Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 06, 1914, EDITORIAL SOCIETY, Image 18
The Omaha The Mission Church in Rox bury, Mass., Built from the Proceeds of Father Kenzel's "Pilate's Daughter" Which After 12 Years of Doubt, the Reverend Author Finally Allowed to Become a Professional Production in the Belief That Its Influence for (Jood Would Be Great. T 1 HAT section of Broadwav known as the ay White Way because of its bright lights Is to have some of its In sidious poisons attcked by a power ful antlsepelc. Right In the midst 'of the frivolous music halls nnd the daring Summer "girl shows," the lobster palnces and Ihe reckless cabarets is shortly to ap pear the five-act Christian devotional drama railed "Pilate's Daughter." This "passion play," with a new and Intensely dramatic construction, written by a Catholic priest, and the profile of whoue presentation by amateurs have, built a handsome church, will be produced at a Broad way theatre with a cast of profes sional actors.' The pleasure-seeking thousands who throng Broadway at night are ever eager for new sensations. What could be more sensational than the spectacle of our Saviour's passion and Its dramatlo sequel presented across the street from the giddiest of New York'a Bummer "girl ahowr Nobody will think of missing Tllate's Daughter." Its lessen will rercolate nightly Into all the Broad may haunts dedicated to the wblte lights. Nobody will be able to escape It. No new and untried antiseptic rould have a better opportunity to demonstrate its virtues. There ia a least one compelling dramatic device in "Pilate's Daugh ter" calculated to disarm the most cynical Broadway "flrat-nighter." Ho will have noticed that the roses pur chased of Broadway, florists quickly Ik i J i f JUV vJ" fcubia, a Vestal Virgin, Meets in Prison Her Christian Playmate Claudia. wither and fade. Put In this re ligious play lie will see a rose which never loses its freshness, which not even trampling feet can soli or harm In any way because when Pilate's compassionate little daughter threw this rose at the Divine Figure con demned iu her father's court It touched the body of the Saviour. . This legeud, whose origin it la dif ficult to determine, was the inspira tion which, nearly fourteen years ago. converted the Rev. Francis L. Kernel into a dramatist. He was a member of the Order of Redemptorlats con nected with the MUslon Church In Roxbury, Muss., a suburb of lioaton. Father Kenzel was deeply im pressed with the narrative of the ' rot, and from that he worked out a plot fur scriptural drama. He asked permission of his superiors to write amen a drama, and after due consideration it was somewhat re luctantly given. The result, "Pilate's Daughter." Year after year the play J was produced on the little stage in the hall connected with the Mission Church, al ways during the Lenten sea son. Today the MUslon Church in Roxbury, sur mounting a hjll, presents a landmark visible from all parts of Boston. It has a wonderful facade of granite, with the four crosses in each tower, which are Illuminated, send a' beacon over the city to' all points of the compass. This impressive facade nnd the great twin towers chango the modest little Mission Church into a veritable cathedral, and all of this was made possible solely through the proceeds from Father Kennel's drnma, "Pilate's Daughter," produced by nmateurs. During this season "Pilate's Daughter" will be seen at a Broad way theatre, and a Catholic priest will have become a professional dramatist. For twelve years theatrlcaP people have sought to secure rights to this scriptural drama in order to produce it professionally, but each year Father Keniel and bis fellows seemed more and more determined to deny tbat use of it Not long ago it dawned upon blm that Inasmuch as thousands of people made pilgrimages to the little Mission Church in Rox bury each year to witness his play, and tbat hundreds, after witnessing 'it - "' f Tfl Afra, the Sorceress in the Temple of Vesta, Telia the Vestal Virgin of the Capture and imprisonment of the Saviour, it became good church members, it would be better to allow the play a wider production. It seemed to Father Kenzel that If the play could have such a wonderful influ ence for good in one small community it would certainly exert a greater influence for good in a large sphere, and