A Descriptive Analysis of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010

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A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2010

A Thesis

Presented to

The Graduate Faculty of the University of Akron

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

Christa J. Wolf

August, 2013

A DESCRIPTVE ANALYSIS OF THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2010

Christa J. Wolf

Thesis

Approved: Accepted:

______Advisor Interim School Director Mr. James Slowiak Mr. Neil Sapienza

______Faculty Reader Dean of the College Mr. Durand Pope Dr. Chand Midha

______Faculty Reader Dean of the Graduate School Mr. Adel Migid Dr. George Newkome

______Date

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page CHAPTER

I. THE ORIGIN OF PASSION PLAYS………………………………....………....1

The Message Spreads…………………………………………………………1

An Enforced Faith…………………………………………………………….3

The Church Takes Center Stage…………………………….………...……....5

An Art Born of Necessity…………………………………….…………...…..6

The Passion Becomes A Play……………………………….…………...…....8

II. THE HISTORY OF THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2010…,…....12

A Unique Vow……………………………………………………………….13

Playing On A Timeline………………………………………………………17

A Current View……………………………………………,……………...…23

III. THE TEXT…………………………………………………………,…..………..25

iii

Play Structure and Logistics…………………………………………………25

Action Summary……………………………………………………………..27

Dilemmas of Passion Playing…………………………………………..……34

The Development of the Play Text…………………………………..………36

IV. THE MUSIC…………………………………………………...……….…….….41

The Composition………………………………………………………..……41

The Staging……………………………………………………………….….43

Function and Purpose…………………………………………………….…..45

The Roles…………………………………………………………………….48

V. TABLEAUX VIVANTS.…………………………………...……………..…….52

Part I of the Passionspiele……………….…………………………………...53

Part II of the Passionspiele…………………………………………………...58

Summary of the Tableaux……………………………………………………64

VI. COSTUME ELEMENTS…………………………………………..…………….66

The Jews……………………………………………………………….……..67

The Romans………………………………………………………………….71

The Ethereal………………………………………………………………….73

Summary of Costumes………………………………………………………74

A Few Words On Lighting……………………………………………….….74

Minimal Effects…………………………………………………………...…75

VII. THE PERFORMANCE SPACE…………………………………………………77

The Passion Theatre Through the Ages……………………………………...77 iv

The Stage and Its Influences…………………………………………………80

A Monumental Theatre………………………………………………………83

VIII. IMPRESSIONS AND ANALYSIS…………………………………………..….85

Merits of the Performance…………………………………………...……....85

Considerations for Future Performances…………………………...….…….89

Conclusion…………………………………………………………..……….94

BIBLIOGRPAHY…………………………………………………………….………….96

APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………….101

APPENDIX A: THE SIGHTS OF OBERAMMERGAU………….………….102

APPENDIX B: THE PASSION PLAYHOUSE.………………….……….…..104

CHAPTER I

THE ORIGIN OF PASSION PLAYS

2010 marked the 41st anniversary of the Oberammergau Passion Play which has

been produced on an average of once every decade since 1634. The play– called the

“Passionspiele” in German– has gained the distinction of being the longest running

Passion play in history, as well as the most highly attended play of its kind, hosting 4,720

people five days a week from the middle of May through the end of September. Despite

obstacles of war, political upheaval, cultural issues, and religious objections, the play has

endured. The story of the Passion in conjunction with a presentation style that is a virtual

pastiche of historic and modern theatrical elements has allowed the Oberammergau

Passion Play to stand the test of time.

Before narrowing the focus specifically to the play in Oberammergau, it is helpful

to understand the evolution of the passion play as a dramatic art form. This evolution is directly linked to the rise of Christianity.

The Message Spreads

The roots of Christianity can be traced back to the Roman Empire in approximately 30 C.E. when many scholars believe Jesus Christ was crucified. The term

“passion” was initially used to describe the powerful feeling of love that compelled Jesus

1 to come to earth and die for sinners. Derived from the Latin passio, we see the word used in the original text of the Bible as it was recorded by the author of the book of Acts.

“…he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs…” (Acts 1:3,

King James Version). The love of Jesus also compelled him to come back from the grave as the risen Savior of the world. Thus, the Passion includes both his death and resurrection.

Following the death and resurrection of Christ, those who professed allegiance to

Him formed a Christian “cult” that underwent extreme censure and persecution under the hands of Roman rulers such as Emperors Nero and Diocletian. Some believe Rome feared the spread of Christianity because they believed it to be a religion that spurred rebellion. Those who professed Christ pledged their allegiance to the lordship of Jesus who was crucified as one who had stirred up unrest in the Roman-ruled land of Judea.

Additionally, Christ-followers avoided participation in the government, Roman festivals, and military exploits, which did not endear them to the authorities. Perhaps most aversive, though, was their outright denunciation of ancient traditions.

Scholars such as Dr. Robert Wilken, Distinguished Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and author of The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, claim the

Romans had a very conservative attitude towards religion, especially as it related to their ancestors. They had great respect for their ancestors who were considered to be closer to the gods. The Christian claim that they alone had received special revelation unknown to others was considered arrogant because this view suggests that God had by-passed the ancestors of the Romans. This perceived affront may have spurred Roman rulers to

forcibly squelch the spread of Christianity, which ironically gained popularity as

believers were publicly persecuted for their faith. Though the spread of the Gospel in this

way was a by-product, more intentional means of spreading the news of Christ were

employed as well.

The Apostle Paul, who is known among evangelicals for his missionary journeys,

spread the Gospel of Christ to Roman-occupied regions through the use of improved

roads and water transportation that the Empire had developed throughout conquered

lands of the Mediterranean. Trade and increased communication were utilized by Paul as

well. Despite their avoidance of politics, Christians offered their services as caregivers

for the sick and wounded throughout the Empire, providing them with an opportunity to

spread their faith through compassion rather than conquest. Randy Stark in “Rise of

Christianity” marks specific jumps in the numbers of Christians that coincide with the

Antonine Plague (165-180 C.E.) and the Plague of Cyprian (251-270 C.E.). The greatest

increase in numbers of professing Christians came, though, in 307 C.E. when Constantine

became the first outspoken Christian Roman Emperor.

An Enforced Faith

When he became Emperor, Constantine I (306-337 C.E.) declared Christianity to

be the official religion of the Empire. In the Edict of Milan (313 C.E.), Constantine

forbade the execution or prohibition of those who expressed belief in the Christian God.

The edict essentially allowed for freedom to practice the religion of one’s choosing

without governmental consequence. This did not, however, automatically translate into a

wide-spread acceptance or public practice of the Christian lifestyle. Under Constantine’s

rule, Romans were allowed to continue their pagan rituals and the Christians in the

Empire were given sanctuary. The differences in the two cultures were apparent, and the

peace that was achieved could be considered tentative at best.

Roman culture, including its festivals, rituals in honor of pagan gods, violent

displays in the Coliseum, and theatrical productions continued to permeate society and

Christians spoke out against these activities as being lewd and disreputable forms of entertainment. All but one of the Emperors following Constantine professed a Christian faith and eventually many of these practices were altogether outlawed.

Constantine also opened the door for the spread of Christianity into northern

European regions by brokering a peace treaty with German invaders. The treaty was

contingent upon the German acceptance of Christianity as their national religion. The

story of the Passion had reached Germany; but the roots of Christianity would have many

years to deepen before the story would be told onstage.

Following the signing of Constantine’s treaty, Germanic tribes and the Empire

enjoyed approximately 75 years of peace in which the story of Jesus spread through

Germania and into the west where invasive attentions were turned towards Brittania. In

378 C.E., however, the Huns from the east threatened to make conquest in Germanic

territories. Fearing for their lives, Germans on border towns of the Empire asked for, and

were granted, sanctuary and land in exchange for their service in the military. Then-

emperor Valens, however, did not follow through with his promises when the Huns

attacked and Germany resumed invasions on the Roman Empire with a vengeance. By

476 C.E., German invaders had pushed their way deep into the Empire on both eastern

4 and western fronts and Odoacer became the first German ruler of Rome, marking the traditionally accepted end of the Roman Empire.

The Church Takes Center Stage

Within the fragmented empire, rulers were installed and deposed with great regularity for about a century, but Christendom prevailed as the dominant religion. The

Church had organized itself in the eastern empire under Justinian who had instituted a form of papal oversight during his reign (527-565 C.E.). In 590 C.E., Pope Gregory, known as Gregory the Great, stepped into office in Rome, putting the Papacy in a position of power over religion, politics, and the arts during the approach of the Middle

Ages.

