The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-03-08
Bv MILTON BRONNER

European Manager, MIA Ser'Aco
 London-Lent, a period always observed with great piety in Ober- ammergau, is being given special stress this year in Bavaria's famous little mountain village.
 This year of all years the vll- lagers are greeting the Easter sea- son with greater ceremony than usual, because this is the 30Oth an- niyersary of the great plague from which they were saved by mass prayer. Cor next years reenactment of the Pas sion Play, just as their ancestors vowed to do when the plague sup sided, and as they first did in 1854. Tn April begins the Holy Year ln- stituted by the Pope. Further, the Passion Play is itself re-enact- ment of the events of Holy Week, and this summer the actors who will play the roles next year VIII he chosen by vote of the villagers, as has always been their custom Already candidates for some or the roles are beginning to let their halr and boards grow, for no makeup is allowed for the roles, and to be elected the actors must look as well as act the part.
 Thus, Lent, eliminating in Holy Week and Easter is being especially observed this spring in the Little mountain village which won world renoun for it's Catholic piety. And greater than ordinary fervor is go- ing into their preparations for the miracle play which they still enact regularly to fulfill a 30O-years vow.
 During the Thirty Years War, Bohemians, Austrians, Germans, Swedes and, finally, French, bat tied back and forth across German territory. In the wake of unburled dead and polluted water, came ln- eyitable plague. Pestilence broke out in villages near Oberammer- gau. In some nearly everybody died.
 Oberammergau established a rig orous quarantine, shut itself oft from the outside world. But Caspar Schisler was working in a neigh boring village. He succeeded in slipping back into Oberammergau, where he had left his wife and children. He brought the plague with him, and was the first victim.
 In a month 84 more villagers perished. It was then that the sur vivors made their great prayer and their great pledge. From that hour the chroniclers say the plague was stayed and no more deaths follow ed.
 So in the following year, 1854, they enacted the Passion Play ana did so every decade until 1874. It was then decided to enact the play in decimal year so the next performance was given in l68O and this, has been kept up every decade since. One notable exception was 1920, after the World War, when the play was postponed to 1922. But it was again given in 193O. The next is due in 1940, but will be given next year to mark the exact tercentenary of the first perfor- nance.
 The Passion Play as now per- formed is a greatly modified ver- sion of the original one, with beau- tiful music especially written for it in 1911. There are some l3O speaking parts and the cast num- bers about 600. All are genuine villagers of Oberammergau, men and women who in their everyday lives are wood carvers, sculptors. innkeepers, whatnot. Every actor and actress in the famous Passion Play leads a blameless life. In a place so small as Oberrammergau it is easy for folks to keep check on their neighbors and nobody who was sinner would have chance.
 There is another thing which marks Oberammergau as place apart. Every 10 years when the Passion Play is given, it brings from 250,000 to 3O0,000 visitors from all over the globe. An inn mense amount of money is left there. In almost any other country such a village would have big modern hotels, restaurants, mov- ies, all kinds of ballyhoo rigged up to catch coins. Oberammergau has remained unspoiled.
 The only excitement is when the villagers actually get together to ballot for places in the cast, an honor all seek to earn. From that time the lucky ones spend part of every day perfecting themselves in their roles, and Oberammergau be- comes a village of studious actors. Nor are they mere amateurs.
 They have great and unbroken tradition behind them. From child hood they have had models before them. They know how the thing is done. They have trained their voices and their diction. They know how to wear ancient robes with an air.
 And when it is all over, they pack away the gorgeous raiment they have been wearing and reappear in Bavarian highland costume, busy and cheerful at their ordin- ary everyday tasks, satisfied that Oberammergau's great pledge has once more been fulfilled.