New-York tribune., 1900-08-19
a STREET CORNER IN oBERA11MERGAU.

other question is neversasked here but the trav-
eller constantly hears Il on the way It is ex-
pressed in many ways. but the substance of It
is: Has Oberammergau become hopelessly mod
eTn and nave its people grown hopelessly degen-
crate and rnercenary?'
To answer the first~question is not altogether
pleasant because the answer must needs con-
sist ali Of comparisons. Yet comparisons are Just
what the questioners want and VIII have The
answer which is softest and most likely to turn
away wrath is this: In 1890 the Passion Play
was fortunate IN having such a group Of actors
Tor the leading parts is not likely to be found
twice in a century, and the most Of these could
not for one reason or another. play the same
parts this year. Even this village, which forms
players Of the Bible story it were out of its
OWE earth, may never find another man who
can play the part of the Christ as Josef Mayr
played it. There was not in the Village another
woman with the Madonna-like face Of Rosa
Lang TO play the Mother Of Jesus. The fine face
and figure, the majestic presence and the stern
force OF the old Boroughmaster. Johann Lang,
could Eot be found again Tor the part of
Caiaphas- And to these were added two who
are among the best in the play this year, Johann
Twink Judas. and Peter Fsendl as John.
It is not 10 be denied that a spectator Of ten
years ago on seeing the play this summer feels
now and then that something which he remeu-
speech here and there not quite as they have
been carried in the mind for all these years
and with all the-adIniration for the play as Il Is
there IS a touch ofNdisappointment that it Is not
wholly it was. But when the play Is seen a
second and third time some part Of this feel
ing passes away, and it is seen that where
there has been change it is not always worse,
but sometimes merely different, while at one or
TTo points it is actually better
a HIGH STANDARD SET.
Something has been said in a previous letter
about the acting Of those who have the leading
parts, and chat need not be repear,d except so
far is inevitable for the purposes Of COM
parison. 1t is muGh to the credit of Anton
Lang. who plays the Christ, that those who row
see the play for the first time are hard to per-
suade that it could be done better How did
Mayr's performance compare with Lang s"'
they ask. with anxiety in their tones The can
did judge is Obliged to answer that Mayrs was
better. They insist an explanation as to
how it could be, better; and this involves the
necessity Of speaking in terms which IT is hard
not 10 make ungslRrous OF the young man V no
is striving with all his strength for the faithful
performance Of a. great and hard task and is
succeeding in it as far as he has strength to
succeed. Lang plays his rart with the earnest
sense which every dHeller in Ohss.mmergau
has-that TO play his part well II loe Passion
the feeling that he is representing One who is
more than human; there are times when he con-
veys this feeling 10 his audience, and this is
especially true in the last scenes of suffering
But when the comparison is demanded il must
be simply this: Mayr did all that Lang does:
moreover, he had a.sweet, sympathetic and row
erful voice. which Lang has not and he had
that s+range quality commonly called mag
netism. Of which Lang has little. Neither does
saw them. He is a young man. and he will
probably improve
II is a pleasure still to'see Mayr's command
ing form and TO hear hisrfne voice in his part Of
the prologue Whenever the chorus appears he
stands in the middle OF the line and recites the
words which introduce and explain the scenes
and the relations Of the tabieaus to than
Enough has been said Of the actors of 1890 and
there is no need of comparing them each to each
with the actors Of this year 1t will be nleas
anter to notice two points where the plav has
gained. Johann Zwinks Judas is better than II
was ten years ago. He has softened the hard
lines Of the part. He has made IL deeper truer
IN form, more symmetrical He is less violent
than before. He exaggerates IL legs He sbou,s
the working OF the mind more; makes the action
more logical and the end laore tragic and less
grotesqSe. 1t IS traditional for the peasant part
of the audience TO laugh at Judas but il does so
now much less than IL used 10 DO And Pete-
Rendl plays John better than he did He has
gained In understanding too. He plays the rart
instead Of merely speaking the lines His face
too has lost its youthful softness while II keens
the purity which well fitted him for the mart
OF the Beloved Disciple
And when individuals are forgotten, as they
should be in the Passion Play for much Of
the time, and the play is looked at as a whole
there is no room for anything but praise. The
tableaus and the other stage pictures seem