When looking at periods of history that made significant contributions to life onstage, it is tempting to skim over the Middle Ages. As it relates to the evolution of the

Passion Play, however, this period is crucial. From 500-1500 C.E., the years following the fall of the Roman Empire, the church was the dominant authority, populations were shifting as city states were beginning to form, the feudal system was developing, education was reserved for the privileged few, regions were beginning to speak in their own vernacular, and innovation seemed to be at a standstill. During the first 500 years after the fall of the Empire there is very little evidence of formalized theatre, whether within or outside the church, though rituals persisted and mummers, dancers, and minstrels were still around as itinerate performers. On the surface, this may not seem like an environment that is conducive to the arts, but it is against this backdrop that a small, but distinct dramatic flame ignited.

Since mass was said in Latin, very few people actually understood what was being said during the services, but common people still faithfully observed the rituals of communion, responsive readings, prayer, and song. Occasionally there was a break from the norm. Each parish adopted its own “Patron Saint” and had special celebrations to honor them, which included such things as telling the story of their lives, and saying additional prayers along with the traditional liturgy. Appropriate scriptures were read during holiday services and special objects such as branches may have been used to pass on blessings to parishioners. Perhaps seeming insignificant, these activities may have been an essential step on the path back to the stage.

An Art Born of Necessity

In an attempt to address the needs of the uneducated parishioners, the church sought ways to engage the congregation in a more meaningful time of worship. The challenge then was the same as it is now: How do we show reverence to the divine nature of Almighty God, yet make the message relative to humanity? In an effort to answer this question and bring the truths of Christianity down to a personal level, the church began to experiment with the idea of “tropes.”

A trope is “a short verbal or musical interlude used to embellish the regular liturgical office” (Tydeman 34). It is essentially a liturgical playlet, or unofficial literary addition in dramatic form to the traditional church service or liturgy. A trope typically invites dramatic impersonation and a scenic setting, though some scholars believe musical additions or extra lines of scripture-based song sung by the chorus could have also fit into the “trope” category.

The first trope we have record of is from the 10th century, C.E. It centers on the

hub of the Christian faith the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus— and is called

“Quem Quaeritis.”

“Quem Quaeritis” created an earthly representation of a miraculous occurrence.

The testimony of Christ’s resurrection is from the mouths of his Heavenly messengers—

the angels, and those witnesses who are able to give a firsthand account. The Easter

story provides an account of the supernatural having an encounter with the natural and

seems like an ideal place to start revealing the things of God to ordinary people.

The earliest record of “Quem Quaeritis” is not accredited to a particular author,

but the following excerpt is from the “Introit of the Mass at Easter” where it was first

performed at the Benedictine Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland.

Quem Quaeritis

Interrogatio: Quem quaeritis in sepulchro, O Christicolae? Question (by the Angels): Whom do you seek in the sepulchre, O Christian women?

Responsio: Iesum Nazarenum crucifixum, o caelocolae. Answer (by the Marys): Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, O Heavenly Ones.

Angeli: Non est hic, surrexit sicut predixerat; ite, nuntiate quia surrexit de sepulchro. The Angels: He is not here; He is risen just as He foretold. Go, announce that He is risen from the sepulchre. (Gassner 33)

Once the idea for illustrating the message of the mass was sparked, it is not hard to see how the Church, with its structured services and formalized traditions was equipped to make a transition into the world of theatre. It had props (used in the 7

communion and special services), costumes (the vestments), text (Biblical accounts and

writings honoring the saints), actors (the priests who recite the story), a distinctive space

capable of mood and atmosphere (the stained glass windows and lofty arches), and music

(the choir).” (Watson 69, parenthesis added) It was the perfect combination for a

performance complete with all the trimmings.

Parishioners responded positively to these portrayals, no matter how rudimentary,

and seemed to gain new insights into lessons that heretofore had been merely hearsay.

Those who had spoken against theatre as an art form for centuries saw the potential of

role playing as a way to not just entertain but to educate the masses. It would still be

years before the church would turn its educational playlets into full-fledged productions.

Worth noting for the sake of this discussion, however, is that the first evidence of an

organized theatrical event was directly related to the Passion.

The death of Jesus Christ occurred approximately 33 B.C.E. at the height of the

Roman Empire. Roman theatre, feasts, and various entertainments were a major part of the culture until the fall of the empire in 476 C.E. Nearly 500 years later, the stage was

reset for the resurrection of theatre— with the person of Jesus Christ in a leading role.

The Passion Becomes A Play

Soon tropes such as the “Magi”, “Stella” (Star), and “Herodes” (King Herod)

were expanded into the liturgy during Christmas rituals. Dramas were also performed in

celebration of saints holidays, though at the time, they did not directly relate to the lives

of the saints. Often the plays told stories of Biblical events, focusing on heroes of the

Christian faith, but also on the coming judgment. The tropes could no longer be viewed as “interludes” in the services because they consumed the majority of the mass.

“Liturgical drama” more accurately describes what was happening at this point.

The sets became so elaborate that eventually churches couldn’t contain the audience and the spectacle within their walls so they relocated their presentations into the courtyards.

Finally, it is against this backdrop, in the twelfth century that the Mystery play makes its debut.

In a seemingly uncharacteristic move for the Church which was a very controlling entity, moving the drama outside the cathedral opened the door for the Church to recruit help in putting on the productions from outside the clergy as well.

Once a positive decision had been taken by the clergy to permit the nascent art of drama to pass beyond the formal boundaries of a liturgical Officium, and to exist in its own right as a ludus or entertainment, or to be used as an instrument of education in an evangelistic cause, self-sufficiency ceased to possess any particular virtue: for at once sound reasons presented themselves for encouraging laymen to participate in as active manner as was compatible with a Christian way of life. To admit this was to do no more for drama than the Church had already been doing for centuries with all the other aspects of life – to endow the mundane and pagan with a new spiritual and strictly Christian significance. (Wickham 180) The church began to hire guilds of craftsmen and small companies of amateur actors to help build the sets and perform the drama. These guilds were sometimes called

“masteries” or “mysteries”, which is where the Mystery play derived its name. Under the direction of the guilds, the dramas could become more spectacular than ever. Taking the drama outside of the church and hiring the work out to lay people was good in many regards, but carried with it some new problems as well. In his book Theatre Through the

Ages, Cesare Molinari explains the dilemma.

As the great mass of the people was no longer able to understand Latin, the liturgical dramas, which had grown to an extent that threatened to submerge the very ritual they were designed to interpret, became with the passage of time alien and almost meaningless. The Church found herself forced to choose between the purity of her own tradition, the preservation of which had become the clergy’s peculiar duty and privilege, and some recognition of the ordinary believers’ cultural requirements as a community. (Molinari 93) As a result, the church made the decision to allow their Latin dramas to be translated into the vernacular. Thus, for the first time, common people could understand everything that was being said.

Mystery plays became a center of commerce for the business of the church and the business of tradesmen and vendors. The courtyards were transformed into

“mansions”—elaborate backdrops for scenes that depicted Biblical themes such as the

Garden of Eden, Heaven’s Gates, and Hell’s Mouth. Since drama was in the vernacular, people began to take liberty with text and scripts and though the stories were still based on Biblical events, they were not necessarily in accordance with Scripture. The popularity of the Mystery plays continued to grow and it became a common practice for communities all throughout Europe to stage their own plays, especially during the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Celebrated in late May or early June, the Feast of Corpus Christi was established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV. Corpus Christi was a reminder for the people that Jesus had appeared on earth and proof of God’s forgiveness of sin and the possibility of salvation.

The plays were unique to the community in which they were performed because the scripts were written by local authors; as such they occasionally contain references to places specific to that community. The plays were numerous because it took more than

10 one day to portray the fall of man all the way through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the fear of Judgment, and the forgiveness of sins. These plays were eventually compiled into collections called “cycles” and were typically named after the town in which the performance originated.

The cycles included 25-50 plays and were performed over the period of several days and several times a year. Some scholars believe the scenes were moved in front of people on a portable stage, or “pageant wagon”, pulled by horses. The same group of actors, usually locals, acted each scene again and again as it was pulled through town.

Regardless of how they were facilitated, the Mystery plays continued to be prominent throughout Europe until the end of the fifteenth century and remain the most popular of the forms of medieval theatre. Our modern day Passion plays can be traced back to

Corpus Christi Mystery plays. The most famous one that is still celebrated today is the focus of this analysis, the Oberammergau Passion, most recently staged in 2010.

CHAPTER II

THE HISTORY OF THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2010

Most historians agree that Passion plays have their roots in the Medieval Corpus

Christi festivals. The York, Chester, and Wakefield Cycles from 15th century England

are supporting evidence that England was the front runner Passion playing because it

would be a logical next step in that country’s theatrical evolution. However, the spread

of Christianity had its roots in Middle Eastern regions and Germany was indoctrinated in

the Christian faith before the other European regions further west. It stands to reason, then, that Germany would have had a head start on developing dramas related to the

Passion.

