Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-31
STORY OF PASSION PLAY
The Oberammergau Perform
ance Became Known to the
World Through a Novel.

Ter OF l-Oru lrSkinc, VINO liau murrlcu
Il German Baron. and who had become
thoroughly familiar with life in Ger
many, wrote n delightful story called
The Initials" which AT once became
very popular aud which was follow
by another hook. Quits" that achiov-
ed still greater success. and made
the name of the Baroness Tautphoeus
familiar 10 novel readers the world
over. Up to that time tho Passion
Play. performed ut Ol.crammergau In
| Upper Bavaria. had been almost com
| pletely unknown to English people ;
but SO vivid and thrilling was the do
| scription Of II in Quits" and SO
| great the interest It aroused. that s.
became the most earnest wish OF
| every reader OF the book 10 see IL for
| themselves, and 10 cNpcrncC the va.
rid emotions II aroused In Tho mind
Of the hero and heroine of tho sto-
| ry. This was not so easily accom-
| plished then MS II has become in re-
cent times MS tho play was perform
ed only once I'm ton years after long
| training and religious preparation on
the part OF tho actors. for II was still
| regarded by tho piOus peasants OF Oh.
lerammergau and the vicinity MS al
most entirely religious ceremony
Of the deepest solemnlty: and In no
wise as the theatrical performances
which strangers wore inclined 10 call
H. And then. nj that time the village
| where the play was performed lay In
\ little known part of Bavaria. quite
| Il distance from any railroad and ont
Of tho ordinary line of American and
| English travel; so that those travel
lers who We're fortunate enough to
witness performance Of it consid
cred themselves MS being extremely
favored
The play as performed at Oberam
moreau was instituted in the year
1913 In fulfilment of vow made by
! the villagers In n time OF pestilence:
and It has heen performed regularly
every ten years from them until now
with but two exceptions The first
| interruption was early I'm the last
century. when Montclgas, tho minis
ter of the interior. attempted to put
| Il stop to what ho chose 10 regard as
| n foolish practice by prohibiting the
performance. Tho snperstitious meas.
ants. fearing that the failure to fulfil
their vow might bring some terrible
calamity upon tho village, petitioned
the King to be allowed to continue
the play: and. after they had agreed
20 some changes in Its structure, the
permission was granted and the play
took Mace as usual. The second In.
tcrruption was In 1870 when the war
with France called some OF the per.
| formers into tho German army: but
VI was resumed the ncxt year. and
| the performance in 1880 attracted n
| larger crowd of spectators than had
over before witnessed It's representa-.
iiOn. Since that time the crowds have
greatly increased. and much better
accommodations arc offered them by
the cntcrprising Bavarians. who are
no moro aversc than the rest OF the
world 10 make an honest penny from
tho curious public.
| This Passion Play nj Obcrammer.
gan Is the last remnant of the mys.
teries. moralitics, or miracle plays of
| the Middle Ages. under which names
We're included n variety OF perform.
ances Of religious nature. The sub.
jccts OF these wore drawn from the
| Scriptures. or from events In the
lives OF the Saints; and sometimes
they were merely an alogory. in
which abstract qualities were person
iiicd and played a part as they do in
Sponsors Facrie Quecnc In those
days, when people so seldom heard
the Bible read. and when not ono in
n hundred was able TO read il for
himself, they must have acquired
very strange ideas OF sacred things
from these representations To soc
the sacred names of the Trinity. IF
angels and archangels. disciples
apostles and martyrs among the ORA
mats personae of n play bill. seems
impions to modern ideas; but proba.
lly they gave no offcnse in those
times when people appear TO have
been on very familiar terms with the
spiritual world-to Judge by thei.
writings.
Their sacred plays were at fist in
Latin. and We're performed in church
es or in the chapels of inconsistencies
hut soon they were translated ana
were performed at the Courts in III
different countries and by trade
guilds on festive occasions. An old
author speaking OF the stages thei
in use. says: "They usually consist
ed on three platforms one above tn,
other. The first occupied by divine
personagcs. the second by angels
and the third by living men. On on.
side of the stage was dark pitchy
flaming cavern. from whence issue.
Missing and noises rs Of souls in tor
ment. It's occupants were the bur
ICONS and testers of the company
VINO came out and took their part up
on the stage when necessary"
Whatever good may once have bco,
accomplished by these religious per
formanees. their use as n means y
instruction has long since passc;
away. with the increase of education
anu intelligence among those the,
were Intended to cdify; while the re
isions sentiment of the present da,