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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
BISHOP RUSSELL’S IMPRESSIONS 0,
r PRIESTS TRANSFERRED
PASSION PLAY ACTORS OFF STAGE
IN CHARLESTON DIOCESE
His Visits to Homes of Leading Members of Oberammergau Cast Reveal Secret of
Their Success as Artists. .
By ERNEST F. BODDINGTON.
Assistant Director, N. C. W. C. News Service.
“We concluded that we had
give the Play this year, because the
world needed Christ.”
In these words, Anton Lang, the
•Christus of the Passion Play at Obe-
rammergau, revealed to Bishop Wil
liam T. Russell of Charleston the
whole secret of the success of an
expression of faith which has in
creased in influence for iiOO years
and has caused the name of a tiny
Bavarian village to be known in
every country—non-Christian as well
as Christian—throughout the world.
Bishop Russell, who returned last
week from Europe, spent several
days at Oberammergau where he not
only viewed the Play under excep
tional circumstances, but studied
and talked with each of the leading
characters.
“I had asked Lang,” said the Bish
op, ‘ if there had not been some talk
of postponing this year s perform
ance. ‘Yes,’ he replied , we had al
most decided that we could not pro
duce the Play. It entailed so much
labor, many of our players had been
lost in the War, and our poverty
was so great that the expense would
bear more heavily upon us than
ever before. Then we considered
the condition of the world and we
say r our duty. The need of Christ
which was so apparent everywhere
constrained us.’
Nothing Stops Play.
“I talked first with Anton Lang
at the conclusion of a performance
which had been remarkable in many
ways aud exceptional in that it had
been given partly in a rain storm.
The 5,o00 auditors had just sat under
cover, for the auditorium is roofed;
but the players had been obliged to
continue to the end unprotected, for
the stake is not closed in. The wind
had swept the rain in sheets across
the stage with such force that part
of the scenery had been blown down.
Yet there had been no interruption
the Play had moved along to its
tremendous culmination, becoming
more realistic and impressive as its
appealing apex was reached.
•“1 was surprised,’ 1 said, ‘that
there wus no break in the continuity
of the scene when the storm first
broke.’
-‘We stop for nothing,’ he answer
ed.
‘“But the players must suffer un
der such circumstances, do they
not?
‘“No, nearly all of them wear
heavy clothes w'hich they can change
as soon as they have opportunity.
“He regarded me for a moment or
two with a faint smile, then he
added quietly ‘But 1 suffer. 1 suf-
. fered today, for 1 hung on the cross
with arms extended for nearly half
an hour while the rain lashed me,
and nil I had for covering was the
fleshings I wear. My health has be
come affected and I do not know
whether it will be possible for me to
play after this year, even if I get
through the present season.
The Bishop sat for a moment re
garding his pectoral cross before he
continued.
“You can well imagine,” he said,
as he looked up, “that I would not
like to see the Play in moving pic
tures. Nor would I care to see it
played by others than the simple
peasants of Oberammergau, unless
these others could live the lives of
piety that are lived by the Oberam-
mergauers. But I was anxious to
hear w'hat Anton Lang wuld say to
a suggestion of playing it elsewhere,
so I asked him if he would entertain
an offer to appear in it the larger
cities.
A Suggestion that Shocked.
“He seemed shocked at the very
suggestion, and answered hurriedly:
‘Oh, 1 would not consider anything
of that kind. I could not; I love my
village, I love my home, I do this to
bring Christ to the world.’
“I remarked that I suposed as soon
as the presentation of the present
Season ’ ended, preparations for the
next performance would immediately
begin.
“ ‘Oh no,’ he replied, ‘there will be
Ho other rehearsals or special train
ing until it is time for the next pre
sentation, But that is not to say
that what you might call peparation
will bo entirely neglected. You see,
to us in Oberammergau the Play is
pur heritage, a part of our lives. All
Jroung and old, must contribute
lomething to It. Consequently, in
pur schools we teach elocution, ex
pression fl the natural ness ofacting.
m one way you might say that we
pit #iwayg in training as actors, but
to; we do not apply that training in
rehearsals until wc approach the
time for the next public perform-
mancc.
■1 could vision lhe life of these
people in the years between per
formances as he spoke. They be
gan as little children to dedicate
themselves to a great service oi
love, and that love kept them clear
of heart so that they could see God
in the service they offered to Him
and make other's from all parts ot
the world glimpse Him.
“From lhe youngest to the oldest
they preserve the simplicity that
Our Lord loved so much, and in
that simplicity is the great strength
of the play. “Unless you lie con
verted and become as little children.’
That is what this great act of love
and faith has meant to all the people
of Oberammergau—they have re
mained as little children.
“If you stop to consider that there
is no dead wood in Oberammergau,
no decorative wallflowers, but that
everyone is contributing to the play,
you begin to realize why the en
semble is so remarkable. That one
impulse in common, the impulse of
a child to please a loving Father,
produces extraordinary effects in
the production, I have seen better
acting and heard better incidental
music, but even from the standpoint
of acting alone the ensemble effect
is out of the ordinary. It is diffi
cult to detach oneself front the de
votional aspects of the presentation
and consider the acting, but the
perfection of the detail, and the
naturalness of the scenes when the
stage is crowded, compel admiration.