According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Passion plays emerged first in Latin and then in German. Of the 224 Latin Easter dramas found in the 18th century, 159 were found in Germany. The oldest Frankfort Passion play, that of Canon Baldemar von Peterwell (1350-80), required two days and was more profusely elaborated than the other Passion Plays of this period. Of this play only the "Ordo sive Registrum", a long roll of parchment for the use of the director, has come down to us containing directions and the first words of the dialogues. The plays based on this list of directions lead us to the period in which the Passion Play reached its highest development (1400-1515). During this period the later Frankfort Passion Play (1467), the Alsfelder, and the Friedberger (1514) originated.”

As Germans fought for control of Rome, and share a border with Italy, it is not difficult to see how written works may have traveled north into Germany and east into the Bavarian Alps. It is there the story of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 begins.

A Unique Vow

Nestled in Ammergau Valley between two protective mountains, the Laber and the Kofel in the Bavarian Alps, rests Oberammergau. Its position was essential in its development.

The Ammergau Valley has been an important communications route for centuries. Indeed, research suggests traces of settlements in the upper Ammer valley dating back to Celtic times. During the Roman period it lay on the military route from Verona to Augsburg and in common with most of the passable routes across the Alps it has been fought over time and again. Eventually the Ammergau region became the center of a far-reaching area and from the 9th century onwards it was the religious focal point for the entire valley. (Goodburn, 7) The river Ammer runs through the Ammergau Valley, which is divided into two

“gaus” or districts. Oberammergau refers to the upper or “over” part of the Ammergau

Valley. Unterammergau, or “under” ammergau is the neighboring district further down the river. The division is significant because it is not enough to be from the Ammergau

Valley if one desires to participate in the Passion— the privilege is only open to those from Oberammergau. One must be born in, or have been a citizen of Oberammergau for

20 years in order to be considered for a role. Until 1990, the restrictions were even more stringent for women requiring them to be no more than 35 years old and virgins in order to be considered for a part.

Oberammergau has a rich history which includes many deeply-rooted traditions.

Though their production is a large part of the town’s tradition, Passion play texts were 13

extant in Germany long before the commencement of the Oberammergau Passion. The

village may have even staged versions of the play before 1634. An event during the

Thirty Years War— a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholic— is what really

served as the catalyst for what we now think of as the history of Oberammergau.

Upon arrival in the village, one quickly learns the origins of the Oberammergau

Passion Play. Tour guides, a cab driver, a local on the street, or a busy restaurateur are

more than willing to share what they know. Admittedly, the story from any account is

probably a strong blend of fact and fiction because the oldest village chronicle is dated

1733, nearly a decade after the events presumably took place. As such, there are slight

variations to the accounts and thorough research reveals some obvious discrepancies in

the story, but whether historically factual or strictly mythological, the story is generally

related in the following way.

In 1633, during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the Bavarian region of

Germany, together with Saxony and much of Europe was plagued by “the black death”— thought to be the bubonic plague. It is believed that underfed and restless Swedish troops who were then occupying Bavaria spread the disease as they pillaged and raped their way through towns. Because of the surrounding mountains which were only surmountable during summer months, Oberammergau was able to withstand the disease for quite a long time due to a strictly-enforced quarantine that was placed on the village. Guards worked day and night to prevent anyone from coming into or going out of the town. This defense was effective until the night Kaspar Schisler, a resident of Oberammergau who had been working away from home in Eschenlohe, decided to break the quarantine and come

home. Eschenlohe, only a few miles away had reportedly already succumbed to the

disease, so he was a carrier.

It is commonly told among the romantics that he trekked over Kofel to make his

entrance into the town under the cover of night because he was lovesick for his girlfriend.

Probably more grounded in reality, however, is the version that Schisler was a devout

believer and family man who longed to see his wife and children. This account is

supported in a chronicle written by Alois Daisenberger from 1858:

Then a man from here named Kaspar Schisler, who worked as a day laborer over the summer for Mr. Meyr in Eschenlohe, brought the plague into the village. He came over the mountain from Eschenlohe to celebrate with his family the anniversary of the consecration of the church. He arrived the evening before the church fair, without being stopped since his house was the first on in the village. Schisler and his wife and children died within days of their reunion. Over the next months, from September 1632 to October 1633, 84 local adults reportedly died, though the number could be higher if children were taken into account.

Both stories include the mountain which has personal appeal and symbolic merit

because the face of Kofel clearly displays a darkened rock pattern which resembles the

shape of the cross (see Appendix A). A formal wooden cross has been constructed on top of Kofel, but the natural-looking stone aesthetic suggests that Jesus Himself had put his mark above the village and was watching over them.

Oberammergau was run by a city council, known as the “Six and Twelve Parish

Councillors.” The Council called a town meeting to see what could be done to restore health to their struggling village. Perhaps they thought the plague was brought on as

judgment from the hand of God— as this was a common view of natural disasters and

unexplainable phenomenon at the time— and that making a commitment to tell the story

of the Passion would appease Him. At any rate, that is what they decided to do. It is

reported in the town chronicle written in 1733, “…in this sorrow the Council known then

as the ‘Six and Twelve Parish Councillors’ convened and vowed to perform the Passion

Tragedy every ten years, and from this moment on not one single person died.” The

following year in 1634, the village fulfilled their vow for the first time by staging the play

in the cemetery next to the church yard over the graves of their lost loved ones. (See

Appendix A)

Whether the vow was intended to be fulfilled indefinitely is unclear, but ever

since, the people of Oberammergau have been honoring the commitment of their

forefathers. Eugen Roth, a Catholic who attended Oberammergau’s passion play in 1960

and subsequently authored an article entitled “The Vow” explains it thus:

Recent years have brought such revolutionary changes to the whole globe that only a securely anchored vow, an unbroken tradition, can explain why Oberammergau remained true to itself in the midst of a disintegrating world spiritually impoverished by ethical achievements and the desire for sensational distraction. It would be presumptuous to suggest that every citizen of Oberammergau feels a personal

obligation to fulfill the vow today, but like a mulberry tree whose roots stretch for miles

around, the town’s culture, identity, and “passion” are most surely rooted and entwined

with the vow.

Playing on a Timeline

The play was faithfully performed every decade following 1634 until the performance

was transitioned to years ending in “0” in 1680. The original performance was probably

very rudimentary— relying on old texts of Passion scripts— but as the community took

ownership of the vow, the play’s development has been deliberate and extensive.

Over the years, many changes took place in the text, location, and participation of

the play. 1690 records indicate the earliest parish accounts related to monetary expenses

of the Passion Play, indicating that the town was willing to make a financial investment

in the production. Bernhart Steinle is listed as the official director in 1700, and another

director, the Beneficiary Max Anton Erlbock, from 1730-1760. During this time the text

was reworked to include allegorical figures such as the devil and angels, portrayed

alongside historical characters; and the staging of tableaux vivants or “living images”

became increasingly popular.

In 1750, Ferdinand Rosner from the nearby monastery at Ettal fundamentally

reconstructed the play into the language of the Religious Theatre of the Baroque period.

This text became well known throughout Bavaria, “making Oberammergau a role model for other plays.” (Oberammergau Passion Play Museum) A couple exceptions to the fulfillment of the vow have occurred throughout the play’s history. One such exception was in 1770 when a general ban was placed on all Passion plays in Bavaria by Elector

Maximilian III. He feared the Catholic Church and other religious societies were becoming too extravagant and pompous in positions of power and banning the plays was a form of censure.

Oberammergau protested the ban with an argument that their play was run by civil, not religious authorities. Arguments were based on the aforementioned chronicle that states “Six and Twelve Councilors” were responsible for the vow and thereby the oversight of the play. This number is a reference to a governmental structure, not a religious one.

“The most important sentence in the chronicle is that which assigns responsibility to the “six and twelve,” that is, to civil rather than ecclesiastical leaders. Whether this was already so in 1634 or only subsequently became the case and was recorded in 1733, it marked a significant departure from local practice. Elsewhere in Bavaria, either the Catholic parish or religious societies oversaw Passion playing; it was this distinctive feature of Oberammergau’s play that would help save it in the late eighteenth century, when all other passion plays in Bavaria were suppressed at the behest of the religious authorities.” (Shapiro 111) In 1780 when other Passion plays were still under the ban, Oberammergau was granted special dispensation from it. Benedictine monk Father Magnus Knipfelberger did another revision of the text, limiting some of the allegorical elements instituted by Rosner, but keeping the tableaux vivants.

The ban continued to affect the production of the plays for several decades.

