The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-03-20
Paeglon Pley st OSer. Anmerxsu.

Passion Rley 1t 0ber.Ammergnu.
The little village OF Ober-A mmergau,
with its 1900 to 1900 inhabitants. is s,tu-
Ated about fifty miles south-wes from
in the Bavarisn Tyrol. The
villagers arc . primitive people, who
1.-Two principally BY their skill IN wood
and who have but little inter-
course with the people OF The outside
world. In 1858 Ober-Ammergau was
visited by . pestilence, which carried off
many Of it, inhabitants and produced
panic 10 the little community. In their
dire distress the simple-minded villagers
met and vowed that once in every ten
years they would present in living pic
lures the passion Of Jesus Christ. Ira
dition relates that ct the moment the
vow was recorded the plague ceased,
and those Who were III Of II recovered.
The public representation of Passion
plays Was interdicted in Bavaria and
Germany ct the end of the
Lest esptusy, hat the people Of Ober-
fearful that they would b
punished BY . rstnrn Of The plague it
they broke the row. recorded one humid
rcd and Afty years before, implored the
govsrnmeal ct Munich TO withdraw the
intsrdict upon the Passion - represent
cd ct their village. The government
yielded to their sntreaiies, and the
representations were resumed in 1871.
Later returns Of the spectacle have vt.
tracted spectators frsm oil parts of Ger
many. from France. England, and even
from America. The celebration of 1870
was intsrruptsd by the outbreak Of the
Fraaco-G ermsn war, Joseph MAR, Who
represented our Savior, and Eve Of his
fellow. performers, including Ponuus Pi-
late and Judas, having been drawn to
servo in the Bsvarian army. A conse-
quencs of this interruption was the re-
newal OF the celebration in the summer
OF 1871, in the presence Of the largest
audiences that had ever assembled in
the village. The celebration Of the
passion ID held in q largo open.air in
closure in the shape of Q psrsllelogram.
The auditorium holds about 5000 people;
only . small section of it, over the first
class reserved seats, being covered With
. root. Facing the audience is wide
and deep stage, open to the sky. In the
centre Of this stage stands . covered
inner stage on which the principal Ia
bleaux are shown. The large stage
holds 500 people, and in several scenes
of the drama it is crowded. Every per-
son engaged in the Passion representa-
ton must bc Q native of Ober. Ammer-
gau or its neighbourhood. The scenery
and properties used on the covered
stage are simple and crude. The cos
tunes Of ell the performers, including
orchestra and chorus, arc prepared with
care, and arc correctly copied from pic
lures BY the old masters. Tho play is
performed on Sundays and Mondays
through the summer months. Tho price
charged for tho best seats in the audito.
rum 10 three Aorins, little less than .
dollar. Tho words Of the drama are oil
taken from those chapters Of the New
Testament that treat Of tho lite of Jesus.
The performance begins At 8 An, with
IN overture BY the orchestra, at the
close OF which . gun 10 fred, and .
chorus Of twenty performers enters.
Then follows . succession Of tablcaux.
vivants taken from the Old Testament,
each tablesu being explained BY the
chorus. After . tableaux representing
the expulsion from Paradise, the chorus
rotire TO either side of tho stage. The
curtain in the central theate- rises and
discloses . view OF Jerusalem. A crowd
of mon, women and children in Oriental
costume appear docking in on every
side, singing and waving palm. branches.
They crowd to the right side of the
stage, whiIs on the lett Christ appears
riding on y donkey, and il followed BY
his apostles and . second crowd, shout.
ing h0sannas in his praise. Next come
several prophetic tsbleaux, and . repre-
sentation OF the last supper, copied from
the famous and familiar picture of Leo
nardo d. Vinci. This and the washing
of the disciples feet is performed with
tho utmost solemnity, the chorus singing
hymns. Then comes . tableau of Sam
son overpowered by the Philistinss;
followed BY one Of the most impressive
scenes of the drama-the agony OF
Christ in the garden of Gethsamane
N0As CouOo boV eouo - e"u tuV oSscst
of Christ By the soldiers. This las,
ends the drst half of the drama. After
an int .rval Of more than an hour, the
tableaux and the action Of the drama
are renewed. A striking and effective
scene 10 presented in the remorse of
Judas, which VAS wonderfully acted BY
George Lechner, Iaboring man. Judas,
in bis yellow robes, rushes wildly about
the stage, clutcbing at bis bag OF blood.
money, which 1T last he throws into the
midst Of the council, and with . wild
shrek be disappears from the scene.
In tho next scene Jesus is brought before
Plate and afterward before HerOd.
Plate orders Jesus to be scourged The
crowd outside the court utter shouts OF
and an angry disputaiion
follows. The crowd call upon PLATE to
cruelty Jesus and release Barabbas, " no
10 brought in and placed by the side Of
Christ. Plate makes final appeal to
The people, bat without effect, and Ba
rabbas is released. After another series
Of tableaux from the Old Testament
The curtain rises on Christ struggling
ander the weight Of bis cross on bis way