Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-17
Oberalnmergau'
Preparing for
The Passion Play
Thirty Performances Have
Been Scheduled for 1922 by
Committee Which Is Di.
recting Spectacle.

Oberammergau, Bavaria, July 10.
Thirty performances OF the Pas
sion play have been scheduled for
1922 by the committee Of 2l which is
directing the spectacle, but this
number will be increased if the at
tendance demands, as was the case
both in 1900 and 1910.
n will require an outlay OF l,s00,-
900 marks to stage the Oberammer-
gau play and the villagers are ex-
tremely anxious about the German
political situation, lest conditions be
such that foreigners will not attend.
The 800 burghers, who constitute
the descendants of the original peas
ants who made the VOW to produce
the play decennially, personally as
sumo the responsibility for this ex-
penditure, 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 re-
sources.
Start In October.
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 III the
Passion play and assume response
bility for its production.
Next October will be fateful
month, for then the names of the vii
layers who are to have the leading
roles in the spectacle will be an
nounced.
To be selected to enact the role of
Jesus Christ or one of the apostles
is far greater honor to an Ober-
ammergau man than election to the
presidency of Germany or any other
Office within the gift of the entire
German people.
And any woman of Oberammer-
gau would far rather be chosen to
play the role of Mary or Martha or
Magdalene than to be in the position
cf Frau Ebert as mistress of the
presidents palace in Berlin.
Will Be Same Cast.
Many of the actors in the Passion
play next year will doubtless be the
same as those in the cast when the
play was last produced in 1910.
Anton Lang, who enacted the role
Of Jesus Christ in 1900 and 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 wn' that younger
aspirants are not fikely to displace
him.
Ottilie Twink. who played the
role of Mary in 1910, has married
since that time. No married woman
can play role. Consequently all the
young women of Oberammergau
with ability and experience as ac-
tors are eagerly trying to qualify for
the highly important part. Paula
Rendl, daughter Of Peter Rendl, the
sculptor, who was Joseph of Ari-
mathea in the play of 1910 and
enacted the role of St. John 2l
years ago, is one of the most prom
Using Candidates for the role of Mary.
Fraulein Rendl has shown great
ability in minor religious plays
which are produced constantly by
the Oberammergau folk as means
of training actors for the Passion
play.
One Lives In Chicago.
Marie Mayr, who played the role
of Mary Magdalene in the 1910 pro-
duction, has also married and is liv-
ing in Chicago. Marie Schmid, who
was the Veronica in the last pro-
Guction, has also married.
Eighty-two of the Oberammergau
men died during the war and many
OF the older actors of the last pro-
duction will be disqualified by age
for important roles. Consequently
there are scores of places in the
cast to which young men with ability
as actors may aspire. They have be-
gun to let their hair grow. Wigs and
makeup are not permitted by the di-
rectors of the Passion play.
Practically all the older men who
Lad 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