Special permission also had to be obtained in 1790 and 1800. In 1790, Oberammergau was first mentioned in the press and attendance was over 10,000. Visitors were traveling from all over to see the play, and the townspeople began to open their homes to accommodate a large number of guests. The trend dropped off abruptly when the

Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) between France and a number of European nations greatly affected the attendance at the 1800 Passion, taking the number of visitors down to 3,000 over 5 performances.

In order to give more visitors the chance to watch the play and to allow the village to recoup some of the financial losses incurred due to the wars, four more performances of the 1800 Passion were permitted. This time, approximately 7,500 visitors made the journey to the valley. The town paid for this addition, though, in the form of more censure. In 1810, the special privilege was declared to be no longer valid and no performances were allowed.

In 1811 another new version of the play was performed; this one a prose version by the Ettal monk Othmar Weis. Weis oriented his play within the genre of realism, which The American Heritage Dictionary defines as “The representation in art or literature of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are, without idealization or presentation in abstract form”, and emphasized the idea of reconciliation. This is a significant shift because it has the potential to blur the line between “Passion” and

“Play.” Oberammergau tells the Passion, but it is a play, a blend that will always leave

Biblically-based drama open to a fair amount of speculation and derision.

Special performances were given to mark the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and Weis rewrote the text again so that it read more like contemporary literature. Rochus

Dedler, who had composed music for the 1811 performances, revised it once more.

The last performance of the play in the churchyard where the vow was made was in 1820. This was also the year that Anton Baumgartner, the royal building surveyor under Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III, attended the show. His comments on the text and stage as well as the quality of the acting and music of the play did much for increasing the play’s positive reputation and popularity.

Beneficiary Johann Nikolaus Unhoch, under the encouragement of Weis, erected

a new stage on the northwest side of the village for the 1830 performance because Weis’s

text called for certain stage innovations. The auditorium had capacity for around 5,000

guests. Many prominent visitors attended in 1830 and the 1840 production was advertised in the English language for the first time, contributing to the astounding number of 35,000 visitors who attended over the course of 13 performances that year.

From that time on, the number of performances and attendants continued to grow until

1860 when approximately 100,000 visitors experienced the Passion. The text also underwent many revisions, which will be detailed in the following chapter.

The 1870 play was interrupted by the German conquest of France, and had to continue in 1871. Special guests for these performances included composer, conductor, and theatre director Richard Wagner and King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The King was so moved by a special performance held for him that he donated the “Kreuzigungsgruppe”, or “Crucifixion Group” to Oberammergau. Standing on the outskirts of Oberammergau today, this monument displays Jesus on the cross with the Mother Mary and the Disciple

John on either side of him.

1880 was significant for another reason; with an obvious nod to the commercial

interests of the Passion Play, package deals were being offered to tourists, sold by travel

agents in London. In 1890 the stage was reconstructed by Carl Lautenschlager (the

details of which will be outlined in a subsequent chapter) and much was done in the

following decade to continue the momentum Oberammergau was gaining as a dramatic

force artistically and commercially.

1900 debuted the first covered auditorium, the first official textbook containing the complete text of the play, the completed railway connection to Oberammergau, and

Anton Lang’s strong portrayal of Christ that is still talked about with a kind of reverence and awe. These things surely contributed to the large scale popular appeal achieved by the play which was viewed by 223,600 visitors in 1910.

A belated performance of the 1920 play was performed in 1922 due to the country’s situation after the First World War. The delay didn’t harm the economy or impact of Oberammergau, bringing in 311,200 visitors, including 100,000 travelers from abroad. Again, the fame of the play continued to grow so that during the 300-year anniversary performances in 1934, over 440,000 visitors came to the town.

In 1934, the Catholic Church awarded Oberammergau the Missio cononica, the official license to teach Roman Catholic Theology. Adolf Hitler also recognized the potential of Oberammergau as a tool for propaganda and attended the play on August 13 shortly before the national referendum, hoping to increase his popularity. Though

Oberammergau may have helped him, he did not return the favor. 1940 marks the second time since its inception that the play was not to be performed at all, due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

The play resumed in 1950 to the delight of approximately 480,000 visitors, though in the wake of WWII, the portrayal of Jews in the text and the play came under scrutiny. Increasing calls for a revision of the text in 1960 culminated in a corrected text put forth by Ettal Abbot Dr. Johannes Hock, a correction which did not stand the test of time.

In 1961 the council had begun serious discussions on the question of text reform.

Carl Orff, a member of the play’s advisory committee, recommended reverting to the

Rosner text which was much more allegorical and symbolic, portraying the battle between Christ and the Devil rather than the Jews. After unsuccessful attempts to reform the text, the committee decided to retain the Weis/Diasenberger text, with minor amendments in order to avoid the charge of anti-Semitism. After viewing the 1970

Passion, the changes satisfied neither Christian nor Jewish critics and the Anti-

Defamation League called for a boycott of the play.

1977 marked an exception in the once-a-decade model that Oberammergau had committed to. With accusations of anti-Semitism still under consideration, the committee held eight performances of the play in an experimental effort with the Rosner text. The viewing created quite a stir among Oberammergau citizens who, in a referendum, voted against the use of the Rosner text. The council decided to use the Rosner text despite the referendum. By way of recourse, the citizens elected a new council who reversed the previous decision and reverted to the use of the Weis/Daisenberger text for the 1980 performances. This situation illustrates the ownership and responsibility the citizens of

Oberammeragau claim for the play.

Centuries after the play’s conception, Oberammergau celebrated its 350-year anniversary, and a new kind of tension was soon to be addressed. For the first time, women were allowed to vote for the committee, however only those under 35 years old and single were allowed to participate in the 1984 play. Two ladies from the town took the matter to court, threatening the committee with charges of sexual discrimination.

They won their argument, and in 1990 married women and single women over the age of

35 were allowed to participate in the play for the first time. (Oberammergau Passion Play

Museum) Directors Christian Stuckl and Otto Huber brought the play to life.

In 2000 a new century marked the start of a new direction for the play. The leadership of this play seemed to come more from reformers rather than traditionalists. In response to ongoing discussions regarding the portrayal of Jews in the play, major revisions to the Weis/Dasenberger text were made by script director Otto Huber. Markus

Zwink revised and enhanced the music with new compositions, Stefan Hageneier designed new stage settings and costumes, the Passion Play Theatre was renovated and received a new façade, and the council resolved to allow non-christian and foreign citizens to participate in the play.

A Current View

Renovations to the playhouse had taken seating from 5,000 to 4,700 in 1980, but that didn’t affect attendance as the 2000 Passion Play brought in a record number of

520,000 audience members over the course of 110 performances. The same number of guests attended the play in 2010 throughout the run of 102 performances from May 15 to

October 3.

History set the stage for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010; a play rich in culture, steeped in tradition, strengthened through adversity, influenced by centuries of artistic practice, and seeking relevance in a post-modern world. The team appointed by the council to entertain and educate audiences was carefully chosen, and known for their expertise in their respective fields. 23

Continuing in his role from 1990 and 2000, Christian Stuckl was reappointed as the Principal Director for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010, with Otto Huber serving as Deputy Director/Dramatic Adviser in charge of text. Markus Zwink and Michael

Bocklet were appointed to conduct the music, Martin Feichtner oversaw lighting design and technical directions, and Stefan Hageneier was responsible for the set and costumes.

It is the work of these men and the show they staged that will inform the following analysis of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010.

CHAPTER III

THE TEXT

Upon arrival in Oberammergau, each audience member is provided with a script called a “Textbook.” The book contains a parallel copy of the play text in German and a translation in the native language of the guest. The script is 119 pages long, including song lyrics and narration interspersed throughout. Textbooks are distributed to guests upon arrival at their respective lodgings, and can also be purchased at the gate of the playhouse in numerous other languages. The English translation was done by Professor

Ingrid Shafer.

Also included in the Textbook is a schedule of all the performances from May to

October, a floor plan of the theatre, numerous coupons and ads for local entertainment,

and a preface by Ludwig Modl, theological advisor of the Oberammergau Passion Play

2010.

Play Structure and Logistics

The English translation of the script written in 11 acts is divided into two parts.

The Textbook is just what it claims to be— play text. The book is void of all character

indications, emotional cues, set descriptions, and contextual information to which

American theatre-readers are often accustomed.

Entrances and exits are noted on occasion, though with no apparent consistency.

There are even fewer notes on action, and those usually correspond with scripture. For instance, in Act I, members of the High Council bring Jesus a woman caught in adultery and ask Him to pass judgment on her. In response, Jesus “is silent— kneels down and draws figures in the sand.” (Textbook, 17) This direction is taken from John 8:6, “Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.”

(King James Version) Another example is found in Act V; Sc. 2 during Jesus’ arrest at the Mount of Olives. As Jesus is being seized by the temple guard an instruction reads

“Peter strikes Malchus with his sword.” John 18:10 (New International Version) records

“Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant…(The servant’s name was Malchus).”

