This is
based on
the legendary
life of
St.
Anthony
the
Great
(ca.
251-356
AD), who
gave
away all
his
possessions
to
become a
hermit.
According
to
legend,
Satan
sent
temptations
and
demons
nightly
to
torment
him. His
story
became
popular
as a
puppet
play in
Belgium
and
France,
and the
scene in
which
the
demons
tore
down his
hermitage
generally
led to
merry
pandemonium
among
the
audience.
The pig
was a
particularly
popular
character.
The
current
production
is a
rhyming
play
written
by Alice
Wallace.
Beelzebub
informs
his
master
Pluto
that
Father
Anthony
is
saving
“far too
many
souls,”
and the
archfiend
plots
revenge
on the
old man,
sending
his own
wife to
tempt
him and
his
fiends
to
torment
him.
Among
the
not-so-special
effects
are a
thunderstorm,
flying
pig, and
a scene
change
to the
stirring
music of
“Stars
and
Stripes
Forever.”
