Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-19
PASSION PLAY is
IN FULL FORCE
Immense Crowds from All Parts of
World Arc Flocking to
0bersmmergau.
MANY AMERICANS ARE THERE
Decorations Are Made as Brilliant as
Possible.
SHAM Is CAREFULLY AVOIDED
Even the Hair and Boards of the
Players Are Real.
TALK NTH COSTUME MAKER
Proceeds of Performance Are Not
Sources of Mcrcennry Profit, as
Many Persons Generally
suppose.
SHAM IS CAREFULLY AVOIDED
Even the Hair and Boards of the
Players Are Real.
TALK NTH COSTUME MAKER
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

BY MALCOLM CLARKE
| BERLIN, June 1S-(SpeciaI Dispatch 10
! The Bee. THE Passion play at Ober-Am-
mergau is now in full swing and the little
village in the Bavaran highlands which
for nine years in each decade differs little
frcm the other little villages in that part
Of the world, is crowded to its capacity
with visitors and will be until the cool
days come in September. It Is safe to say
that every American tourist in Europe
this summer has Ober- Ammergau in his
itinerary. So much has been written about
the place and the play that do not in
tend to bore you with any description.
but I had a talk recently with Fraulein
Helene Lang, sister of the man who plays
the part of Christ. and to whom is as
signed the task of dressing the play and
from her secured some information which
l think will prove interesting.
| found that she cuts out every gar
ment worn in the play, and that each
garment is made by Bavarian women un-
der her immediate supervision. Fraulein
Lang did not understand much English,
but she kindly took me to some Of the
women who we're at work on the gar
mepts.
The greatest pains are taken TO make
the decorations as brilliant as possible
Every sham is avoided. Even the hair
and boards are real. No cheap, tlnselly
stuffs are used. Only really good materials
are employed, which cling to the body.
fall in graceful folds, and can stand sun
! light and rain. This naturally costs good
deal of money, since every ten years a
5 part of the costumes must be renewed
the old ones having been used up for
rehearsals, cut up. or otherwise spoiled.
Cost of the Costumes.
e Fifteen to twenty thousand marks are
given away every ten years by the Pas
sion play committee for this purpose The
principal characters wear rich wooden
stuffs silks and real gold trimming. The
: Jews and the Roman soldiers appear. in
these costumes, which the traditions OF
e the middle ages have handed down to us
: while warriors in shining armour. execu-
c toners and menials can satisfy the most
' eAacting taste.
Whilst going from one house to another
a Frauein Lang gave some figures relat-
: ing to the play. She told me, for-instance
). that one of the finest costumes has cost
nearly 800 marks.
|
needed, she replied, about 1000" So the
g ober-Ammergau stage will have a biz
lie cast Fraulein Lang informed me further
that this year she has had to cut GU
'r more than 600 extra costumes for the
Is play.
~ Then I asked my informant II she coulC
tell me anything about the salaries of tn,
:. players, and she told me that each play e
receives from so to 1900 marks according
70 to the part he or she plays-this sum il
70 for May to September.
T. where the Money Goes.
Perhaps itsmay interest you to know ex
70 actly what is done with the proceeds o
IN the Passion play. Many persons seem Il
IN imagine that the villagers are fat ant
r flourishing. This is not the case Tn
ar play sadly dislocates business Many O
10 the payers can do no regular work 10
n six months before the performances, 70
ne they have so many rehearsals TO attend
Id The Bavarian government has made
n condition that a full third of the clea
DO profits should be used after all payment
of of costs, for the general and public vel
fare of the Inhabitants of the village.
III The new theater has just cost Ober
at Ammergau the sum of $4,000.
,s' England May stop Ii.
n 1t is up to England to say when tn
race for Dreadnaughts will be called of
according to the Deutsche Tages-Zeitunl
1nat paper says:
as IF the English want to bring about
IS change in the naya. situation let then
re as the overwhelming superior party, tax
Ie' the lead. We shall not at all begrudge
u them. The Daily Mail and its friends mus
P' accustom themselves to the fact that Gel
y many feels herself In every respect on
i" plane of equality with the British world
power, and will proceed accordingl!
VIC whether it COMFORTS with English arrange
ments or not. II serious minded English
- men cherish the hope that this attitud
- will in any way be affected by the Kai'
~ er's visit 10 England. they would do we
~ to abandon SUCH illusions forthwith"
mt strauss Next Opera.
% 1t is reported from Dresden that Richar
strauss next opera, Cavaliers Of II
Rose" will be produced for the first tin
there early in December. The hbretto
~ by Hugo Won Hofmannstal, and the subtit
"a for the opera y comedy for music" IN
ooo plot is the hacRneyed one-a young elegan
- entrusted with a proposal Of marriage {
behalf OF an elderly, rich sutton, falling
. love with the lady, and having his 10y
aa, returned. The scene Is laid in the mldd
nv OF the eighteenth century. in Vienna,
ion the time Oh Maria Theresa.
my Religious Conference.
-, Berlin is ready to take care Of the fif
Congress of Free Christianity and Religio
Al. Progress which is 10 be held here begi
az. ming August 6 There will be large nul
,r,, Der Of delegates from the various Europe
oh countries and the United states will
particularly well represented.