Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-09-03
PASSION PLAY
TO Be Revived
Oberammergau Committee Plans
to Put on Thirty Performances
of Great Spectacle.
MANY PARTS TO Be GIVEN OUT
Some Who Played Leading Roles in
Last Production Are Disqualified
by Age or for Other Reasons
Lang to Be Christ

Oberammergau, Baveria. - Thirty
performances of the Passion Play have
been scheduled for 1922 by the com
mittee of twenty-one which is direct
ing the spectacle, but this number will
be increased if the attendance de-
mAnds, as was the case both in 1900
and 1910
1t will require an outlay of 100000
marks to stage the Ohcrammergau
play and the villagers are extremely
anxious about the German political
situation lest conditions be such that
foreigners will not attend
The 360 burgherS. who constitute the
| descendants Of the original peasants
who made the vow TO produce the play
decennially, personally assume the re-
sponsihility for this expenditure, and
the failure to attract sufficient visitors
to meet the cost would result in the
bankruptcy Of practically the entire
village, as the Oberammergau folk
have slight resources.
Most of the burghers are wood
carvers, potters, painters, sculptors
farmers, merchants and small shop
keepers. Only the descendants of the
Villagers who were saved from the
plague in 1858 take part in the Passion
Play and assume responsibility for its
production.
Cast Announced In October.
Next October win be n fateful month
for thnp nc 10
who are to have the leading roles in
the spectacle will be announced.
To be selected to enact the role of
Jesus Christ or one of the apostles is
far greater honor to an Oberammer-
gau man than election to the Presl-
dency of Germany or any other office
within the gift of the entire German
people.
And any woman OF Oberammergau
would far rather be chosen to play
the rolH of Mary or Martha or Mary
Magdalene than to be in the position
of Frau Ebert as mistress of the Presi-
dents palace in Berlin
Many of the actors In TIE Passion
Play next year will doubtless be the
same rs those in the cast when the
play was last produced in 1910. Anton
Lang. who enacted the role of Jesus
Christ In 1900 ana 1910, will probably
be chosen for the part again, as he Is
still young enough to undertake the
arduous task and looks the part so well
that younger aspirants are not likely
to displace him.
Candidates for "Mary."
Ottilie Twink, who played the role Of
Mary In 1910, has married since that
time. No married woman cnn play d
role. Consequently all the Young
women of OherRmmergau with ability
and experience as actresses are eagerly
trying to qualify for the highly lmpor-
tant part, Paula Rendl, daughter of
Peter Rendl, the sculptor, who was Jo-
seph Of Arimathea in the play of 1910
and enacted the role of st. John
twenty-one years ago Is one OF the
most promising candidates for the role
Of Mary. Fraulein Redl has shown
great ability III minor religious plays.
Which are produced constantly by the
Oberammergau folk as means OF
training actors for the Passion Play
Marie Mayr, who played the role ct
Mary Magdalene in the 1910 produc.
tion, also has married and is living in
Chicago. Marie Schrnid, who was tho
Veronica In the last production, also
has married.
Eighty-twO of the Oberammergau
men died during the war, and many OF
the older actors of the last production
will be disqualified by age for i'm.
portant roles. Consequently there are
scores OF places in the cast to which
voting inen with ability as actors may
aspire. They have begun to let hair
grow. Wigs and makeup are not per-
mitted by the directors of the Passion
Play.
Practically all the older men who
had important parts in the last pro-
duction have never cut their hair.
Many of them have retained their long
boards and pride themselves on their
resemblance to the biblical characters
they have depicted,