In Honour of the Nativity of our Lord (A Play) E-Book

Robert Hugh Benson

• Herausgeber: Musaicum Books
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Robert Hugh Benson's 'In Honour of the Nativity of our Lord' is a captivating play that offers a unique perspective on the birth of Jesus Christ. Written in a poetic and lyrical style, the play explores the spiritual significance of Christmas while also providing a thought-provoking reflection on the human experience. Benson's use of vivid imagery and symbolism adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read for both literary enthusiasts and religious scholars alike. Set in a medieval English village, the play transports audiences to a time where faith and tradition hold great importance, making it a valuable piece of historical and literary context. This timeless work showcases Benson's talent for blending religious themes with dramatic storytelling, creating a profound and moving theatrical experience that continues to resonate with audiences today.

Leseprobe

Robert Hugh Benson

In Honour of the Nativity of our Lord (A Play)

Published by

Books

- Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting -

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2021 OK Publishing

EAN 4064066381011

Table of Contents

Preface

Dramatis Personæ

Prologue

Scene I

Scene II

Scene III

Scene IV

Scene V

Appendices

I. The Scenery

II. The Properties

III. The Costumes

IV. The Method of Acting

PREFACE

Table of Contents

The following play was produced at Cambridge in December 1907 and January 1908. It was acted six times altogether, to full houses, upon a temporary stage in the schoolroom of St. Mary’s Convent, by the girls of the school, whose ages ran from six to eighteen. The scenery, the properties, and the costumes were constructed—with the exception of two simple Eastern dresses and a few weapons—out of materials lent to the convent or possessed by it. The cost, therefore, was extremely small; the trouble only was great, and this lay almost entirely in the learning of the parts and the rehearsals.

It is alleged sometimes, as one reason for fearing such performances, that the spirit of the age is very different from that in which this method of bringing the Christian mysteries before the eye was almost universally practised. This fear, of course, was not absent from the minds of those responsible for this production, but it proved wholly illusory. The audience, consisting of Catholics and non-Catholics drawn from all classes, was begged, by a sentence on the printed programme, to refrain from all applause and conversation, and loyally responded to the request. There was practically a dead silence from the first notes of the first carol to the departure of the audience at the end.

It has been thought worth while, therefore, in this age of Pageants, to print and publish the text of a play which has for its object the furthering of devotion to the Nativity of our Blessed Lord, and which has been put to the test of actual performance before a mixed assembly, in the hope that others perhaps may venture upon a task which to its original promoters has appeared at least to justify its inception. Full directions are given in appendices as to the methods by which the staging was accomplished and the properties constructed, as well as, in the text itself, minute stage directions as to the movements of the actors. Realism and passion have been studiously avoided in the training of these; and in their place a kind of slow and deliberate simplicity has been arrived at throughout. There was practically no attempt made to disguise the faces of the actors, except in the matter of a brown stain applied to the faces and hands of a few, and of two or three beards in the cases of old men.

In case, however, that the recommendations given in the book do not seem sufficient to others, the author will be happy to answer any questions that he can.

The present edition contains appendices, and stage directions; a cheaper acting edition shortly to be issued will contain only the words with a few necessary remarks.

The collection from which the carols are taken is one compiled by Dr. Stainer and the Rev. H. R. Bramley, under the title “Christmas Carols, New and Old.” It is published with music by Novello. Acknowledgments are made in the proper places.

An admirable orchestral effect may be produced by the use of a piano and an American organ played together.

The play as a whole does not aspire to be considered a literary production; it is only published as a practicable drama.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

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Mary.

Joseph.

Tobias

(

Landlord of Inn at Bethlehem

).

David

(

his servant

).

Zachary

Ezra

Three Shepherds.

Ben-Ezra

Eliphaz

Nadab

Three Merchants.

Uzziel

Martha

(

A Child

).

Abel

(

her brother

).

Angels

(

four

).

Herald

(

An Angel

).

SCENES

I.

Road outside Bethlehem.

II.

The Kitchen of the Inn.

III.

Hills outside Bethlehem.

IV.

Interior of the Stable.

V.

The same.

PROLOGUE

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Before curtain rises there is sung—

GOD rest you merry, gentlemen,1Let nothing you dismay;Remember Christ our SaviourWas born on Christmas Day,To save us all from Satan’s powerWhen we were gone astray.

Chorus. O! tidings of comfort and joy.

2.  In Bethlehem, in Jewry,This blessed Babe was born,And laid within a manger,Upon this blessed morn.The which His mother MaryDid nothing take in scorn.

Chorus. O! tidings ...

3.  From God our Heavenly FatherA blessed Angel came,And unto certain ShepherdsBrought tidings of the same:How that in Bethlehem was bornThe Son of God by name.

Chorus. O! tidings ...

4.  Now to the Lord sing praisesAll you within this place,And with true love and brotherhoodEach other now embrace;This holy tide of ChristmasAll other doth deface.

Chorus. O! tidings ...

Curtains part—EnterHerald, closing curtains behind him. He bows low, slowly, with arms across his breast; he recovers himself perfectly upright, and begins in a clear, declaiming voice—