so he fi nally consented to professional produc tion. It Is a play remarkable in many ways. In the first place the cast will consist of about one hundred women there is not one man in this cast The leading characters In "Pilate's Daughter" are: ' Claudia Proclea, wife of Pontius Tllate; Claudia, Pilate's daughter, about eight years old (Act I.): Claudia. Pilate's daughter, teu years later i Acts II.. III., IV. nnd V.); Uvla and Maxima, Roman ladles: leah and Rebecca, servants in Pilate's bouse: Iris, Appia and Lygla, other wsrvants; three ghosts; Afra, a Roman sorceress; Rubla, Servla and Stella, vestal virgins; Fawtina. Tullia. Antonla, Hyra and Nem'.a, Christian women; Agrlpplna, wife of Tiberlu IMau.llus Drusus Caesar, Empress of Rome; Rufilla. save of the Empress; servants, Christiana, vestals and dancers. Father Kenzel's utory is that little Claudia, the daughter of Pontius Pilate, seeing the Nazarene led to Sunday Bee 1 Remarkable Scriptural Drama a Church and in Which Only Women Appear to Be Tried as "Great White Way" Antiseptic crucifixion, was deeply grieved and threw Him a rose as she sat In the balcony of her father's house. This rose struck the hem of Christ's robe, and the little girl felt Impelled to go down and rescue It Although thou sands of the mob had trampled this rose Into the street, little Claudia was amazed to find It fresh, un-' soiled, unruffled and fragrant Upon Teturnliig to her mother with tbe rose she said: "I have seen the Nazarene, and when He passed from out the palace court, I, from the balcony, did cast this rose beneath Ills feet. It touched His robe, and see, altbough a thou sand men have trampled on it it Is fresher far and lovelier than before." Claudia's mother, the wife of Pon tius Pilate, was amnzed nnd puzzled as to why ber daughter, a Roman, should take such Interest In Christ, a Jew. Her explanation was simple enough. She, it seems, was one of the children regarding whom Christ said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me." When Questioned by her mother, Claudia says: "At play with other children by the walls one day we saw the Nazarene and ran to Him. The men on either side thrust us back, but Christ said: "Nay, let them come," and so we did. He laid Ilia hand on each of our bends and eaid His heavenly king dom was for such. I love Him, and this rose shall always tell me of His love for little ones." In this act, Rebecca, a servant In J a r 3 the house of Pilate, is most impres sive wlien she describes how she was one of the multitude who listened to Chriat's Sermon on the Mount and she was one who ate of the mi raculous bread and fishes which He multiplied for the feeding of that multitude. The wife of Pontius PlUte has a feeling that her husband should not condemn Christ to death. As the mobs shout 'Crucify Him!" outside, she says: "Strange feelings surge within my soul. Deep-meaning doubts, and anxious fears, if it be true that Cod hath taken flesh and dwells within the Nazarene, then Pllute judges (jod and Ciod will be avenged. Fatal day that Rome did ornament our house with power of life and death; more fatal still that connplratera do wring the final Judgment from the Hps that call me wife." Among the servants in Pilate' house is Leah, daughter of the money changer, who was scourged by Christ aud driven from the Temple. Nat urally, ahe rejoices at the crucifixion and she uiocka at Him. When chlded by the wife of Pilate and asked whether the has no fear lest mercy be transformed to Justice, she curse Him and do ties Him, whereupon she Is rendered insane by a thunderbolt The skies grow dark, tbe lightnings flash. Leah ikeeks to kill Claudia, but the little girl holds out the miraculous ro.e and Leah's hand is withered. Finally, at the moment of the cruci fixion there is terror in every heart and utter da r knees prevails. Those In the house of Pilate, crouching In fear, behold a vision of Christ on the cross Copyright. IH4. After tbe crucifixion the daughter of Pilate has been taken back to Rome, and ten years later, at the age of eighteen, she is one of a party of Christians who go secretly at night In the woods of the Alban Hills, out side of Rome, to bury a child. Claudia has kept the rose all these years, and this rose has remained as fresh as It was the moment she tossed It to the feet of Christ u decade before. "With