Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-11

The Passion Play.

Inc PASSION Hlay.
The performances of the Ober.
Ammergau Passion Play for this
year begun a few weeks ago in the
little Bavarian village. This unique
spectacle is presented once in ten
years, and is an event of overshadow-
ing Importance in the private COM
munity where it took its rise. The
play represents the passion and
crucifxion Of the Savior. What
would be regarded elewhere as little
short of blasphemy is here lifted in
to an actual religious service by the
veneration of the simple-minded
peasantry. No hired actors are en-
ployed, and few stage effects are per-
mitted. 1t is considered the high
est honor to be allowed to share in
the performance. The chief charac-
ters are represented by villagers,
who are mainly wood-carvers, and it
is held as special distinction to be
selected to bear the role of Christ. "
Joseph Mayer, whose face strongly
resembles the pictures CT our Savior,
played the part of our Lord in the
presentation of 1901, and has
been again selected for the same
duty this year. He is said to have
aged somewhat, but his fine pensive
couutenance is unchanged. Jacob
Hett who played the part of
Peter" aud Gregor Lechner, who
appeared as Judas" have been re-
tanned in their old places, and at the
rebearsals were seid to act with con.
sumnate skill. There will be twen-
ty-fonr performances in all, mainly
at intervals of week, the last being
given on Sunday, September Goth.
Each representation begins at 8
O'Clock in the morning and closes at
5 in the afternoon, on hours inter-
mission being allowed at midday.
The play is in three parts and seven
teen scenes, interspersed with many
tableaux, and the action is interpre-
ted by fine choruses of villagers.
The theater, built of wood, will seat
5000 persons. A portion of the
house is rooted in and provided with
comfortable seats. The greater part,
however,, is furnished with common
benchcs without backs, and like the
stage, is open to the sky. A Sum-
mer cloud never overcomes the audi
ence, as it takes passing shower
with perfect equanimity.
A dispatch says that over 5000
persons were present at the first per-
formance, the majority of whom
were Americans and English, and
that the representation was success
full, with the exception that the
branch on which "Judas" was hung
fell to the ground, bringing with it
the false apostle. All those who
have observed the performance at
Ober-Ammergau unite in the opinion
that nowhere save in a retired village
like that could the same spectacle be
presented without danger of profan-
ing a subject held sacred by the
Christian world. There, however,
even strangers are impressed with the
earnestness of the actors and the
piety which prompts the perform
ance. The villagers are only carry
ing out the custom which dates back
to 1884, when a VOW was recorded
that should the curse of the plague
be lifted from the place the inhabi'
tants would join every decade in 9
passion play. The force of tradi
tion and the habit of reverence have
combined to produce amazing re
suits. Stolid peasants are idealizet
for time by the fevor of religious
feeling. Unframed, they frequentl,
display an ability i'll dramatic ar
that excites the admiration of criti
cal strang rs. They seem to LOSE
the consciousness of their own iden,
ti,y and incarnate the character
the highest triumph of acting
Then. too, the symbolism which else
where would be apt to excite ridi
cule is here eminently in keeping
with the whole. In fine, trans
planted from Ober-Ammergau, the
play would lose most of the quail
ties which render it unique and wor
thy of preservation.