Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-30
PASSION PLAY OF 1910.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

vast amphitheater at Oberammergau
| there was no applause, even after the
| most tragic and moving scenes. The
whole people seemed. imbued with the
| those who watched was the best answer
to the oft-repeated question: Are the
! Oberammergau players sincere?'
The great scene of the play is. of course,
the crucifixion. The player who imper-
| sonates Christ
Crucidxion Scene is suspended
Extremely Realistic. fo D' from ,,o9 ''6 a.
teen to twenty minutes. No thongs are
visible The body seems held on the cross
by the nails which are painted on the
hands and feet The figure is clad In
flesh-colored tights, with a white turban
| about the loins, as seen in all paintings
of the crucihxion. The great shock of the
scene comes when the Roman soldiers
climb up to the crosses of the thieves and
strike their limbs with stuffed clubs. The
bodies crunlple.
| AS the soldiers approach the central
| cross messenger arrives from the PLATE
| announcing that the bones of the Naza-
rene are not to be broken. Whereupon
soldier seizes spear and moves toward
| the suspended figure. The average spec
! tatOr continues to look, because he feels
that there will be only the sembance OF
/ a stroke. What is his horror when he
| sees the spear thrust into the side Of the
central figure. There is sudden fright
full squirt of blood and a gasp from the
thousands of spectators. The scene IS
lterrifyingly realistic. The illusion Is car
| ried ont by having concealed under the
tights a small bag of red fluid just over
! the heart. When this is punctured there
| is the gush of blood which makes one
feel that a human life is actually being
taken.
Another impressive scene is the one in
i which the Nazarene Is prosecuted by the
soldiers. Seated on a small stool and
clad in a robe Of royal red the Man is
scoffed at, spit upon and slapped by His
tormentors Then there Is brought forth
the crown Of thorns. 1t is placed upon
His head and four soldiers seize two long
bars. They cross these over His head,
and, one at each end, they press the
thorns down upon Hts brow. A shudder
Of pain passes over the face OF the tor
mented one as He turns His head to the
right, and then the figure willis slightly
under the stress Of physical suffering.
4 Il
Anton Lang, who played the part Of the
Christus this year, and also in 1900 is a
quiet unas-
Anton Lang Objects Stunning indi-
to Being Conspicuous. seems seems to "h he
embarrassed by the curiosity. which the
visitors manifest toward him. An Incl
dent which occurred one August after
noon will serve to show his objection to
the 'limelight." A party Of two or three
was in his shop buying postcards and
pottery, which he makes at his own
wheel. AS he stood behind his counter
showing his wares a group OF four or
five spectators gathered at the window
and began to stare at the man who, on
the following day. was to impersonate the
Savior. He seemed to be more or less
troubled for a few moments and then
quietly asked one Of his customers If he
would object to drawing down the
shades, as Il do not like for people to
stare"
Lang in his home is kindly, cordial
host and greets the visitor with a warm
! handshake. He speaks excellent English,
with scarcely any accent. During the last
1--WE months the central figure of the
| town has been greatly oppressed how
! ever, by the numerous visitors who have
| called with the sole purpose of shaking
! hands SO they could tell the folks at
| home"
| Some criticism was voiced this year
! against the acting Of the beautiful young
| Ottilie Twink. daughter of Johann Twink
who plays Judas. Fraulein Twink was
| the Virgin Mary, and it was urged in
| many quarters that an older woman and
| one who had wider experience in life
would have realized the acting value of
F., the part more fully. But the average
| spectator failed to take into considers
| ton one of the :tetets of the Oberram-
mergau Passion FIay committee, that no
married woman shall ever take the part
| of either of the Marys.
No wigs are permitted to be worn by
| the Passion players and no makeup is
allow ed. Those who hope to take part
| in the performance allow their hair to go
unshorn for three years prior to the first
| presentation. Next week the village bar
| Der Of Oberammergau will have his
| hands full. and every mother will take
| up her scissors with relief and trim away
| the locks of hair which have been such
| care to her and to her children who
have taken part in the tableaux and in
the mob scenes Of the Passion Play Of
| 1910
Tomorrow-BAPTIST WORLD ALLI-
| ANCE.