Interestingly, Act VIII; Sc. 3 provides an exception. This portion of text is entitled “Scourging of Jesus” and offers a significant amount of additional instruction in the dialogue. Parenthetical phrases such as “after a long pause”, “all laugh and continue flogging—Jesus collapses” (Textbook, 90) “they push the crown into his head with two sticks” (Textbook, 91) are liberally added throughout. This change in style most likely indicates modern revisions from Otto Huber or Christian Stuckl because it does not appear in other copies of text before 1990.

The eleven acts of the play are not typically subdivided into scenes, the exceptions being Acts III and VI-IX. In general, a new act designates a change of location, and similar to the format of traditional theatre of the Renaissance, a new scene begins with the entrance or exit of a person of significance. Part One of the play, lasting

26 two and a half hours, includes Act I: Jesus Enters Jerusalem through Act V: Jesus on

Mount Olive— The Arrest. Part Two takes us from Act VI: Interrogations before Annas and the High Council to Act XI: The Encounter with the Risen One.

With the exception of Act XI, each act is prefaced by a Prologue and a Living

Image. The Prologue is spoken in verse rather than prose, retaining the stylistic devices from ancient Greek theatre instituted by Father Joseph Alois Daisenberger’s revisions of

1860. The Prologues are essentially narrative summaries of the previous Act which segue into the theme of the upcoming Living Image. Both the Prologue and the Living

Image are underscored by orchestral music with the vocal score of the Chorus overtaking the solo voice of the Prologue in dramatic description of the Living Image and exhortation for the audience to find deep personal meaning within it. Where the text tells a thoroughly detailed Biblical New Testament story, the music of the Passion Play invites one to transcend into a world of one’s own making.

Action Summary

The Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 starts like most passion plays, with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt. This is commonly known as

Palm Sunday. The difference, however, is that instead of going into the temple and overturning tables and chastising priests and vendors for turning “a house of prayer…into a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13, New International Version), Jesus begins sharing teachings that are recorded in scripture from much earlier in his ministry, specifically those related to the people’s response to Roman occupation and oppression. By starting this way, Jesus was established as someone who understood the plight of his people

against Roman oppression. Roman soldiers were also present in the scene in addition to

Jewish temple guards.

Concluding the opening scene is his interaction with the priests and the adulterous

woman who is receives reprieve from her punishment with Jesus’ famous words, “He

who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” (Textbook, 17) Upon her

realization that no one is left to accuse her, Jesus tells the woman, “Then I will not

condemn you either. Go and sin no more.” (Textbook, 18)

This scene in Act I was newly added in 2010 with the encouragement of

collaborators who were on their guard against anti-Semitism. It was important to the

writers to present Jesus as a Jew, well-versed in Scripture, who did not come with a

judgmental and condemning spirit, but with compassion and forgiveness. The balance in

the relationship between Roman rule and Jewish practice was tenuous at best, and Jesus

was influential enough to tip the scales.

From Jerusalem, Jesus goes to Bethany to the home of Lazarus, as recorded in

John 12:1 (New International Version) “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to

Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.” It is here that

Nicodemus and other members of the High Council come to question Jesus about his

teachings. In Scripture, this conversation happened alone between Nicodemus and Jesus

at night in John 3, but it seems necessary for the dramatic arch of the play that Jesus

relationship with Nicodemus be established for the sake of the audience being able to

understand where Jesus’ support comes from in subsequent meetings of the High

Council.

Following the scene at Bethany Jesus reenters into the temple at Jerusalem. Here he expels the temple merchants, stirring up anger among the priests and religious leaders, and drawing the attention of Roman Governor Pilate, who confronts High Priest Caiaphas about keeping the Jewish people under control. This scene is the catalyst that rapidly moves the action of the play forward into Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

From here until the end of Part 1 of the play, there are many debates between various factions of the High Council, some advocating Jesus’ innocence, others His imprisonment. Caiaphas, fearful of threats from Pilate, ultimately makes a unilateral decision that the only way to subdue Jesus and squelch a potential rebellion is to have

Jesus put to death. Once this decision is made, the High Council begins looking for an opportunity to carry out their plan.

The opportunity comes soon in the form of Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus who ran out at Bethany when Jesus informed him and the other disciples that his time on earth was coming to an end and that he would not be leading an army against the Romans.

Disappointed and disillusioned, Judas runs to the temple courtyard where he overhears some of the priests talking about the plan to kill Jesus. Judas rushes into the temple in search of Caiaphas who tricks Judas into believing that he only wants to talk to Jesus, and

Judas agrees to show them where Jesus will be later that night. Caiaphas offers Judas thirty pieces of silver for his trouble, and Judas takes it despite his protests that payment isn’t necessary.

The Passover scene Jesus shares with His disciples underwent extensive revision for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 as well. Jesus says prayers in Hebrew and all

29 the events of a traditional Jewish Passover meal are observed. Again, this establishes

Jesus’ identity as Jewish rather than “Christian” or a “Gentile”; a distinction that is important for understanding that the Jews as a people group did not crucify the

“Christian” Lord.

Following the Passover feast, Jesus goes with His disciples to the Mount of Olives to pray and it is there that Judas arrives with a small entourage of members of the High

Council and Temple Guard to arrest Jesus. The rest of Jesus’ disciples scatter in fear as

Jesus is lead away to end Part 1.

After a three hour intermission Part 2 commences with a trial. Jesus is lead before

High Priest Annas who interrogates Him before Caiaphas arrives with the rest of the High

Council. The testimony of several coerced witnesses who either lied or took Jesus’ words and actions out of context are used to build a case against Him, but it is Caiaphas’ question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of God, who is highly praised?” and Jesus’ acknowledgement of that which is the breaking point. Caiaphas has all the evidence he needs, “…not I, not the High Council, are passing judgment upon him— he has condemned himself.” (Textbook, 70) According to Jewish law, Jesus had committed a sin worthy of death; blasphemy, the act cursing God.

In order to gain permission to sentence the prisoner to death, Jesus was sent to

Pilate who also interrogated him, searching for evidence that Jesus had broken Roman law as well. While Jesus awaits the next phase of his trial, he is mocked and beaten in the temple courtyard. Here is where Jesus’ beloved disciple Peter denies three times that he knows Jesus, thus fulfilling Jesus’ prediction that he would fall away. Filled with

remorse, Peter processes his thoughts, in the manner of Hamlet deciding whether it is

worth it to live or die. With the encouragement of fellow disciple John, he chooses life.

This scene parallels the following scene in which Judas realizes he is responsible for the

surrender of Jesus and, after long and anguished soliloquy, condemns himself to death by

hanging.

As Jesus is tried before Pilate, Pilate’s wife, Claudia, cautions him not to harm

Jesus because she had been warned against it in a dream. (The role of Claudia, was newly added in 2010 as part of the effort to include more female roles in the production.) Upon intensive questioning, during which Jesus is silent, Pilate can find no legal grounds against him according to Roman law. Before judgment is passed, Herod King of Galilee enters the scene. Having heard news of Jesus’ capture, and curious about what sort of man he was, Herod comes in, hoping to see Jesus’ perform a miracle or in some way demonstrate his power. Again, Jesus is silent, and Herod leaves disappointed after stating to Pilate, “He is a simpleton, and not even capable of the crimes of which you accuse him. If he has done or said anything against the law, his childish simplicity is to blame…He isn’t worth your trouble.” (Textbook, 89)

Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence, but in order to appease the High Council, Pilate has Jesus sent to the courtyard to be scourged by his guards. Unsatisfied with this sentence, Caiaphas and members of the High Council continue to pressure Pilate to have

Jesus put to death while other members of the High Council, including Nicodemus and

Joseph of Arimathea, plead for his release. Attempting again to avoid sentencing against

Jesus, Pilate offers to let the people decide whether Jesus or a murdering insurrectionist

Barrabas should be released from prison, in accordance with Jewish Passover tradition.

Those who side with Caiaphas go from door to door throughout the city inciting the people against Jesus, and they rush to Pilate’s court demanding the release of Barrabas and the crucifixion of Jesus.

Left without further recourse, Pilate washes his hands and declares innocence in the matter. The sentence is passed:

“I, Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, under Emperor Claudius Tiberius, hereby pronounce the sentence of death on Jesus of Nazareth, who is accused of having incited the people to riot, forbidden them to pay taxes to Caesar, and proclaimed himself King of the Jews. He shall be taken outside the city walls, nailed on the cross between to felons who are also condemned to death on account of multiple murders, and in this way brought from life to death.” (Textbook, 104-105) Joseph of Arimathea tells Mother Mary, disciple John, and Mary Magdela what has happened just before Jesus passes by them on the road to the hill of Golgatha, carrying a cross. He is followed by a crowd of people, some shouting insults while others weep for the one they have come to love and follow. Pilate’s captain of the guard, Longinus, gives orders to keep the crowd back while shouting instructions about nailing Jesus to the cross, elevating the cross, and placing a sign above Jesus’ head that reads, “King of the

Jews”, according to Pilate’s orders.

