The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-05-15
AMERICAN THRONG
AT PASSION PLAY
Compose Half of Audience at
First Performance in
Twelve Years.
PORTRAYAL is SUCCESS
Visitors From All World Over
Are Welcomed to Ober-
ammergau.

OBERAMMEReAU, May IA ASSOCIATED
Press) To-day saw the first public per-
formance since 1910 OF the world re-
nowned Passion Play. with the high
landers of this Bavarian village the
actors. Tire revival of the pageant
dramatizatfon of the life of Christ was
before an audience of some 1000 per-
sons.
Il hope the Passion Play Will consti-
tute a basis Erom which more friendly
intercourse between nations will result
in better interna tional UNDERSTANDINGS,
said Anton Lang, who plays the role of
Christ ITO me there could be no better
place for a peace conference than ODER
ammergau. with the teachings OF its
Passion Play"
Lang's every gesture and his attitude
on or off the stage personify man
of peace. and his personality reflects
the devout character and sturdy IDEAL
ism which since 1898 have guided the
villagers devotion in presenting the play
every ten years. except for rev nee
essary Interruptions.
Thousands of tourists are here for the
Passion Play. Those who had been priv
LEGGED last week to witness the final
day on the undoubted effect of the sur
rounding natural beauty upon the yearn-
ings of the villagers OF Oberammergau
for the higher things of life. The majes-
tic peaks Of the Bavarian Tyrol in which
Oberammergau Is pocketed seem like
solemn sentinels guarding its unique en-
terprise from the commercialism of the
world outside.
The bells of the parish church which
L.. ,;,.cx fha inha 6it ante
to the last mass before the opening OF
the Passion Play season. yesterday
toIIed final rites over a prominent MEM
Der of the cast. Anton Mayr who played
the part OF the disciple Thomas. Mayr
caught cold fortnight ago while re-
hearsing on the outdoor stage and died
on Thursday. He leaves five children,
all of whom will continue to participate
In the play.
Half There Americans.
Fully half of to-day's audience was
made up OF Americans, among them
George A. Bucklin. Consul in Coblenz,
and Mrs. Bucklin, and Col. Ezekiel j.
Williams Of the American General Staff,
and Mrs Williams. The English dele
CATION was next in size. There were
MANY Germans. Russians and Dutch.
The inhabitants of Oberamnergau
are sparing no pains to billet foreigners
comfortably and to entertain them gen.
orally. Visitors mingle freely with and
are largely billeted In the homes or
actors and actresses of the Passion Play.
The wife of Anton Lang assigns a con-
siderable number of them to the homes
OF villagers.
The village itself does not forget the
realistic side of life while portraying
its idealism. Fourteen members of the
Red Cross. as well as fremen OF the
local department.. stand ready in the
theater for any emergency.
Brilliant sunshine flooded the tiny
valley this forenoon after two days OF
rain. The performance proceeded fault
1essfy and was highly commended.
Beside the art OF Lang. the interpre-
tation given the part of Judas by Guido
Mayr was particularly powerful In the
scene of the fourth act when meditating
whether he should betray Christ and
specializing on the result of betrayal.
and later his despair. He held his audi
ence in intense interest by his keen his
trionic ability virtually every time he
appeared.
LAST supper Portrayed.
Lang strikinrly depicted the principal
events in the life of Christ. such as the
Criving OF the money changers from the
temple, the parting with His mother at
Bethany. the Last Supper" Gethsemane
ard the scene before PLATE. Breathless
attention. lasting some rninutes, greeted
Martha Veith's portrayal of Mary at
Bethany parting from her son. Others
with outstanding roles were Hugo Ruiz
as Coidphas, the High Priest Peter
Rendl as Joseph OF Ai-imdtheo: Will
helm Lang as Nicodemus and Hans
Mayr as plate.
The staging OF the spectacle was re-
marleable throughout. especially the
crucif1xion scene. In which Lang remains
aloft on the cross for nineteen minutes.
The main chorus as well as the aux
i,iary singers indicated unusual talent
on the part of the director
The numerous tableaux depicting Old
Testament episodes were consistently
well posed. About 700 persons partici-
pated in the scenes showing the en-
trance OF Christ into Jerusalem. The
ages OF these persons ranged from three
years old to octogenarians.
Lang said this evening that the re-
ception given to-day's performance was
the best he ever had seen.
Owing to the steadfast refusal OF the
people of Oberammergau to grant con-
cessions i'm connection with the Passion
Play which would bring profit TO the
village the hordes of motion picture
men here arc being restricted to the
taking OF street scenes.