Evening star., 1933-04-09

famous "PGSsIOn Pt0y.
local parish priest) and six others elected by
the citizens. This committee names various
subcommittee to take charge of finances press
propaganda, music, housing of the visitors, etc.
On the day they are to choose the cast for
the Passion Play, the big committee meets to
attend religious service in the parish church
and invoke the blessing of God upon their de-
Hberations. Each member of the committee
then draws up list of those villagers whom
he considers best adapted to portray the various
roles.
Those who obtain the most suffrages are
then put down on a second list, from which the
committeeman make their choice for prefer
ences From this is prepared the third and
final list which Is now decided upon by secret
ballot.
There is no wire pulling and no politics In
it. Owing to the religious character of the play
and its worldwide reputation the committee
men are concerned only with getting the very
best people to III the various roles.
These elections usually take place about two
years before the play Is to be given However,
the election for the 1884 performances will take
place in October Of this year
AS the time Is so short, the chances are that
those elected will be. in the main, the ones who
enacted the roles In the performances Of 1890.
They are probably nearly letter perfect right
now and can soon brush up on what they lack.
The main characters in 1880 were: Christ,
Alois Lang: Peter, Peter Rendl; Judas. Guido
Mayr; John, Hams Lang; PLATE Melchior
Breitsamter, jr.: Mary, Ami Rutz, and Mag
dalen Hand Preisinger
Alois Lang. who played the part Of Christ
in 1880 and may be chosen again, Is a and
was trained a wood carver.
The performances Of the great play start at
8 sharp in the morning and 60 on then until
noon There Is then an interval Of two hours.
The performace IS resumed at 2 and ends at
$50 In all there are 40 changes Of scene.
The first division Is given in the forenoon.
There are eight spoken prologues and q large
number of choral songs. There are also II elab-
crate tableaus, representing scenes from the Old
Testament
HE acts in this first division follows:
Act one, the entry of Jesus into jerusalem;
act two, the meeting of the Sanhedrn; act
three, the leavetaking at Bethany; act four,
Jesus and His disciples return to Jerusalem;
act five, the last supper; act six, Jesus before
the Sanhedrin; act seven, the Garden of Geth-
semane.
In the afternoon the other two divisions are
given. The second division has five prologues
AMI nine tableaus from the Old Testament.
The acts are follows:
Act one, Jesus before Annas; act two Jesus
is condemned to death and Judas comes as a
penitent before the assembly; act three, the
despair and death Of Judas; act four, Jesus be-
fore PLATE; act f1ve Jesus before HerOd, with
the scourging and the crown of thorns; act
six Jesus BarabbaS?
The third division, which Is the elimination
of the greatest and most moving story ever re-
corded, has but three prologues and two tab
leaus. The acts are as follows. Act one, the
way to the cross; act two, the crucifxion; act
three. the resurrection; act four and finale the
ascension and the great Hallelujah chorus.
In the main, the Passion Play follows very
closely the text of the Bible. The simplicity
of the dialogue, the intense reverence and piety
Of the actors, their natural poses, their trained
eloquence, make of it one of the most moving
performances to be seen in the whole world.
It's effect upon audiences Is overwhelming.
The world tragedy is made visible and audible.
The audience sees and hears the story and,
therefore, grasps it more intimately than it ever
Bible
It has attack on the mind and heart that
is unequaled by any other stage performance.
For the simple men and women, who enact the
play not playing their roles. They live
them, because they believe in the utter and di-
vine truth of everything they say and do.
None of the scientific doubt, none of the So
called higher Biblical criticism" has touched
their simple and profound faith. They go back
to an age of devout belief
And Oberammergau, the village, Is worthy
of its great play Time has almost stood stin
there since 1888 The village contains Just
about the population it did three centuries ago.
With the exception of the coming Of the
electric light the telephone and the railway,
things are almost the same.
The streets are just as spotless. The houses
are about the same-big wooden structures,
many of them gay with frescoes painted over
$50 years ago.