Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05

- TRANCE as 1t may seem. with
love Of the drama natural heri-
tage, the world of drama lovers
~ has ever displayed the strongest
aversion, amounting almost tc
supernatural fear, to the thought OF
presenting in the theater. or as theater
the greatest drama of ALL the story OF
the Christ. And whenever and where
ever the intention of presenting it has
manifested itself It has met with the
bitterest opposition. And yet that por-
called Christian should and do, doubt
less, hold that story in higher regard
than, perhaps, any other story that was
ever told.
The objection centers around the
Characterization of the Christ, which to
many amounts to a sacrilege. Not SO
many years ago at most the very
thought of the thing was deemed in
tolerable, and woe be to the audacious
one who dared even to contemplate it.
But the spirit of progress has not al
ways moved along conventional lines,
and in its march are to be found the
wrecks Of many fine ideals.
1t really seems as If human nature
will stand for anything but the ipSe
dixit that forbidS. Once forbid thing
and Immediately rebellion breaks forth
no matter what may be the cost.
And so 1t was but the natural order
Of procedure that some one, even in the
face of Sacrilege, should be the first to
break down, or to attempt to break
down what he was pleased to term "the
prejudice" against the visible presenta-
ton of the Savior in anything that
savored Of the accused theater, even
in the most reverential presentation OF
the story of His own life and mission.
For ages the humble peasants OF
Freiburg have reverently done this In
fulfllment of a vow to avert the plague
as tradition has it. But America never
even wavered in its position until Gen
Lew Wallace's "Ben-Hur" weakened its
attitude with the beauty and nobility
of the written word, which was then
carried to the .theater in dramatic form,
although with the chief figure symbol
lied In beam Of light rather than act
ually perSonified. Charles Ram Ken
neoys Servant in the House" and later
Sir Forbes RobertSon's impressive play
The Third Floor Back" delicately sug-
gested rather than actually presented
the actual figure of the Savior.
1t was the movies, in this day and
generation, that took the leap, and in
The King Of Kings" reverently por-
trayed by H. B. Warner, Cecil Be De
Mile, for, the first time, it is believed
actually presented Jesus in a dramatic
production. With both Mr.. De Mile
and Mr.. Warner the work was that OF
dramatic art, aside from, yet appealing
to, religious devotion.
Last Monday evening, in the City OF
New York, Morris Gest presented the
descendants of the famous peasants Of
Freiburg, men to whom the sacred role.
of the greatest of all dramas had beer
handed down from generation to gener.
alton, and into whose Characterization,
their daily lives of humility and piety
were woven, under the dramatic guild.
ance of David Belasco, the master Of
the theater of his time. Violent adj
vance objections were made and ever
the aid of the courts was invoked t.
prevent 1t, but the performance wa!
given. And, to lend the saving grace, Il
was given for the benefit of the French
and Italian hospitals as the first of sew
eral charity performances to follow.
The degree of reverence surrounding
the entire presentation of the Passion
Play" as 1t Is called, may be surmiseC
from the preparations made for 1t ant
the rules adopted in connection with il
The New York Hippodrome wa