The children running hither and
thither on the outskirts of the ntobs
are as normal and unaffected as
though they were playing in the
streets of the village.
A Visit to Judas.
“Anton Lang was not the only one
of the chief actors whom I had the
privilege of meeting off the stage.
One of the others whom I partic
ularly wanted to study in his home
was the Judas. As everyone knows
he has a wonderful part which he
plays in a wonderful manner. It is
a heavy part, but there is not a mo
ment during its entire delivery when
the actor loses his grip on the audi
enee. He holds his hearers spell
bound and the test of a long mono
logue in which he calls to mind the
owful crime he has comimtted and
sees in it contrast with the kind
ness of Our Lord, is met with the
singular success. The exposition of
a heart filled with despair because it
is void of the love of Christ that
Peter possessed, is soul-stirring.
Acting of the part is so realistic
that I confess I could not rid my
mind of the thought that 'conversa
tion with him in his home would
disclose some of the sneaky and un
derhand characteristics of the part,
or that some intimation of these at
tributes would show in his actions.
I found him as simple and as inge
nious as a little child. He laughed
heartily at my mistakes in German
and his laughter brought - into the
room his wife, all smiling happi
ness. and his very beautiful young
daughter-
The daughter of Judas also has
a part in the play—the part of an
angel!
Next I went to see the girl who
plays the part of Mary Magdalen.
This is a strongly emotional part.
It reaches its apex, perhaps, in the
scene - in which Our Lord tells the
household at Bethany that the time
of parting has come and describes
what is to befall Him in Jerusalem,
All beg Him to remain—not to go
to Jerusalem. The Apostles gather
around Him entreating Him to stay.
But He explains that He must do
the will of His Father. Then the
Magdalen throws herself at His feet
and Implores him by the title ‘My
Friend.’ The handkerchiefs come
out there, for the audience is always
deeply moved at this scene. Then
the supreme moment immediately
following, when the Blessed Virgin
approaches Him. The very force of.
contract between the emotional Mag
dalen and the strong woman in
deepest grief but majestic even in
her agony, is tremendously effective.
Only two words are spoken by each;
she murmurs ‘My Son’ and He, clasp
ing her in His arms replies “My
Mother.”
The Magdalen at Home.
“So, as I say, I went to see the
Mary Magdalen. She is the daugh
ter of a wood-carver who appears
Father Machin Pastor at
Orangeburg—Father Mc
Grath Succeeds
Anderson.
Him at
in the play
I saw John, a simple German
peasant* whom I did not recognize
until he told me who he was. He is
a young fellow, I suppose about 20
years old. He is very handsome bill
without touch of effeminacy — a
strong, loving face. Throughout the
play you can see why he is the Be
loved Disciple. If Our Lord drops
His cloak it is John who is on hand
to pick it up; his care for bis Mas
ter is shown in a dozen such mani
festations.
“To see Marta Veit, the young wo
man who impersonates the Blessed
Virgin in the play, was no easy mat
ter. Anton Lang had warned me
that it would be difficult, but had
promised to help me to accomplish
my desire. He explained to me that
she has been from childhood ex
tremely shy and retiring. Not even
the fact that she served as a Red
Cross nurse in the war had changed
her in this respect, although it had
brought her out of herself to a cer
tain extent. ‘But she is good—so
good’, said Lang, and there were
tear ins his eyes as he spoke of her.
Evidently she is the saint of the
village.
Marta Veit Off the Stage
“Marta Veit, who is playing the
Charleston, S. C.—-Rev. Timothy J.
McGrath, ordained last June by Rt.
Rev. William T. Russell, D. I).
Bishop of Charleston, and since thal
time curate at St. John’s Cathedral
in this city has been appointed pas
tor at Anderson, S. C., to succeed
Rev. Thomas J. Machin, who has
been in charge of the Anderson Mis
sions for the past three years. Fa
ther Machin was the first resident
pastor of St. Joseph s Church, An
derson. He has been appointed rec
tor of the Orangeburg Missions, with
headquarters at Holy Trinity Church
Orangeburg, S. C. A new rectory was
lately completed here.
The Anderson Missions,'over which
Father McGrath will preside, cover
a vast territory of some four thou
sand square miles. It serves por
tions of nine counties situated in
three states, North Carolina; South
Carolina and Georgia. There is a
church in Anderson—St. Joseph’s
and another, St. Francis, at Wal-
halla, thirty-four miles away. The
pastor at Anderson is also Catholic
Chaplain for the faculty and cadets
at the State school, Clemson College.
