Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-25
Things You Want to Know
The Passion
Play

four parts the first part going TO the
poor, the second to defraying the expenses
OF the play. the third for the hospital, the
school OF design and other institutions Of
the village. The fourth is as an houorarium
Tor the actors. 4 small surplus is also
put aside for equal distribntion among the
villagers, so that all may share in the
financial benefits Of the celebration.
That the actors have not been overpaid
in the past is shown by the fact that
Joseph Mayr, who was the Christus in 1870
received only SlOO and in 1850 only Sl57 30.
while Gregor Lechnor. whose Judas was
the masterpiece Of both performances had
only SS. Undoubtedly the actors win re-
ceive vastly more than these sums this
year. And then, too. there will be thous-
ands Of dollars left in the town by tourists
who will wish TO stay there for seveal
days to study the life Of the peasants and
to make the journey up the mountain
Kopfel, familarly termed "Christus Kopr'
or Christ Head" The peasants go up
this mountain the day after the perform
ances as pilgrims to touch the metal COW
cred cross perched on the topmost point.
There is a belief among the natives that II
this cross falls it will be a visible symbol
that the Passion drama shall be dlscon-
tinued.
Until 1880 the performances were given in
the village churchyard and Il was not
until 1850 that the first theater was erected.
II was a barn-like structure OF boards, un-
rooted, except for the stage and boxes:
but in recent years an iron structure cap
able of seating about 5000 people has been
built In the intermissions between the
eighteen acts, the epilogue and the pro-
logue, and in explanation Of the tabIeaux
the chorus sings nearly fifty hymns All
the music is Bavarian and is pure and
classical low soft and sweet chiefly in
the minor key and with a refrain Of
lament running through the whole sug-
gestive Of the sad story, In the crucifixion
scene the peasant taking the part OF the
Christus undergoes a terrible physical
strain, for he is suspended in the air by
the bandages around his wrists for twenty
minutes.
Some Of the worlds greatest actors and
actresses have paid tribute to the remark
ably graphic power with which this won
derful story is enacted by these untutored
peasants. Edwin Booth, after witnessing
the performance in 1850, said: Never on
1 the stage have 1 seen better acting nor
finer conception of character" The great
/ success OF the Oberammergau. Passion
]
Of limitations one is given in the city of
Mexico. In the village Of Selzach. in
! Switzerland, the peasants have been very
successful in reproducing a passion play to
Mullers Passion Oratorio'' which WAS
given to the world in 1892. The idea Of
giving a passion play at SeIzach was CON
ceived by a party of enthusiastic citizens
after seeing the Oberammergau perform
ance in 1890. With proverbial swiss cour-
age they said: What others can do we can
! DO and they set 10 work The first ner-
formance was given in 1898 and achieved
! an immediate success.
Another Interesting religious festival re-
sembling the Oberammergau perform
ance, but antedating it, is the Spsn-
ish play, The Queen OF Elche" This
is enacted annually instead of decen-
nially and deals more with the Vfr-
gin Mary than with the life Of Christ.
/ The tradition Of its origin is that
/ on December 20, 1870. the statue Of a beau
tful woman was washed ashore with the
sheets Of a cantata Of music unimpaired
by the water. Ii was believed to be OF
miraculous origin and its fame spread
The sick came TO be healed. the blind and
halt to bow before it, Finally it was
placed in the cathedral of Elche. When
the music is played ana sung the church
Is transformed into a theater and those
who receive the sacrament are presented
with an azure blue lace fan with goldsn
sticks. The virgin is represented by a girl
OF 10 years. robed in a long blue siIken gar
ment with an aureole about her head
While the choir sings Mary kneels and
there descends a massive blue globe. or
Mangrana which opens and from the CEN
ter there appears an angel who scatters
coin among the assembled populace. The
angel presents Mary with a golden palm
leaf and the virgin, now about to die. asks
TO see the apostles and they pass near her
couch in alteration. The blue globe de-
scends once more and Mary's soul repre
sented by an exquisite doll robed in silk
ana ihcrusted with gems, Is taken by the
angel to heaven. For two days the recum-
bent form, with death mask. lies in stata
while the people with torches and candles
pass around it. Finally the clergy file ont
OF the vestry and the apostles Uft ths
cushion with the figure clothed in brocada
and with leweled ornaments They wraD
1t in grave cloth ana then entomb II he
neath the altar, which represents the sepuI-
chre. The heavens now apparently oman
ana through the illusion Of a golden shower
Is seen the Trinity. The miraculous. mirage
slowly descends in the glory OF its brocades
and jewels and a crown lights upon thu
mead The chorus sings an inspiring an
them and the festival is az an end
By FREDERIC ]. HAsRIH
TomorrOw-"Undsr Twenty-ons Flags.H