People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1893 — SEBASTIAN. [ARTICLE]

SEBASTIAN.

A With Aneicnl Hloinaii-; an Given by the Students of St. JoxepSi‘a <.’«>£- ti-.L'f. About three or four hundred persons gathered at the Sb. Joseph's college, last Tuesday evening, to witness the opening of the music hall in that handsome | building.. It is comfortably ' seated with chairs,’ and in one I end of the room is a first class ■stage, and on it is everything ; necessary for the production of any drama. The scenery is a work of art. It is handsome. The students of the college had arranged as the opening production for Tuesday evening, the historical and classical four act drama, “Sebastian, or the Roman Martyr.” it takes up the introduction of Christianity into Rome at the time when Maximian -was emperor of Rome, and by his tyranieal ways tried to compel the Christians to have Ctesar as their God instead of Christ. J. F. Cogan represented the tyrant Maximian, and it was nicely done. The Sebastian of J. B. Fitzpatrick was well taken, as well as all the other parts, which were so numerous as to not admit of individual mention on account of lack of space in our columns. We must not forget to mention the “Diag mes,” of James Connelly. D agenes was a “i'os.ser" or sexton at the catacombs, and the part as portrayed by Mr. I Connelly sh iwed the old sexton Ito be a very eccentric old chur[acter, and who, no matter how ; busy or important the conversaI tion, must not forget to look at Iliis vessel of soup which he had ! over a slow tire. That, together with the awful cough of tile old sexton made the character one of the most amusing. 'Lie cos- | tumes displayed by thetwoaiyI six characters of the play • ct.I picturesquely Roman. They I wqre complete and beautiful and j the arrangement of Lie- i s.iogcx I taste. The stage .set nicely presented. Ono of the I most beautiful pictures that one j would care to look at was the ; second scene in act two, where I Emperor Maximian is discovered ■seated upon a crimson throne. I His beautiful flowing robes impressed one with dignity ami kingliness. He was surrounded | by the Prefect of Rome, Cor-! vinus, Calpurnius, Fuivius, E-e- ■ bastian andLictors. The bright' Roman costumes, the classical stage settings, the conversuiioji, all brought to bear on one’s mind, and carried him back to that period in history centuries ago. We must not forget to mention the musical features of the evening. At the opening the college band made their appear ance and were attired in costumes of different nationalities. It was a new idea to the audience and they appreciated it. A guitar solo was nicely rendered by one of the students whose name ■ we were unable to learn. Ed. , Mug, who assumed the charac-; ter of Fabius, .a Boman noble-' man, sang a beautiful selection, and which was greeted with i rounds of applause. The feature of the evening was toe pinao playingof ih’of. oammmto bach, lie is a graduaie ."’.‘io' sc.'ioui oi .music nt C-.mmc-, t• many, and his playing is that of j a master. He lims great expres- ■ sion in his playing, mid is fulh/ j competent to interpret the works of the great writers. The students have in preparation another drama which they I will produce shortly. The title' of the play is “Columbus, or the I Discovery of America.