New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-26
Pilgrims Flock Through
HobOken Streets to First
Performance
WOMEN WEEP OVER
BIBLICAL TABLEAUS
All Performers Amateurs
and Members of Holy
Family Parish

A long line Of unassuming pilgrims
in new spring hats yesterday took their
way through the prosaic streets Of West
Hoboken on journey that was snys
thing but usual in this part OF the
world They were on their way to see
"a reverent portrayal of the passion
and death of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ" "a presented by the Holy
Family Passion Players, in the Column
bus Auditorium, at Union Hill.
For Hoboken. which gave birth to
one passion play last spring, is doubly
winning its title Of the American Ober-
ammergau this Lent. The Holy Fam
lily Players say that this latest pro-
duction is the only true passion play
in America, since it deals with the
actual Biblical incidents, not with a re-
ligious incident, and for the first time
shows Christ not only in tableau, but
as the chief actor in the divine drama.
Christ in the Hall of the Last Sup
per, Christ in the Counsil Room of the
Sanhedrin, Christ in the Garden OF
Olives, betrayed by Judas; Christ be-
fore Plate, and Christ upon the
cross, appeared before the rapt watch
ers in the auditorium yesterday ar.
ternoon. As they looked the awe that
is said 20 affect the great Passion
PLAY audiences in the PARKWAY noun
tain village of 0berammcrgau shone
upon their faces. Women wept aad
men made the sign of the cross as
Jesus was betrayed.
Staged by Parish Priests
A simple German community, devout
and feryent. and perhaps not so dlf-
ferent as might be thought from that
of the distant Bavarian village, makes
up the parish Of 'he Holy Family IN
West Hoboken. For more than year
its one thought had been the perfec-
ton of the Passion Play. One OF
their own priests, the Rev. Emil Ju-
Vile, had written it in German
Their own pastor, the Rev. J. n. Grieh'
had translated it.. Another of their
priests, the Rev. A. Auth, had been
tbe stage director in the long and pa
tient rehearsal of the play.
There was no woman of the parish,
among those who looked on yesterday
whose finger was not roughed with
needle pricks from laboring over the
elaborate costumes. There was not one
man of the parish. no matter now poor
who had not given money toward stag
ing the play. There was hot chlld
who had not been taught TO say prayers
for its success.
Tho actors in the religious drama
were all Of the parish also, the boys
and girls, the young men and women o.
the church. As in Oberammergau, tho
cast bushes itself with great msn$
EVERYDAY tasks when it is not employed
i'm giving the play. John Walium, VINO
il rather remarkably adapted in ap-
pearance for the part OF Christ, is with
the Hoboken Telephone Company. The
High Priest. Caiaphss, Arthur Weiss, IN
EVERYDAY life IS a railroad engineer.
Pontius PLATE. who is Frank VAIL, l.
with a steamboat company. Mary, the
Mother OF Christ, Elizabeth hetzlnger,
is p home girl, and Salomc, who is
Madeline Stahl, is ordinarily a clerk.
May BE Permanent Feature
The Holy Family Church hopes 10
make the cast permanent one, so that
year after year IL may give the Passion
Play over again during the Lcnten sea-
son. There are over ffty characters in
il, not counting the soldier the angels,
the Jewish youths and the ballet at the
court Of King Herod. II will be given
in the Columbus Auditorium, at $40
Jefferson Place, Union Hill, during the
entire Lenten season, from February %
t. April {, at $3.50 every Sunday after
neon and at SIS Wednesday and Fri-
cay evenings.
The scenery was designed and paint
ed for the production under the direc-
ton o. Otto Messmer. Professor Con-
rad Sauerborn arranged and adapted
the music for it. Joseph Gensheimer
had charge Of the orchestra and Ferdi-
maid A. Ahles drilled the ballet. Tho
producers and managers. like the east,
were all amateurs. But there is moth
ing amateurish about the Union Hill
Passion Play, one of the most diff
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