Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-08

sight of the cross. There are only two
hundred little cottages in the village;
the river Ammer flows in the midst,
giving not only its name to the town,
but imparting its charm as well.
The people are devout, uninitiated
in the ways of the great world, liv-
ing far apart from the fashion and
turmoil of life; perhaps it is that
which gives them their look of con-
tentment. With the utmost sincerity
they view the decennial performance
of the Passion of Christ. To them
the performance is religious duty,
and they accredit you with the same
feeling of reverence and homage. To
their mind you have come to observe
with them this holy time.
The Passion play is survival Of the
miracle and mystery plays of the mid
die ages. How long it has been en-
acted at Obermmergau, scholars are
In doubt. We have the record of de-
cennial performances since the year
of the great plague in 1888. Then,
so the legend runs, the people vowed
that if they were delivered they
would henceforth follow the custom
Of observing the sufferings and death
of Christ. After the performance of
1878, the play was given at the be.
ginning of each decade, and has con.
tinued with little interruption since
The performances begin in May and
continue until October, and are US.
ually given on Sundays. During July
and August, however, the play is CIV
en- during the week, often on Monday
and occasionally on Wednesdays.
For a time the play was given
in the church yard, but after 1880 it
was necessary on account of the in
creasing number of peasants and Wis
itors, to move to an open field on
the outskirts of the village. Event
ually a theatre was built. It was
completed in it's present form in 1900,
and seats about 1000 spectators. In
appearance it resembles a railway
station. Seven iron Orders, having a
span of 40 feet, hold up the roof and
give an uninterrupted view to every
visitor.
Promptly at o'clock in the morn
Ing the drama opens with the music
OF the great orchestra. The music
was written by Dedler, a simple
school master in the village, but q
musician of great ability; this was
in 1910. Shortly afterwards, under
the scholarly labors of Weiss, the
drama was cast into much it's pres.
ent form. A strain of coarseness ran
through the medieval dramas, and
this Weiss expunged.
Not infrequently> in these early
forms of the Passion play, the last
discourse Of Christ would be inter.
rupted by drinking songs: Hardly had
the Prologus made known to the
audience the purpose of the play be-
fore the impersonation of the devil
appeared with speech calculated to
destroy the effects of what had been
said. assuring the audience that they
could make as much disturbance as
possible, and promising them q rich
reward in the future life. Later on
the devil and his attendant imps
seize the body Of Judas and carry it
gleefully of the stage. But all that
has now been done away with; Father
Daisenberg of sacred memory (he
died in 1889, further revised the
drama and today we have q play that
does no violence to our artistic
taste or religious feelings.
There are eighteen acts, twenty.
i've tab1eaux and chorus between the
acts, the drama taking the whole day,
save an intermission at noon.