The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-06-04
oBERAMMERGAu's FETE.
The Solemn Passion Play in the BaV
riAn Mountains.
Ern,n thu. Cincinnati Enzetie

OBERAMMERGAU'S FETE.
The Solemn Passion Play in the BaVa-
riAn Mountains
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
An magnificent village OF the Baya-
rian Tyrol will vie with Paris and Wen
ma the coming summer as an objective
point of the grand army of the tourists
on the continent. Probably more pleas
ure seekers are making their arrange
mcnts at this moment TO go to Oberam-
mergau than to either or both of the
great cities just mentioned. The famous
Passion Play, whose recurrence once
every ten years has drawn the attention
of the whole civilized world for many
decades past, will be celebrated this year
for the first time since 1871, and for the
last until 1890 The first performance
will take place on the 18th of May, and
its repetition will occur on every follow
ing Sunday until the 26th of September.
Already nearly all the English and con-
tinental newspapers have given an
nouncement to this fact, and have dis
cnssed the programme for its fulfill
mcnt.
In the year 1888, we are told, the viii
lage of Oberammergau, then devastated
bY pestilence, began the practice of
representing once In ten years the death
and passion of Christ The people OF
the town resolved to do this, rs the ira
diiion goes, and as soon as the vow was
formed the plague was stayed. From
that day ON the piOus Oberammergauers
have kept their VOW, as is believed with
reasonable fidelity. They have kept it
so well, in fact. that in the keeping they
have developed talent and acquired fame
no hiSfrNnip art which mi trht well he
the envy of the most celebrated players
in the world. Really no theatre in Eu-
rope can claim anything like the present
celebrity of this amateur peasant trag-
edy of the Tyrnl. The text of the drama
is said to have its origin with the monks
of Ettal, an ancient and celebrated
neighboring monastery, but has been re-
vised from time To time, and as late as
1880 received its present version. The
events which it describes are all, with
one exception, taken from the New Tes-
tament, but are illustrated from series
| of tableauX from the Old Testament, eX-
explained by the descriptive song OF an
accompanying chorus. The story be-
| gins with the entry of Christ into Jeru-
| salem, and ends with His crucifiction
/ and resurrection. The leading scenes
are the expulsion of the money changers
| from the temple, the Sanhedrin coun-
selling the death of Christ, the tempta-
ton of Judas, the Last Supper, Judas
selling his Master. Christ seIzed in the
garden, the hearing before Annas, Pc
ter's denial of his Master, the remorse
and death of Judas, Christ before PLATE,
the hearing before Herod, the scourging,
the condemnation, the ascent of Cavalry,
the crucifictinn. and the resurrection.
The tableauX include the expulsion OF
Adam and Eve from Paradise, the sale
of Joseph. the death of Abel, Daniel be
fore Darious, Sampson in the temple al
dagon, the elevation of the braZen ser
pent by Moses, Jonah anu the whale, the
passage of the Red Sea, and the ascen
sion into heaven.
The performances commence at abou
O'Clock in the morning, and last, will
an interruption of an hour at midday
until O'Clock in the afternoon. The
charge for admission ranges from 2.
cents to So.
The theater, newly built every tel
years, is provided with II stage 100 fee
wide by 10 feet deep, fronting upon al
inclosed but unroofed space, in which
are placed 100 rows of seats, capable o
accommodating about 5000 persons
The open space, or auditorium, is en-
; tIrely exposed, excepting The back part
to the sun and rain, which the spectator
must be prepared To endure, as there
; never any postponement of the perform
ance on account of the weather. TIL
effect of the play is much enhanced
however, by the real mountains seen il
the distance, and by the blue sky over
l head, the green foliage and the Othc
! natural accO apartments, which help I
cast an air of impressive realism owe
the drama, such as would be imposSIbl
to an indoor performance.
The stage is constructed upon the pla
a of the old Greek theaters, and is III
= covered, except at the back, where tn
tableaux are presented. On the rigl
i and left, respectively, of the prosceniur
Il are scenic representations of the house
n of annas and of PLATE, beyond which
on either side, extending to the back {
the stage are views of the streets Jerl
Il salem
/ The cast of the play, including I'll
y chorus, comprises about 700 people, bl
, the attention is centered upon few 1eaI
5 ing characters, most of which will /
8, represented this year by persons VIII
\ have distinguished themselves in pr
vious performances. Joseph MAR, fl
d example, who lad the part of Christ
1870, will have it again the present yea
r The play of 1870. itmay be remembers
, was interrupted by the Franco Germs
| u,
performers, was Obliged to quit the v
It lage to do military duty. The Chr
5. tus" was summoned to- join the artiller
10 bot by special grace of the King of b
varia he was permitted to retain his loI
HAIR, and was finally assigned to hosI
tai service at Munich.
- Mair is described as "A man of lmpI
ing presence, sYmmetrically built, wi
EXPRESSIVE features of an olive tint
;" has an intellectual forehead, deep, mC
,c ancholy eyes, delicate lips, and luxurio
beard, all giving him a singular reseI
blance 10 the portrait of the Savior
r Rubens. One who saw him in the phi
rs of 1870 says of him: THE singul
re- grace of the purple robe did somethIn
but Mair's complete possession by I
radical idea uf our Lords life-an int
IN ior lived with the Father, which dr.
u none of its deeper spring from mt
,g earthly circumstances-gave To da
\, face and tender speaking eyes or;
III deur of mein and a complete 'detaG
ne ment' from face earthly passion, whi
of have never seen in any of the painte
AZ ideal ChrIsts. For true and perfec
natural stateliness of movement and d
10 nifty of manner. il was impossible toct
a ceive Joseph MAR surpassed. realizi
&C. to US in his manner and aspect the woI
al of Christ To his apostles, 'Ye call
Master and Lord, and ye say well. for
am l. >"
he Another spectator gives this accor
IL of his acting: Joseph Mair. was a w
M derful instance of simplicity Of mann
= and few men could have been physica
oe suited to the part His face was not I
Al ordinarily received type of beauty, I
ell in the latter scenes of SORROW and sufi
IF ing nothing could have been better
tall, imposing figure, upon which
ny robes fell in such graceful lines;
OF wonderfully beautiful modelling of
iv- limbs upon the cross his action DUR
nd the delivery of the dialogue. were IN
impressive and affective from a drama
point of view than anything We HI
seen ON the modern stage If We
that the delivery of some of the senten
ar. was slightly mOnOtonous, we have IN
lis toned the only fault in an Otherw
4 a perfect performance.
ed There was some difference of OF
lat. ion as TO Mair's elocution, one being
the opinion that the tone and voice were
The below the acting, and that when
-ee spoke he broke that wonderful ST
i'm which bound everybody. We sho
by think that, excepting, as we have 81
In being slightly mOnOtonous, he was
sdy nearly perfect as was possible. tn
was little trace Of Bayarian accent, {