Mary, John, and Magdela approach the base of the cross and share a few moments with Jesus before he dies. In the last moments of his life, Jesus cries out to God who has abandoned him, and commits His spirit into the Father’s hands. As he breathes his last breath, the sky goes dark, there is an earthquake, and someone runs in to report that the temple curtain has been torn in half. Joseph of Arimathea is given permission to bury the body, and the crucifixion scene ends with Mother Mary’s lament and an exhortation for 32 the audience, “See, humanity, the light came into the world, but you loved darkness more than the light. God sent him to you, to liberate the world through him. For God so loved the world that he gave his Son! So that everyone who believes in him might never perish!” (Textbook, 117)

The Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 concludes in a nontraditional way because the audience never sees the tomb. “This eliminates having to show the [Roman] guards at the tomb.” (“Modl Preface” Textbook, 6) Without the soldiers, no firsthand statement could be made as to the validity of the resurrection; another concession made for the sake of cooperating with Jewish consultants. Instead, Mary Magdela is intercepted on her way to Jesus’ tomb by the Angel who has been in the background of all the scenes since the

Passover supper. He tells her that Jesus is alive and encourages her to go and share the news with others. She joyfully accepts the Angel’s word and turns to the audience declaring, “I know that my savior lives! He is with us all the days until the end of the world! Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices! Oh, could I proclaim it throughout all the worlds, so that the mountains and cliffs and heaven and earth should re-echo with the words: Hallelujah! He is risen!” (Textbook, 119)

The Chorus enters the stage to sing a final song during which Jesus makes a brief appearance center stage. Jesus carries a flaming candle which he uses to pass a symbolic light to every member of the chorus before exiting the stage. Thus “the character of the numinous is conveyed through the glowing light, the music, and the restrained visual presentation.” (Modl in the Textbook, 7)

Dilemmas of Passion Playing

Essential to any good drama is a good story. The story, however, will not stand the tests of time and critique if it is not told in a way that resonates with the audiences, therefore it is crucial that the text of the play be relevant. In the preface of the play’s

Textbook, Ludwig Modl, theological advisor of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010, writes,

“Today’s audience differs from that of twenty and even ten years ago. Many visitors are no longer familiar with the theological details once taken for granted. The questions have shifted. Since the Passion Play seeks to communicate the message of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a faith-strengthening and empowering event it must build on the joys and hopes of today’s people as well as their sadness and fears…The new production seeks to clarify important elements of Jesus’ message for today’s audience.” With this goal in mind, it is no surprise that the Obermmergau Passion Play 2010 has undergone many revisions over the years in order to reach its present form.

Keeping the story relevant for modern audiences cannot be the only goal however. One must also appeal to those who are familiar with the teachings of traditional

Christianity and attend the Passion Play as a kind of pilgrimage and celebration of their faith. This requires a delicate balance because the story must remain factual as well as entertaining.

When staging Bible-based stories, which are often found in skeletal form in

Scripture, a traditionalist must accept that a bit of creative liberty is required. A playwright of historical matters must be able to put the story in context and flesh it out with reasonable historical details while maintaining the integrity of the original pre- recorded text. Stuckl and Huber, revisers of the play put forth much effort to carry this

34 out. For instance, large portions of the text are dedicated to conversations among the

High Council who consisted of Saducees, Pharisees, and teachers of the law.

The text includes arguments that may have taken place behind the scenes of

Jesus’ crucifixion. The Jewish High Council was divided in their willingness to send

Jesus the cross. It is suggested that Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and several other members of the Council were advocates of Jesus, pleading that mercy be shown him.

Though not specifically recorded in Scripture, it can be reasonably accepted that these two may have been among Jesus’ supporters. The Biblical story in St. John’s Gospel chapter 3, records Jesus being privately questioned about His teachings in a non- aggressive way by Nicodemus, who seemed genuinely curious and open spiritual matters.

In another passage, the Gospel of Mark 15:43 states that following the crucifixion,

“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” (New International

Version) Joseph, a proclaimed disciple of Jesus’, placed the body in his own family tomb.

From these examples it can be assumed that some pious leaders may have believed Jesus was who He claimed to be while others adamantly refused to consider the possibility. It is the same way with all people throughout history in regards to matters of faith— there will be differences in belief. Thus, the script achieves a unique balance by including reasonable, contextually based dialogue which is enlightening and entertaining within the parameters of recorded history.

A final dilemma of staging a Passion Play of this magnitude is, of course, the question of anti-Semitism. Throughout the world, and especially in Germany, there is a

35 necessary sensitivity that must be maintained when dealing with subject matter so closely related to Jewish culture. In the light of World War II, and with Hitler himself attending and recommending the play in 1934, great measures must be taken to ensure that today’s

Jews are not placed in a disparaging light merely because of a connection to the actions of their forefathers. To this end, representatives of Jewish organizations have worked closely with the production since 1980 and presently continue to have significant input in revisions to the text. Modl strongly suggests that, “It is important for the people of

Oberammergau that the play accurately portray Jewish religious and cultural elements in order to avoid even the possibility of linking the play with anti-Semitic tendencies, as has so tragically occurred in the past.” (Weis, Oberammergau Passion Play 2010: Text, 5)

The playwrights have essentially undertaken a tri-fold responsibility: 1.) To meet the demands of modern, traditional, and special-interest audiences. 2.) To tell an entertaining and relevant story while maintaining the integrity of the Scripture, and 3.) to sufficiently fulfill the vow to the satisfaction of the people of Oberammergau. Under these conditions, it is no wonder the play has gone through numerous revisions and lasts five hours.

The Development of the Play Text

As was previously outlined in Chapter 2, the play text evolved over time in correlation to decades of performances. However, additional detail is helpful when understanding how deeply rooted the text is in the culture and heritage of Oberammergau.

It has been suggested that since the vow to perform the play was made in 1633 with first production taking place in 1634, the town may have already been in the habit of

performing a play prior to that date. The text for the initial post-vow performance may

have been borrowed from any number of surrounding towns or religious institutions, such

as the monastery at Ettal.

Founded by Ludwig IV of Bavaria who promised to establish a Benedictine

retreat in joyful commemoration of God’s sparing of his land during the war, the people

of Oberammergau were commissioned to help in the construction of his project at Ettal.

Located three kilometers north of Oberammergau and completed in 1330, the monastery

became a center for trade, education and religious studies for the people of the Ammer

Gau region. Professor, historian, and author Saul S. Friedman who attended the Play in

1980 describes how closely entwined Ettal is with the Passion Play:

Throughout its history, the monastery has enjoyed a unique relationship with the people of Oberammergau. Many villagers have been educated at the monastery school…Some students have returned to sera as pastors in the village. Ettal has also supplied Oberammergau with the redactors of all its Passion plays, from the celebrated Ferdinand Rosner, Ottmar Weis, and Alois Daisenberger in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to contemporaries Stephan Schaller and Pater Gregor Rummelein. (Friedman 6) Though it is uncertain where the original text came from, Oberammergau history has attempted to keep a thorough record of playwrights and revisionists over the years.

The 1664 performance enacted a text from 1662 handwritten by Georg Kaiser, schoolmaster at Oberammergau. Scenes from the Passion play being performed in

Weilheim, Germany were added by Johannes Albl for the 1674 production.

Monk Karl Bader from Ettal stepped in as primary playwright in 1720 and the text was reworked in verse rather than prose and subdivided for the first time into acts and scenes. In 1730, the text was again reworked, this time by Augustinian Cannon Anselm

Manhardt from Rottenbuch who introduced allegorical figures and tableaux vivants into the script. The script stayed basically the same, but improvements to the verse were made by another Rottenbuch Augustinian monk, Clemens Prasser, in 1740.

1750 marks the introduction of the first legendary playwright from Ettal.

Ferdinand Rosner, student at Ettal and professor of rhetoric at the academy of the knights, created the “Passio Nova”, or New Passion. The following passage details the textual innovations contributed by Rosner.

