The Washington times., 1922-09-03
BY JOHN LEYLAND---
traditions OF Oberammergau Home of the Passion Play
the Purpose OF which is to Portray the Life and Sunerngs of
0rs-AntOn Lang, Powerful In Depicting Christ interviewed

great scenes, especially that In
which the. Christus is brought for
the last time before PLATE, must
have cost a very large sum. Moth
ing Is wanting in artistic complete
ness. There is much that In de-
plorable In the external life OF
some Of the great cities Of Ger
many, but a deep current is NOV
ing. which turns to an expression
In religious drama.
Even in the manufacturing dis
trict OF the Ruhr met q dramatic
company OF young people. formed
in . sort OF guild. who enacted
plays something after the manner
OF Oberammergau. Therefore the
famous village OF Upper Bavaria
could not remain inactive. More
over. there was the great vow of
1888 to fulfill, and the Oberam-
mersauer will never forget that.
PLAYERS NEW AND OLD.
There was an abundance Of CD
thusiasm when once the plan had
been formed, and OF the sixty.flve
principal performers-there sre
about 600 in all-no fewer than
twenty took part In the representa-
ton in 1910. Anton Lang 10 stu
the Christus. Anton Lechner
speaks the prologue most nobiy.
Andreas Lang Is . great Peter,
especially in the noble soiiloquy Of
repentance for his denial. and Sc
bastian Lang u admirable as the
High Priest Annas. The last-nansd
II the father Of the very energetic
manager. Gsorg Johann Lang.
These were all IN the play ten years
ago. A new figure IL thnt Of Guido
Mayr. who 10 magnificent as Judas.
II II . tradition that the mother
Of the Christus shall be unmarried,
and therefore we have q new repre-
sentative Of the part. Martha veit.
The role IL not a large one In the
play, and she does not greatly dis
tinguish Il.
On the other hand, Paula Rendl
Is admirable a. Masdalsna. The
choir. numbering forty.five, 10 most
effective and perfectly trained. and
tho music, composed by Rochus
Dedler u77s.1s22). Is in many parts
singuiariy beautiful. Tho band 10
composed Of fifty performers. The
whole company includes about 900
men and women.
The great feature OF the Passion
Play 10 that II brings before us IN
marvellous representation, and in
remarkably successful groupings
OF figures and colors. the great
scenes in the Passion OF Our Lord.
and that In doing, so Il brings these
scenes into close association with
Incidents In the oh Testamenr.
In this matter, the speaker Of tho
Prologue, the leader OF the choir,
who II . wonderful bass singer,
and the choir itself. act after the
manner Of the Greek chorus.
They introduce each -"vorstel-
lung" advancing In equal numbers
from each side Of the proscenium,
call upon the people to realize what
they behold. and indicate the pre-
figuring Of the life of Christ In the
history Of the Jews. the incidents
being given In the form Of tabieaux
Of living figures on the retro-staee.
Thus, when Christ leaves Beth
ania, the tableau 10 OF the depart
ure OF the young Tobias from his
fathers house. ana when Christ 10
betrayed for thirty pieces Of silver.
there 10 . tableau Of Joseph being
sold by his brethren.
THE PERFORMANCE.
There 10 nothing Of the atmos-
phers Of . theater IN the repre-
sentation1 OF the Passion Play.