In Georgia his stations are in and
near Hartwell, Bowensville, Toccns
and nearby points, formerly served
by Father" Clarke, but of late years
served from Anderson because of
their comparative nearness to the
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all-important part for the first time,. South Caro i ina c lty. As yet. no ree
ls young—24, I think they told me. t has been bu ; It> but with better
Yet she looks the part of the Blessed limes it , s hoped that a priest’s
Mother on the stage, although like honse will event ually be erected,
all the rest, she uses no make-up. Fatber McGrath, bv his able serv
For one thing, she is tall, taller than jces> at st j obn ’ s Cathedral, gives
I am I should say about five feet ,, 00( ; promise of continued progress
ten. I think she has Hie most beau- at Anderson, which is a city pre-
tifully spiritual face I have ever eminent amongst the cities of the
seen. Her whole bearing is modesty p; ednlont as a p l aC e of culture, bus-
personified. incss activity and unmarred rellg-
“When at last I succeeded in see- ious peace. The city has never wel-
ing her, it was in the evening. She corned within its borders the relig-
liad been up since 4 o’clock, at which ious zealot nor political radical. It
hour she had attended mass and lias borne the reputation of a city
taken communion with the other without religious rancor and a splen-
players. She had played her ex- did cooperation of people of all
tremely arduous part in a perform- creeds. The Bulletin congratulates
ance which you must remember lasts Anderson and Orangeburg upon
for eight hours, under exceptional their new pastors, and wishes them
difficulties caused by the heavy | God-speed,
rain storm.
“Yet how do you think I found her
at the close of such a day? I found
her doing exactly what I should sur
mise the Blessed Virgin would have
LAYMEN ORGANIZE FOR
RETREATS
Pittsburgh.—Organization of
the
, , . . , . , Catholic Laymen's Retreat League
been doing as a young girl in her | wiu be ceicbrated on tbe grounds
mother’s home. She had an apron of gt Paul>s Monastery Sunday (Ic
on and was helping her parent to
wash the dishes 1 But there was a
tober 1. It is expected that ap-
. . proximately 3,000 representatives of
quiet dignity in the manner of her | ^ ^ Catholic organizations in
greeting which showed that her
modesty held nothing of embarrass-1
ment.
The impression I got after wit-
Pittsburgh will attend the services
The Rt. Rev. Hugh C. Boyle,
Bishop of Pittsburgh, will address
the assemblage as will J. P. McCar-
STULB’S
Restaurant
Broad St. Augusta, Ga.
Opposite’the Monument
Specializing in Sea Food
of all kinds.
W. J. Heffernan C. P. Byne
Proprietors.
A hot hath from a RUUD auto
matic water heater, followed by
a cold shower, makes the old feel
young and the young want to live
forever. _ _
E. F. BRODERICK
Plumber
234 Drayton St. Savannah. Ga.
nessing the Play and spending three d i e> member of the Pittsburgh city
days with the players, visiting them council, and Fred Immekus of Mt.
in their homes and conversing freely | Oliver,
with them on all kinds of topics
was that the people of Oberammer
gau are living their daily lives as if FR. SULLIVAN IN RHODE ISLAND.
Our Lor was in their midst and they Atlanta, Ga.—Rev. Daniel F. Sul-
were aware of the fact. How else livan, S. M., for many years super
can yau account for the miracle that visor of the English Department at
knowing that people from every Marist College in this city, and one
country of the world are coming in of the school’s founders, has been
thousands to see them play, their assigned to parish work at Imma-
sinccrity remains untarnished andjculate Conception Church, Wester
that they are still simple God-fear-1 ly, R. I.
ing and God-loving peasants? At
the table at which I took my meals merc j a lj sm 0 f Oberammergau as I
sat a Calvamst minister and his wife saw
and a confessed unbeliever. The un- « r was delightfully Impressed by
believer told me it was not theiac- everything I saw in Germany. In
tion of the play that appaled to him, tbe pald D f d -which I visited every-
but the very evident sincerity of the one W as ‘casing 0 n’ while they
actors. | wa ited for better times. I did not
A Lasting Impression j see a single beggar on the streets of
“Furtherirfpre, I realize that the | any of the cities.”
impression I received will be last-
A Georgia
Product
Made for Our Southern
Climate
ing. In future, whenever I medi
tate on the Passion or say the Ros
ary, I shall see these scenes re
enacted and shall be compelled to a
fuller realization of the significance
of my prayers and aspirations
“One word concerning the allega
tions of commercialism at Oberam
mergau. Attempts may have been
made along these lines by persons
wli bought up tickets to sell at ad
vanced rates, but the committee in
charge has done all in its power to
check this by putting the whole out
side sale in the hands of Cook’s
Touring Agency. The cost to me for
seeing this wonderful performance
which continues for eight hours was
the equivalent of 10 cents in Amcri
can money. I had my nephew with
me, and the cost for the two of us
for lodging and meals,' and such
incidentals as the loan of opera
glasses and the purchase of auto
graphed pictures of the principal
actors, was $3, That is the com-
“YOU CAN ALWAYS DO
BETTER AT
COMPLETE
DEPARTMENT
STORE’*
Savannah, Georgia*
AH Mail Orders Promptly Filled.
'1