Fryeburg Academy - Academy Bell Yearbook (Fryeburg, ME)

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THE ACADEMY BELL 23 of tJbei'-.'Xmmergau to the outside world is derived from the Passion Plays which are performed there by the villagers at intervals of ten years and are now at- tended by many thousands of liuropean and .-Nmerican people. The Uber-Ammergau Passion l'lay took its rise from a vow made by the inhabitants in 101313 with the hope of stay- ing a plague then raging. The performances take place on the Sundays of summer, in a large open-air theatre holding about 0000 people. There are seventeen principal actors and be- tween six and seven lmndred other per- formers. The parts are distributed at a general election, held on the sixth of De- cember, the feast of St. Nicholas, and he who is chosen as' Christus is regarded as the village king. ln 1870, 1880 and 1800 -Ioseph Klayer took the part of Christus, and in 15100 .Xnton l.ang took the part. lle was a wood carver, and when the news came that he had been chosen, he did not leave his work, but simply said. l have tried to live the life, then he re- sumed his carving with the thought that he must not be unfaithful in little things, he who had been chosen ruler over so much. lle must tinish his work. The tirst sight of the chorus, eight men and ten women, is something which can- not be readily forgotten-the band of peasants, fresh from their daily work, every expression, every movement, full of dignity. grace, and beauty, of noble simplicity, and with an entire absence of self-consciousness. Such is the effect even to those who can clearly see every motion and play of feature: no distanceisneeded to lend enchantment to those noble figures and faces. Their robes and the blending of colors are striking and beautiful. Now the first scene of the Passion l'lay begins, and often as we may have read or heard of the entry into jerusalem as acted in this theatre, the reality far ex- ceeds our expectations. lt is one of the most powerful and etlfective scenes in the whole drama. As the seemingly endless crowd flows on, men, women and children are all swayed by one sentiment, every voice joining in the choral march. The first appearance of the Lihristus is apt to cause disappointment. perhaps be- cause expectations have been wrought too highly by the song and triumph of the multitude. .Xt all events the first feeling is that he has attempted the impossible. The attitude, also, cannot but injure the effect. and the first words he utters may cause disapiptiintment. What do 1 lze- hold? ls this tiod's house, or is it a market-place? he exclaims with accents of strong indignation. Lol l come to do thy willlu. was expressed in every word and action. bringing the thought before the spectators with wonderful vividness. lle was possessed by his mission, and throughout the ttunult and variety of the play, this calm unity of unwavering purpose was manifested with unfailing force. Une of the next very touching scenes is The Parting at llethanyf' lNlayer's act- ing as Christus here was very admirable. Once more, farewell, beloved, peaceful Ilethany. never more shall l tarry amid thy still valleys. .Xnd in this scene with his mother he sustains his part with true feeling and dignity. The words he speaks are all distinctly utteredg Thou wilt suffer with me, dearest mother, wilt battle with me in my mortal struggle, and also take part in my triumph. 'lhe first

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22 THE ACADEMY BELL worlv were ot' :L noiuleseript elizirnctei' :nul were ineliiu-cl Io lu- troulmlesonu-. The strikers of eonrse resentefl the preseneeol' llu- strilve-lwrezilaers :nul tlu- tension rt se to :t high piteh. l'ielteting was :nteinptetl :it voneorfl :nul tlu- ipiztrrels which :trose Iroin this were so severe that tlu- Stutt- liuzlrrl wzts eullerl nlll. 'llllj' pzitrollecl tlu- streets :nul rznlrozul propertj lor two weeks. :tnfl tlu-n luoth the state :nul eitj' reluseil to pzij' for nu-ir serviees. 'l luis eltusecl still more troulile. ln l.owell :nul North llilleriezt, Nlzissw- .-Iiusetts, tlu- largest numoer ot men were tnrown out of work. Ut lliotl men who wznueil out oi tlu- linu-iuezt shops only si-ten retnriu-cl in :i periotl ol Ciglll niontns. 'llu- nu-n on Iiotli sules were pezteenhle though picketing was strict :tiul notn sules guzirrleil tlu-ir own interests. llu- strike hzis lu-en lmrolten, hut not us eoinpu-ten' :is one might suppose iroin tiu- llllblillgllllllll puhhslu-tl ny the rzui- iwuuis. lIll'j' eiznni that the service is us Qlltlfl :is it was lu-lore the strike. If you wish Io know the trutli ztsu any engiiu-er on tlu- rozul. lle will tell you that he e:in't get the power from :in engine just ont ol ine shop toclztj' that he used to get from :in engine just rezulj' to go uiuler repztirs. 'I here is no cloulit that the rail- rozul is suliering. l flo not iu-eil to iniply, however, that tlu- rnilrozuls eztn not get lmctek lo their fornu-r st:tiulztrcl. 'flu-j' :ire rzipiclly doing so, 'liliev might or might not have been lu-tler ulli if they hzul yielclecl to the de- inznuls of the union. 'lflizit no one can tell. llu- two inznn enuses lot' tlu- strike were tlu- witluh':iw:tl of seniority rights :nul the ten per cent eut in wages. llu- witlulrzlwztl ot seniority rights was ln' fur the more serious of these two :nul wus really the mztin ezuise of tlu- strike. Seniority rights represent. in hrief, tlu- prefereiu'e given to tlu- inen who have lieen longest in tlu- serviee of the coin- pnny. 'lihese rights :ire governefl ln' :L general set of rules with speeiztl rules to tit speeizil eases in flllil-Cl'L'Ill itulustries. ln the rznlrozul shops at nizin haul to work through his :tpprenteeship zuul then work tout yt-:mrs :is ll lnztehnnst hetore he se- curecl seniority rights. 'l'lu-n when :i joli was open those nu-n who wnntefl it pan .n their Imicls zuul tlu- ntztn who hzul lu-en longest in tlu- serviee of the eoinpztnj' ns 21 skilled worker got the first ehztnee. lle hzul seven clztys in which to inztlie gmail :nul it lu- tznletl tlu- next niztn got h.s elizuiee. lt wats only just that they should have throu--'h these privileges. lint it was A :ilxuse thu they were clepriverl of thein. .Xt the present time there :Lre disputes going on znnong lzihor leziclers :is to whether they shall give tip the strike. 1 H' eourse the strike is zt tlezul issue zuul the lmest thing the unions can clo is to form- :illy ezill the strike hroken zuul give those nu-n who so tlesire 11 elizuiee to go lrztek to xvorli. 'FIIEUDORI-I liorsxois '24 THE PASSION PLAYERS OF OBER-AMMERGAU. Ulmer-.Xiniiiergzut is at smztll village in tlu- inountznn valley ot the .Xnnncr. in upper liZlYill'l2l.i2llDUllI forty-live miles to the southwest ol' Xlunich. The interest

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