Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-05-21
In Preparatisa Three Years.

For three years the peasants of Ober-
ammergau have been preparing for
this summers work. They look upon
the play as a religious rite. and none Is
allowed to take part whose life has
not been without reproach. The three
years preceding the performances are
looked upon as a period OF consecra-
ton.
The selection OF the peasants to en-
act the various roles is made on Dec.
G, the celebration of the feast of ST.
Nicholas. No higher honor does life
hold for these peasants than to be
chosen to enact the role of the Christus
or the Virgin Mary. The role of Judas.
which offers the finest acting oppor
tunities in the whole play, is always Il
source of the deepest grief to the per
son chosen for the part. 1t Is accept
ed, however, with the spirit that the
actor will endeavor to make the scene
of remorsc so poignant that it will be
a never to be forgotten object lesson
play are divided into 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 honorari
um for the actors. A small surplus Is
also put aside for equal distribution
among the villagers. so that all NAV
share in the financial benefits of the
celebration.
That the actors have not been over
paid in the past is shown by the fact
that Joseph Mayer. who was the
Christus in 1870, received only S10a
and in 1880 only $T57.5O. while Gregor
Lechnor, whose Judas was the master
piece at both performances. had only
$50. Undoubtedly the actors will re.
ceive vastly more than these sums this
year. And tien, too, there will be
thousands of dollars left in the town
by tourists who will wish to stay there
for several days to study the life Of
the peasants and to make the journey
up the mountain Kopfel. familiarly
termed Chfistus Kopf, or Christ
Head. The peasants go up this noun.
tain the day after the performance
as pilgrims to touch the picturesque
cross perched on the topmost point
There Is a belief among the natives
that If this cross falls 1t will be a
visible symbol that the Passion drama
shall be discontinued.
A New Madonna.
Necessarily ten years bring about
many changes in the dramatis per
sonae. Those who witnessed the Pas
sion play in 1900 will recognize this
year only three "holdovers." Johann
Swink. Judas. whose daughter. Otelia.
is to be the new Madonna; Anton
Lang, Christus. who with his wife.
soprano soloist In the cast OF 1900.
and their children, gives us a typical
Oberammergau family. and BuPgo
master Sebastian Baur. who WILL
again represent Pontius PLATE. Sehas-
tian Lang, the Calaphus OF 1900, has
been assigned the role OF the ex-high
priest Annas.
Oberammergau lies forty-three miles
southwest Of Munich. which is in the
far southeastern part of Germany. In
a straight line Munich is scarcely 200
miles across the Austrian Tyrol from
Venice. BY rail 1t is a fourteen hour
journey or so from Bremen. Hamburg
or Rotterdam. a distance of about 500
miles.
Oberammergau is within easy mo-
toring distance Of Munich. but the fact
that the Passion play begins at s in
the morning will serve to discourage
any bur the most energetic AUTOMOBILE
lists from attempting the forty-three
miles between breakfast time and the
opening of the performance. There
is to be an airship line. too. |. is said.
with a round trip fare of $175 a pas
senger. It's the drst airship line reg
ularly to be opened in the world. and
the captain of the ship will be an
officer from the aeronaptie corps Of
the German army.