This passion corresponded stylistically as well as formally to the artistic claims and the attitude to life of the baroque. The plot which is based on the new testament is subdivided into nine acts all of them are instigated by a ‘living picture‘. Rosner adopted this form of pictures from the old passion and developed them to 18 prefigurations. With these living pictures situations were taken from the Old Testament. He creates more than 90 roles which arise partly logically from the New Testament. The figure of the devil and to this provided the allegorical figures of the vice, the stinginess, the envy, the death, the desperation and the sin, he adopts from the old play, however, in contrast to prior, he now let them directly intervene into the play. Possibly inspired by the Weilheimer passion, Rosner adds to his play a protective mind, the ‘Genius Passionis’ which is accompanied of six other protective minds. This group, which is in opposite to the diabolical powers, forms the origin of the today's big choir. Rosner has written the dialogs as well as chanted texts into cadenced language. These arias and recitatives, whose music has got lost, corresponded to the Italian opera taste of the time. All in all the text encloses 8455 verses. Oberammergau, up to now only one passion play under many, became the model for other passion plays, for example: Tölz, Freising, Dachau, Kiefersfelden, Oberaudorf, Thiersee and Er. (Oberammergau.com) Rosner’s play was held in high esteem and underwent only minor revisions in

1780 under the hand of Benedictine monk Father Magnus Knipfelberger. The most notable shift in the play’s textual history wasn’t until the 1811 performance when Ettal

38 monk Father Othmoar Weis rewrote the script from verse into prose and moved away from the style of the allegorical into the genre of Realism. He further revised the play in

1815, and aside from minor revisions in 1850 by Father Joseph Alois Daisenberger who also directed the play that year, Weis’ text became the standard until 1860.

The major revisions of 1860 were not by will of the people, but by demand of the government, the play was reworked to follow the stylistic form of ancient Greek and classical tragedy. The story was based almost entirely out of the Gospel of St. John, and emphasized the drama of the Passion.

In 1870 Daisenberger further revised the text, putting the Prologue in classical meter and rewriting the vocal text credit for authorship of the play was now attributed to

Weis/Daisenberger. This new version enjoyed the most longevity of any other form of the play, holding fast until 1960 when, again changes were demanded.

Anti-Semitic reform was sweeping post WWII Germany and Passion plays that were felt to cast Jews in a disparaging light were under attack. The Daisenberger text was targeted as having strong anti-Semitic overtones and Ettal Abbot Dr. Johannes Hock was charged with making the necessary corrections. These changes were not satisfactory and the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) took the lead in the battle to see significant text reform or ban the play altogether.

Desiring to comply with the plight of the ADL, but also under the umbrella of the

Catholic church, in 1977 Oberammergau produced what has become known as the

“Rosner text experiment.” Revived were many of the allegorical figures, this time alongside historical ones. Acclaimed by some as the solution to their problems, the 39

experiment failed to win the hearts of the Oberammergau citizens who were fondly

attached to the Weis/Daisenberger text and in 1980 the traditional text was staged with

revisions by Ettal monk Gregor Rummelein. Heedless of the call for further reform, the

350th anniversary production in 1984 premiered with only a few minor adjustments made

by director Hans Maier and Father Rummelein.

Christian Stuckl was appointed by the play’s advisor committee as the new director in 1990, known as a reformer rather than a traditionalist, it was only a matter of time before he began to work with dramaturg Otto Huber who majorly revised the

Weis/Daisenberger text in 2000. The revisions were done in consultation with Jewish,

Catholic, Lutheran, and local leaders. Terminology was scrutinized, scenes were added, and greater emphasis was placed on the community of faith rather than crucifixion.

Though less offensive in some ways, the Jewish constituency was still dissatisfied and further revisions by Huber and Stuckl for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 included two new scenes, and an emphasis on “Jesus the Jew” rather than “Jesus the

Messiah”, among other things mentioned throughout this summary.

CHAPTER IV

THE MUSIC

The Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 uses music throughout the production to accompany the vocals of the Chorus and Prologue. An orchestra of fifty-five instrumentalists accompanied forty-four vocalists in fifteen songs that are, in themselves, short stories within the Passion. Under the musical direction and revised compositions of

Markus Zwink the instruments and vocals filled the air with transcendent melodies, melodies that, like the text, have evolved over time.

The Composition

Though there is some evidence that music was used in earlier productions of the

Passion Play, the first official musical score was composed by Rochus Dedler for 1811.

Significantly revised by Dedler for 1815 and again in 1820, Dedler, a composer, conductor, and teacher of music, adapted his music as much to accompany new texts written by Benedictine Othmar Weis as to accommodate his own preferences. The music for the third production in 1820 is believed to serve as the basis for all compositions since, though the oldest copy extant is from 1870.

The major influences on Dedler’s music were probably those of Haydn and

Mozart because much of the musical form is that of the Viennese classics. Dedler’s use of 41 minor keys combined with occasional lighter melodies became the point of dissent because some people felt that the melodies were not in keeping with the solemnity of the

Passion Play. Noam Marans, a native of Oberammergau commissioned in 1899 by a publishing firm in Munich to write a detailed history of the play acknowledges the differences of opinion surrounding the nuances and quality of the music.

It has remained a matter of controversy up to the present day, praised up to the skies as an immortal master-piece by some, by others condemned as worthless and old-fashioned, and again by others patronisingly smiled at as a naive piece of peasant music. (Marans, 151) The historian goes on to argue in favor of Dedler’s compositions saying,

Firstly the music is not old-fashioned, secondly it is not feeble, and thirdly it makes demands upon the performers, which they are not always able to meet. This is by no means a depreciative criticism of the Ammergau singers and musicians, on the contrary', the people do wonders. But what I mean is, that Dedler's music is not written to suit the standard of ordinary village music, and that it contains technical difficulties, the rendering of which does not please the ear of a musician, in spite of all allowances… This is just what all those clever people, who are so readv with good advice, never consider — the circumstances of the performance require music which is effective even if not rendered by first- rate musicians, and Dedler's music does this, at any rate more than any of the proposed substitutes. (Marans, 152) Following the death of Dedler in 1822, numerous other composers suggested changes or additions to the music, changes which were generally not well-received by the people of Oberammergau. Most revisions were a result of cuts and additions to the script. Conductors and musical directors were given some liberty to make necessary changes to the score. The first major revision to the score was in 1950 when Professor

Eugene Papst added many harmonies to the vocals and intricate melodies to the instrumentation while keeping Dedler’s music at the core.

Today, Dedler’s scores still ring true throughout the musical compositions.

Markus Zwink composed new pieces of music to accompany the changes to the 2000 and

2010 scripts, which featured newly inserted Tableaux, but also brought back some of the purity of Dedler’s work. An article entitled “The Music of the Oberammergau Play” states, “One of Markus Zwink’s tasks was to adapt Dedler’s music to newly written texts.

He also revived previously rejected Dedler jewels and made them shine again as part of a newly-arranged mosaic.” So it is that the combined work of two men 200 years removed from one another set the tone for the play.

The Staging

Signaling the show’s commencement is the entrance of the musicians. Smiling but focused, they quickly descended from stage left into the pit. With a small wave to the audience from Conductor Michael Bocklet, they disappeared at the base of the main stage amid rousing applause from spectators. Foregoing the lengthy overture that is the custom in many shows using an orchestra, the first strains of music quickly ushered in the members of the Chorus and Otto Huber, who delivered the Prologue portions of the play.

All remained onstage for the duration of the choral numbers.

At the start of each new scene, the chorus filed out from stage right and stage left in two even lines, ending in the middle. The vocalists were arranged in height so that the tallest performers were in the middle and on the ends gradually sloping downward toward the middle on both sides and then up again to create a “scalloped” effect, reminding one of a decorative gate that stands between two stone pillars at the entrance to a mansion.

Continuing the impression of the gate, the Chorus was choreographed to appear as

if they were swinging on hinges as they sang. The two outermost members stood still far stage right and left while the rest smoothly swung open at the center by walking backward to create and inverted V-shape. The V came to a point at the proscenium-style stage that stood in the middle of the set, directing the audience’s attention to a tableau scene that was staged therein. At the end of the scene (which will be described in following chapter), the Chorus would slowly “swing” closed for the conclusion of the number. Gliding offstage as if on well-oiled runners, the Chorus then parted, exiting to opposite sides of the stage.

The precision with which the Chorus moved made them an object of intrigue. As the music marked the start of the next choral number, one’s eyes were immediately drawn to the outermost ends of the stage. Feet stepping and arms swinging in accord, but fluidly without a regimental feel, they worked in symmetrical unison.

Breaking out of the “gated” formation only on rare occasion, the Chorus also appeared once on the steps of Pilate’s palace and in front of the meeting area of the High

Council. This technique was used in Act VIII; Scene 3 (Textbook, 93) to underscore the dramatic action following an argument Pilate had with Caiaphas about what to do with

Jesus. The Chorus alternately took on the roles of Narrator and Chorus expressing their anxiety over what was happening to Jesus as he was mocked and beaten. This song transitions directly into the Prologue of Act IX (Textbook, 94) and is followed by another choral number describing a tableau about Israel’s deliverance in the time of Joseph from the Old Testament.

