it does not end with the
death of christ. but continues TO the
martyrdom Of the Christians thrown
with the conversion and death Of Mir
lam and the glorlhcatIon Of the mar
tyrs. The play was written by one q
the Passionist Fathers. Father Bernar-
dine. who is chaplain Of community
of Passionist nuns in Pennsylvania.
There are more than a hundred per
sons in the cast. every one on amateur
selected after months Of search BY the
priests from tho Catholic churches OF
West Hoboken.
Miriam Behr. who plays the part OF
Veronica. the wife Of Sirsch, is q sec
rotary in a Hoboken concern; Mildred
Koch, the Veronica of the second pro-
duction. is a stenographer working IN
Manhattan. Judas works in the Chase
National Bank; Fabius lie a lawyer;
Quintus, an attendant TO the Emperor.
is in the candy business. while the I'm
peror himself is an automobile agent.
Helen Hanshe. the beautiful Miriam Of
the play. is a graduate Of New York
art school Ruth, Miriam's sister IN the
play. IL in reality one of the hoch
family. which has contributed five OF
IT'S members ~ the production, from
the father. Joseph Koch, who - a
Shakespeare student and who has
trained the actors and plays the High
Priest. 10 his two daughters and one
son in the cast, and another son who
shifts the scenery. Domitilla is
Young school teacher and Nicodemus
is student Of the Catholic college In
the town.
Cast Chosen in Parish.