The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-17
HISTORIC DRAMA RECENTLY PRE-
SENTED IN MINNEAPOLlS-TRA-
OPTIONAL ROLE OF WOMAN
PORTRAYED IN DEVELOPMENT
OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
ART AND MoDESTY.
Communicated

The Civic Players of Minneapolis
Minneapolis Institute of Fine Arts an
historic pageant in which there were
several elements of peculiar interest
to Catholics. THE Torchbearers' has
for it's central theme womans part in
the advance of civilization. The path
of progress is traced in five stages or
episodes. The savage wife of the saw
age cave man builds the first hearth
fire and establishes the home, the
daughter of Pharaoh saves Moses, the
matrons of Greece inspire the war
riors of Marathon, Joan of Arc leads
the forces of France to victory, and
in 1.-The Winning of the West" the
pioneer women of America help to
battle with the Indians and with the
stubborn soil. An interlude pictures
Queen Isabella as she sells her jewels
to send Columbus on his voyage to
the new world.
In the fifth episode Father Henne-
pin appears in his Franciscan habit
to blaze the trail of the voyageurs.
The episode representing Hennepin
was exceptionally true to history in
that the spirit of the peace-loving
black robe, his intrepid courage, and
his influence with the Indians are
brought out with clear emphasis. One
element which must have thrilled
many of the 10000 who witnessed the
pageant was the devotional and cor
rect chanting of the ''Laudate Domi-
num- by Father Hennepin's com,
panions. The spirit of Columbus and
his dream of souls to be illumined
with the light of Faith, these, too,
were beautifully pictured.
AS much could not be said of Joan
of Arc The pageant itself, indeed,
represented her visions and the begin
ming of her triumphs faithfully
enough; but in the epitomized story
told on the handsome program, an ut
terly false Interpretation is placed
upon her actions. 1t is a naturalistic
Interpretation which places the motive
of the maids courage in her Love
of her country, belief in her own
power, and in the force of the men
of France" Her visions are only "a
vision of herself" The impression is
given that her own ardent patriotism
wrought upon her senses and imagi
! nation until the voices" and the
visions" became merely objective re,
| Elections of her own highly excited
nature.
This is not true to history and is
| unfair to the supernatural character
of Joan of Arc. 1t was the voices
that excited Joan, not Joan that eX,
cited the voices. Her courage came
not at all from her belief in her own
power but entirely from her conf,
dence in God. She resisted her
voices with true maidenly difidence
and persistently pleaded: Il am a
poor girl; l do not know how to ride
or fight" The objective reality and
the supernatural character of he1
voices are plainly evidenced in the
history Of her trial as we'll as in that
of her rehabilitation twenty-four years
after her glorious death. To ignore
this reality is simply in effect to deny
the supernatural altogether. And
therein lies the danger of such an am
bilious and truly meritorious produc
ton as is THE Torchbearers." Other
defects, indeed, might be noticed; but
where there is much real beauty OF
scene, historic truth, and artistic
skill in the organization and grouping
of hundreds of players it is scarcely
| fair to emphasize mere shortcomings