The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-03

HISTORY OF OBER-AMMERGAU'S
ATTRACTION.

Plnyers--How the Participants are Sc
Iected and the Arrangement of the
Theatre.
Karl Koroly writes az follows from
Ober-Ammergau % the Boston Jour
nal: THE Passion Play now being per-
formed in OberAmmergau every sun
dav is of much older date than what
current tradition allows for it. 1t lie
not probable that simple villagers would
make a vow to perform play totally
unknown to them, and even in It's
rudest form, demanding such capacity
and preparatory study. In 1858 the ma
tiyes of Ober- Ammergau assembled and
made a solemn vow that they would
perform the Passion Play every ten
years IS thanksgiving, If the LORD
would take away the fearful pestilenCe
which had lust been introduced into
tbeir village by labOrer who came
from an adj Joining town to visit his wife.
From that time on. although a number
of persons were suffering. not one
more died of the plague. The vow
speaks Of the Passion Tragedy as some
thing we'll known: only he period OF
producing the play every ten years was
a novelty. Numerous representations OF
the history Of the suilerings OF Christ
I took place in Germa any, France ana
England as early as the fourteenth cen
msy, and they underwent numerous
changes. Even now performances OF
this kind are given IN some parts OF
Italy and at Nice, France. every year
during Holy Week, but they are not 10
be compared to the wonderful Ober-
Ammergau production. The decadal
pariod was chosen for 1861. and the
| Passion Play has been enacted IN TINS
| little Bavarian village every tenth year,
| with various Interruptions since that
time. One hundred years later the par
! ish succeeded in obtaining from the
Elector. Charles Theodore, special
nriyiicge for their lex )iatOry Sacrifice
| on Golgotha. At the beginning OF
this century. however, there prevailed
in the mountainous districts OF Bavaria
a liberal free-thnking spirit that was
hostile tosuch cxpTessionsof the popular
belief. and tie inhabitants Of OOer-Am-
mergau were not allowed t. continue
their representation until the year 1911.
- A CHURCHYARD.
Up to 1880 the play was performed IN
the village churchyard. but since then
a special theatre has been built for it.
which seats over four thousand people.
improvements in the play were made
bv the beloved Father Dalnsberger.
who became priest of the village IN
1915. aud under his judicious manage
ment the performance ol 1850 proved
itself To be an era in the history Of the
plav. lis present reputation IS indeed
! largely attributable 10 his efforts. the
performance of 1870 was suddenly in
ierrupted by the breaking out Of the
! Franco. German war, and several OF
the performers were called into the
ranks of the Bayarian army. King
Ludwig IT, had ever manifested q deep
interest in the Passion Play, and he in
terfered IN favor Of Joseph Maier, the
delineatOr Of the person OF Christ, ANA
permitted MIN to do service ID the Mu
Mich garrison instead of in the field.
and allowed him to let his hair and
beard grow, that they might be in good
condition for the next performance.
In 1871 the play was especially given as
a means of thanking God for the
blessings Of victory and peace.
PEASANT PLAYERS.
Foreigners often wonder how it is
that a company of peasant players can
produce a great drama in such an arts
tic manner but many influences have
been at work 20 produce the marvellous
peasant actors Of ODER Ammergau. II
the first place nearly all the principal
actors are wood carvers by profession.
and consequently their artistic m5tinct-
have been more highly cultivated than
are those of ordinary peasants. The
subjects which they execute by prefer
euce are Of the religious kind. mal0u
mas, crucidXes and chuich ornament.
aud the influence exercised by wool
carving upon the villagers Is seen IN the
/ IMPROVEMENT of taste and in the prep
aration of the people for the parta they
enact on the stage. Many of the WOOL
carvers deserve the nameef artists. and
What they cut out in wood they repre-
sent on the stage. Then the great train.
ing school for the Passion Play has all
! along been the village church, with Its
purely Catholic ceremonies. its process
sions. its music and song. The principal
festivals. such as the Resurrection
and the Ascension. are dramatically
represented IN the Ammergau church,
and at other times the natives
perform other dramatic subjects.
partly secular. partly religious.
These minor plays are acted by the
/ Ammergauers with great force, and eX-
cite the admiration OF the whole neigh
/ bOrhOOd. visitor coming from some OF
the more distant towns. They never
/ tire Of giving Dainsberger's master
piece. The Founding Of the Monastery
| Of Ettal. - OF the other original dra-
matte compositions of this author
which have been brought cat on the
| ODER Ammergau rehearsal stage we
may mention his st Geneyieve, St.
! Agatha. " and "Otto Won Wittelsbach.
! He also ADAPTED number Of secular
plays for the village boards. among
which william Tell, The Last
! Witch, - "Karfunkcl." and, "Durgher
ana JuUkCI nave deem BtilDlNtN, as
well as a christmas Play Music and
song have a prominentplace in all these
plays, and IN winter .here is generally
a performance every week. So the Pas
sion Play is not the only drama that the
Ammergauers produce. but during the
ten years interval their histrionic pow
ers arc developed and kept in training
by the production of other plays, both
religious and secular.
THE OPENING SCENE.
The great professions and the harmo'
NOUS working together OF masses Of
people on the Ammergau Stage have cX-
cited the admiration even OF skilled
dramatists. The opening scene Of the
play representing Cnrist's triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. when nearly five
hundred pers0ns-men, women and
children-jo IN the pageant. strikes
the spectator with amaz1ment. Such
harmony aud order could not have been
produced by mere theatrical drilling.
The only explanation OF Il is that all the
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