this miraculous rose Claudia brings the dead child to life. Afra, a Roman sorceress, and Leah, the vengeful daughter of the money changer, seek to kill the Christians. In the third act Is shown the Tern pie of Vesta and the vestal virgins. One of these virgins discovers that Claudia has been captured and is about to suffer martyrdom, and she also discovers that Claudia Is an old time playmate. This act Is followed by a scene in the Mamertlne Prison as Claudia, with' her rose, performs wonderful miracles, auch as bringing water forth from the prison walla. The last act is in the Emperor's palace before .Empress Agrlpplna, and is one or the most thrilling and melodramatic of scenes wherein the Roman god Jupiter is crumbled to dust by the rose, the vestal virgins converted to Christianity, the demented Leah restored to sanity and the Empress poisoned by the sorceress, who also mortally wounds Claudia. The climax Is the ascension of Claudia, daughter of Pilate, to neaven. br t&a lUr Comnajur. Qrt Britain V&M' tU'W v,tr &L: ;V-t -v 1 " r s.Ti - v.- :i; . , ii : aH Sorceress, j . "V if: V Pleads I : f ,l -tr J with I - 4i -r i Empresa yS ' v1"- -'wv .-,. Destroy 'Z"& : the 4 fy Christiani. ( . ,)jff Magazine Page That Built The coming of such a drama Broadway has been the subject to of much lively discussion among church men throughout the country, for it is one of the most daring scriptural dramas ever presented in a secular theatre The cast will be made up of women who have made a success In leading parts In such religious and morality plays as , "Everywoman,"' "The Sign of the Cross," "Ben Hur" and others. Already such actresses as Dorothy Philips, who was Modesty In "Everywoman," and Florence St Leonard, who was Iris In "Ben Hur," have been secured. Rights Resti-red. .3 it. . ?4"' I 1 -I , I t,' V" 1 ft A H ''' y M . - ' '" j Leah, a Servant in the House of Pilate, Defies God and Ts .Rendered Insane by a Thunderbolt. Why Sympathy Is the Best of Tonics SOJIE years ago there appeared In the newspapers an open letter in whloh a suffering woman asked aid in securing a law to permit Invalid? pronounced In curable after a medical consultation to be plalnlessly put to death. Nat urally, the letter attracted attention and reawakened tbe old question whether or not physicians are ever Justified in shortening life. It is of Interest to note that the 1 !t"5(tN x writer of the letter now rejoices at the non-fulfilment of her wish. She has lived to experience now much life may hold even in the face, of bodily helplessness. She tellg of having received thoh sands of letters from all over the world containing messages of ayni parthy and approbation for Iher dar ing attempt to secure a modification of present-day laws , protective of life. Some of these invalids, rho says, have since written her of their cure, and of their gladness that con servatism and old-fashioned legisla tion had intervened between them selvs and their impatience. One of these correspondents, who was sure that hope was dead for her and who eagerly desired the "flnia" at the end of the chapter, has written of her complete secovery and how. much more life now means, to her. This correspondence has proved, as might well be expected, a stimu lant and a tonic to the Invalid. She feels not only that her contact with others has given them a renewed interest in life, but also that even her mistaken suggestion of a revo lutionary change in law has not been without its good effect, since it has drawn together in bonds of deep human sympathy many In valids. Physicians who have commented on this woman's case agree that nothing is more stimulating and genuinely tonic to sufferers, es pecially those with chronic aliments, than the feeling that In spite of their own helplessness they them selves can still be helpful to others. Nothing disturbs a certain class of patients so much as to be constant-, ly in contact with those who are in good health and strength and whom they can scarcely help but envy. To be brought into touch with those) (or whom they themselves can foelj is a precious source of consolation and uplift ' Pity ts a luxury to be enjoyed, but not human being likcr to be pitied or to feel tbat he is an object of pity. To be conscious of some ad vantage In one's situation over that of others is of ltsoir an alleviation for 'many sicknesses.