Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-16
TRAVELLERS CHARMED
With the Simplicity, Realism and
Fine Acting Of the
0BERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAYERS
Dr. I. L. White, of McKeespOrt, Graphically
Describes Performance.
HOW NATURE AIDS THE PRODUCTION

rcoRRnsPoNDKNCK OF THE DIsP1TCH.1
PARIS, August THE visitor to Europe
this summer who fails to see the Passion
Play at Oberammergau will be guilty of an
omission which only ignorance of the treat
in store for him, if he makes the pilgrimage,
can excuse. Judging, however. from the
large number Of travellers who have already
found their way to the quaint Bavarian
village and who have so spread the fame Of
this years production of the sacred drama
as 70 make two performances a week
Wednesday as we'll as Sunday - neces-
sary, the majority of the American and
English tourists will have seen this wonder
full play ere their return home. Were there
no Passion Play at Oberammergau the
journey thither from Munich would be we'll
worth the time and money expended. But,
when to delightful journey is added a So
journ of q few days among the simple
minded, honest and hospitable residents OF
the Bsvarian highlands, and the opportu-
nifty of witnessing themost indescribable and
wonderfully realistic production of the
"Passionspiel," the whole forming such
interesting and instructive entertainment as
no tourist can afford to miss.
The journey from Munich occupies about
five and half miles and owing to the e1-
tension of the railway to Porter Kirchen, in
the valley of the Loisach, at the base of the
Zugspitz, the highest peak in Bavaria, the
trip can now be made with much more ease
than in former years. Every mile of the
Journey to Oberan possesses interest to the
tourist either from its wealth of legendary
lore, or from the rare beauty of its natural
scenery. From Oberan to Oberammergau is
about six miles. In comfortable carriage
we reach the summit of series of long,
easy, zigzag grades; up the mountain side,
some 900 feet, over a splendid road recently
constructed by the Bavarian government;
thence to our destination we have a level
road through the valley of the river Anmer.
WHERE NATURE is BEAUTIFUL.
This level ground reached, the pilgrim
stands in full view of a scene of surprising
beauty. To the right towers Mt Ettal,
with the ancient Benedietine Monastery of
Ettal nesting beneath it. This is the mon
astery founded by the German Emperor,
Ludwig, the Bavarian, in 1880. But the
monastery as such is no more, and the
monks who once inhabited it have long
since departed to their eternal rest. Only
the chapel with the miraculous Madonna
remains sacred to the uses of old. The bal
ance of the structure is devoted to the de-
generate purpose of brewing beer. To the
left is the towering peak of the KofeF with
the cross. This mountain is considered the
presiding genius of the place. Long before
the sun sends his rays down into the valley
the high cross is radiant with golden light,
and when the orb of day sinks to rest it re-
fleets the last faint glow of his vanishing
light. When a proposal was made to the
Oberammergauers to take their Passion
Play" to England they are reported to have
said: "We are willing to do so, but we
must take the whole village and its guar
dian spirit, the Kofel."
After half hours ride we reach Oberam-
mefgsu, a village of cottages of Swiss pat
tern, entirely surrounded by mountain
heights. On Saturday about noon the in
habitants of the country around about CON-
menced to arrive. They came on foot,
Alpine staff in hand, on horseback and by
the wagon load. Dressed in their pictur-
esque Tyrolean costume, midst much
laughter and singing of their melodious
carols, they came to swell the crowd and
lend additional interest to the scene, so that
by Saturday night the streets of the village
were overcrowded with the sudden increase
of some 4, 600 or more to its population.
Where they all slept is mystery.
CARED FOR BY A BARBER.
Every eottager during the season of the
play becomes hotel keeper to the extent OF
his accommodations. All the available
sleeping room is given up to the visitors,
the family for the time being retiring to the
quarters in the peaked roofs of their cot
tages. In this way about 5000 can
be taken care of. 1 found myself
with IL others the guest of Herr
Spiegel, the village barber. My host was
one of the participants in the play, acting as
one of the money changers in the temple,
while his youngest daughter, who served me
at the table, appeared as an angel in one OF
the tableaux, and was more intent in know
ing on Sunday at noon whether / had seen
her than in serving the excellent dinner
Frau Spiegel had prepared for us. A little
son, who exchanged some Alpine roses with
me for few pfenn1gen on Saturday evening,
showed up next day as cherub. So it is
that nearly the whole population of the vii
lRge takes part in the production of the play;
some Cos of them being in the cast in some
capacity or other. A very few hours stay
In the place enables the visitor to pick out
the male participants. They are DIS
tinguishable pY their very long hair, which
they refrain from cutting for months before
hand.
A perfect deluge of rain fell all day
Saturday and all night, and everybody,
players and visitors had reluctantly settled
to the conviction there could not be any
performance next day, for it must be re-
membered that the theater is only an en-
closure OF wood with the sky Tor a root and
the mountains for a background. But we
were saved the disappointment. Though it
was still raining at daybreak, it cleared up
in time for the performance to begin at 8
o'clock. Precisely at o'clock of the even
ing preceding the day of performance, the
village band, in Tyrolese uniform preceded
bv the local fire brigade, paraded the streets
of the village. The music announces the
approaching festival day. Nor is the visitor
of the Passion Play permitted to slumber
softly on play-day mornings. He is
awakened at the early hour Of o'clock by.
the firing Of the village cannon planted on
the meadows at the foot of the Kofel. This
early call is intended to admonish and ena-
bic players and visitors to attend mass be-
fore repairing to the theater.
THE AUTHOR HoNoRED.
The church is an interesting old structure
In the center of the town, and in the church
yard a neat monument marks the last rest
ing place of the Geistlicher Rath Daisen-
berger, the author of the present text of the
play. At o'clock the band and fremen
once more parade the streets, and at 8
O'Clock the belching of cannon announces
the time for the commencement of the per-
formance. The vast audience, occupying
every one of the 1000 seats, with a large
number standing, are promptly in place.
The production of the play consists in the
enactment of Is scenes, covering every event
in the life of Christ, from His triumphal