The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-06-09
Village Potter of Oberammergau
Refused 81 100000 from Movies

picked more demure and virgin-pure
character. 1t Is a great honor in Ba-
varia to be named for this part, and
according to an old tradition the priest
who takes the village confessions has
the veto power on any candidate.
Martha has that vlrginal forehead
which characterizes the best paintings
of the Virgin Mary. She is only twen-
tyfour, and has never played before,
but She will make the proper impress
sion by her evident purity and char
acter.
Martha was much embarrassed at
having to receive q strange foreigner
and talk about herself. She led me
out of her fathers shop, where found
her, and into her own room. The only
place for me to sit was her modest
little bed, while she faced me nervous
ly from little stool. don't know
which of the two of us was the most
embarrassed, but she gradually re-
lieved our mutual restraint as she told
me how she was reared In the con-
vent and had received the education
necessary to be a governess. She lived
so hidden in her fathers house that
she could not believe it when she was
council bad elected her to the role of
Mary. She did not suppose any one
had noticed her enough for that.
"What are you going to do with the
money you will get?" l asked, my
mind still on the forbidden mercenary
angle.
II don't know" she replied, rather
startled. There is not anything
want"
"Yes, but the last Mary got 900
marks, which would be forty or fifty
thousand marks now"
She turned surprised eyes at me as
mentioned the figure, but said moth
ing.
A Gay Little 1Macdaiene."
Paula Kendl, the Mary siagdalene.
Is quite gay little person. She is only
twenty-one. She comes from family
which has produced many Passion
players. Her mother Is daughter Of
Josef Meyer, the most famous Christ
of the last century. Her father Is the
wood-carver who has played the part
of John the Baptist.
When I asked her what she was
going to do with the money she earned,
she said she was going to travel. She
has spent all her life In the village
and she wants to go out and look
about bit.
The man who will play John the
Baptist this year Is also first-timer.
I had to seek him In the forest where
he was saving wood. 1t was about the
dinner hour, and he struck work and
walked home with me, and there he
sat down to his sausage, potatoes and
beer, while he told me that 1t had al
ways been his ambition to play this
part, and he had succee1ed In his
great wish at the early age Of twenty
three. He Is very serious young
chap, quite In the spirit of the COM
munity. He Is the nephew Of the
Herod.
None Likes the "Judss" Part.
1t is always difficult to get anyone
to take the part Of Judas, because the
stigma clings to the actor In private
life. He must be no less honorable
than another to have so important =.
role, but he Is forever afterwards nn-
der slight cloud. 1t Is played this
year by Karl Mayer.
Perhaps the whole Oberammergau
community feels just little under q
cloud, as their Judases always do.
They have been cut Off from the whole
world. a part. Of o nation which has
been at war with most Of the world.
Now they are preparing to receive the
whole world again. and they are not
'sed to the. idea yet. They still have
that Judas-like cloud over them. But
as they will say in their announce
ments:
"SIxty-seven sons Of the village lost
their lives In the war. Let us think
~ them with honor. and with them of
the heroes Of all places and nations, be
they friends or former enemies"
They do not yet realize that no one
who comes to Oberammergau will
come with the thought Of the war
/ still In mind.--Aksel Faber in the New
~