Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-11-03

L 4
fhe Passion Play at oberammergau
was written by Walter ]. Meek, form
erIy Of this county and published IN
the Hope Dispatch. 1t gives a graph
ic picture of the famous event wnicn
.oceurs only every tenth year. Fifty
two presentations were given tnis
year; receipts 100000; 5000 per-
aens attended each performance
Due-third the proceeds goes to the
c,tv one-third to the church, one
third to the Players i
We have reached our goal All
summer we have been walking east
ward through green valleys and over
aDowy mountain passes with the
thought of this little village in our
hearts. Like true pilgrims we elect
ed to enter on foot. So YESTERDAY
we set out through the Deautllul
Havarian Highlands in search oil a
mountain with a golden cross and a
peasant village at its base. ! neeo
not tell of the drenching rain ana
the cold. Enough that there came
a rift in the clouds and down the Vai-
lev we saw cross and wnite
church tower, and knew that at last
we were in oberammergau.
oberammergau is a village OF some
400 souls, situated in high valley
iust where the mountains OF southern
Germany melt away into the iertile
Mains of Bavaria. The people are
mostly wood carvers. The country
Is Catholic in religion, and they sup
ply the demand for carved cruciilAes
and figures of sacred personages'
Though simple in their tastes one
must not think the people of oberam-
Nmergau uneducated. On the 1con-
3yarv they are well schooled' FOND OF
poetrv and music, and cultured to a
aurprising degree. They are no more
simple peasants than the people OIL
Dickinson county are simple peas
ants. In late years the people OF tn'
v,bole world have become everywhere
very much alike. The newspaper
telephone, telegraph and >raifroau
In
have brought isolated regions out IN
70 the active twentieth century word
Oberammergal, perhaps to the sur
ur,se Of some Americans, is no ex
ception to this rule
The village is famous because 10
nearly three hundred years 1t has re
l,riously kept Its word. An Amer
lean city does well If It keeps TO on
policy for year, but here is a llttl
town in Germany that has Kept \
vow since 1884. In that year I'd
Hack Plague was raging In Europ
ana finally it appeared in oberan
worgau In a season Of prayer tn
good people vowed to present a ia
v,on play every ten years II the Lor
should hear them and stay u
plague. At once the ravages OF "
disease ceased, and ever since u
highest ambition of the people nj
.1,aon N keep the promise OF the
fathers, a.
This was by no means the fir
Passion Play. Biblical plays an
acene depicting Christ's suffering
had been common from the eighth
ninth century. But to oberamme
xau belongs the credit OF refinir
these representations and builol1
them into world famous perforr
ance.
II takes about two years to pr
rare the play. During this time CO
times are planned and made par
assigned and the actors trained II
assigning of parts is a most impoi
ant act which usually takes place
a Christmas week. Divine serVic
precede the meeting Of commit
of thirty who assign the leaoi
roles. The greatest care Is taken
filling the parts Of the Christ Ma
and John. The candidates must
AeyOut and so far as possible look :
mart assigned. About 700 appe
an the play. There are lO4 spe'
ang parts for men and Is wom'
AFTER the roles are filled practice
ems in small groups until the spri
hesore the play is given, when III
~shearsais are undertaken. I
work Is both a business and la'
~ love.
Every effort is made to have e'
actor look lbs part This leads
ZONE amusing conditions. Two ye
aro on our visit to oberammerI
sAs only man in the village who "
aunG hair was Anton Long; but
ysar We had no sooner arrived 9
ne noticed that every other MAJ
Aad long hair. 1t looked as II