Moving quickly from one song to the next, the formation on the steps provided a smooth transition to the center proscenium stage for a preset tableau to be revealed by the curtain. The chorus came together as the curtain closed, providing the time required to stage the next tableau which was viewed within quick succession.

Function and Purpose

In modern theatre practice, it is not uncommon for music to be used as an addition to the production. Musicals integrate songs as part of the storyline, flowing into and out of the numbers as naturally as though the actors were continuing to speak their lines.

“Being in the chorus” of a musical usually means the actor is singing or dancing in the background to support or contribute fullness to the stage picture. Even “straight” plays are often enhanced with a musical score, though not usually performed by a live orchestra, as a way to influence the mood of the play. Though the addition of a chorus to a dramatic production is not a new idea, Oberammergau’s particular kind of chorus resembles ancient theatre much more closely than modern.

Throughout both Greek theatre and theatre of the Middle Ages, many examples can be found in which a chorus was used to enhance or explain the action of the play whether through movement or speech. The lines of the Medieval trope mentioned in

Chapter 1 were most likely sung by a chorus positioned in a loft high above the main floor of the cathedral. Greek choruses consisting of up to fifty people danced, sang, gestured, chanted, reacted as an audience, or interacted with primary actors throughout ancient tragedies and comedies.

The coryphaeus (Greek chorus leader) was a primary voice from the chorus who instructed the audience or expressed the thoughts of an individual actor in the play. Main similarities can be seen between the Greek chorus and that of the Oberammergau play.

The role of the coryphaeus closely resembles the character performing the Prologue in the Passion 2010 who was oft used to focus the attention of the audience on a particular aspect of the play, such as in the following example from the Passion 2010 Act II:

From Galilee to Jerusalem He liberated people and healed them, awakened them to life and proclaimed: Repent! The kingdom of heaven is near!

Enthusiastic devotees follow him, Others— closed to his word— are offended by him and those in power are plotting an act of violence.

But without fear Jesus goes is way. He puts his trust in the Lord.

It should be mentioned that a modern theatre-goers may want to make a connection between a solo voice speaking to the audience within the body of a play and that of Shakespeare’s use of the soliloquy. Though similar in poetic structure, the

Prologue is more accurately compared with a monologue. In soliloquy, the speaker

46 seems unaware of the audience, though the author’s intent is clearly to reveal to the audience a particular train of thought the character is processing. A monologue, spoken to the audience, deliberately breaks the fourth wall, urging the audience to disengage from the characters’ thoughts and become individually introspective.

Though in modern theatre practice it is less common to include a Chorus or a

Prologue (monologue), Otto Huber, creative director in charge of script development since 1990 explains in Oberammergau Passion Play 2000: A Commemorative Book why it is essential that the Oberammergau Passion Play make primary use of the chorus and the Prologue.

A chorus and Prologue guide the audience through a play the content of which is summed up by Paul— in one of the earliest formulations of the Christian faith— with the words: “…he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). If, however, all that were told on the stage at Oberammergau was how Jesus of Nazareth was plunge into disaster and put to death, this story would hardly differ from the countless tragedies that we encounter every day. But there is another side to Jesus’ Passion, to which Paul refers in the very next sentence: ”Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9). It is the task of the chorus and Prologue at Oberammergau to lead spectators from all over the world to recognize this second, mysterious aspect of the Passion. (Huber, 16) We can see from this description that though the chorus and prologue may not serve a primary function in furthering the action of the Passion, they are inseparable from the Oberammergau’s purpose for the play. In this way, the Passion chorus is again similar to the Greek chorus, which is described by J. Michael Walton in the following way. He writes, “The chorus was never a tedious necessity thrust upon early playwrights 47 unable to think of any other way of writing plays. It was and remained the life and soul of the drama.” (Walton, 53)

To accomplish the task outlined by Huber, the Chorus and Prologue are used interchangeably as narrator, storyteller, respondent, and character; each line sung or spoken/chanted in prose much like the Greek and Middle-Age choruses of old.

The Roles

Though all lyrics were sung in German, translation for all the songs and recitations was provided in the Textbook along with the lines of the play. As narrator, the

Prologue recapped the action of the previous scene, drawing audience attention to details that were meant to have particular implications to matters of faith. The Chorus would then shift into the role of storyteller, making a connection between the action of the

Passion and an historical event based on a story from the Old Testament of the Bible.

From storyteller to character, the Chorus took on the role specific figures from Old

Testament history and that of a more allegorical nature as an exhorter, challenging the audience go beyond the story and find a personal application that would become a valuable life lesson.

The following example found in Act III starts with a Prologue about the previous scene in which Judas walks away from Jesus and is compared to the people of Israel walking away from God’s Law given them through Moses. The chorus song then segues into the story as the collective voice of the Israelites justifying their idolatry with a story of woe followed by an individual bass vocalist singing out as the voice of Moses. As

Narrator the Chorus draws a connection between this story and the one of the Passion, and ends by exhorting the audience to respond with a change of heart.

PROLOGUE

See how— aflame with the spirit of God — Jesus struggles for humankind! He proclaims the compassion of the All High and teaches the law of reconciliation with Heaven as with the earthly brother.

When Moses carried God’s Law down the mountain, And saw the fickle folk adore and celebrate An idol ade of gold, he commanded: “Whoever belongs to the Lord, Comeover and stand with me!”

Thus Jesus gathers round himself people who love the Father with their whole soul and calls them to decide to serve either God or the idol of their own might.

CHORUS (as the voice of the Israelites) “Oh, golden image! We prostrate ourselves before you! You mighty ruler! You, our guardian! We thank you, who led us out of Egypt! Oh, strong helper, assist us always! You God of gold! Who sets us free! Who helped in need! Help us today! Draw us on! You we adore! You are always our faithful companion! Glory you will grant us! And majesty! Come on, as we dance around him! Come on, we want to delight him with our dance! Since Moses and his God have abandoned us, You now be our refuge and shield in all our need! Who, apart from you, from you, Will help us in life and death?! You golden image! You God of strength! Filled with great reverence we stand before you! Oh, God of gold! Your people, see them beseech you!”

MOSES (BASS SOLO) How I shudder at the people’s transgression! Whom? Whom are you asking for advice, you traitors?! Was it not Yahweh who has always been your guide? Do you not remember the abyss? Satan’s power will rise anew! The idol shows its night face!

NARRATOR “Let me lead you to the father!” Jesus lovingly invites everyone, The good shepherd does not want to lose a sheep! Even a Judas should be with him!

Alas, Judas wants to abandon Jesus, He cannot grasp the heavenly realm, And they demand, holy God, to punish Jesus with death!

CHORUS All of you, turn from the path of sin! Trust yourselves to the Father! For you see, made deaf and blind by idols, people travel the path of death. The heart grows cold and freezes, when it loses the connection with God.

Ludwig Modl, in the Preface to the Passionsspiele 2010 Textbook, describes moments like this when “emotionally stirring music moves the performance into the realm of an oratorio that immerses the audience into events through the combined power of choir, orchestra, and soloists.” (Textbook, 5) As the Chorus files out and the music fades, spectators are given the opportunity to reflect inwardly on what they have just heard.

In the following chapter, we will see that while the musical components of

Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 serve as fuel for introspection, the visual images of the

Tableaux Vivants or “Living Images” showcased by the swinging gates of the Chorus are a mode of transportation. At the point of the “V”, we find an open portal through which the audience journeys into Old Testament scenes which parallel the New Testament story of the Passion.

CHAPTER V

TABLEAUX VIVANTS

A French term meaning “living pictures,” tableaux vivants were used long before

radio, television, and film as a form of entertainment. When performing a tableau, actors

generally dress in extravagant costumes and jewelry, strike a pose, and stand still as a

blinder is removed to reveal their scene to the audience. Actors are not allowed to speak or to move, but must remain in position, like statues, for the duration of the scene.

Deceptively simple in its description, this element of the Oberammergau Passion

Play 2010, required a great deal of strength, physicality, expression and creativity to be used effectively as an art form. Mastering this art is possibly the primary reason the

Oberammergau play has been able to distinguish itself from other productions of a similar genre.

Interspersed throughout the play, thirteen tableaux vivants, translated in

Oberammergau play texts as “living images,” illuminate Old Testament events. Each event is presented as a prefiguration, or type, of what was to come in the New Testament

Passion story. Parallels are drawn visually and aurally between the Old and New

Testament stories as the Chorus explains the images as they are presented.

Though some themes of the prefigurations seem, at best, loosely connected to the

events of Jesus’ final week, the images themselves evoke a strong response in the viewer.

In contrast to the muted tones of the Passion (which will be discussed in detail later), the

actors and scenes in each tableau are part of a portrait painted in lush saturated tones of

turquoise, yellow, red and orange with black and white accents that make the images pop in the eye of the beholder. The brilliant use of color adds to “the dramatic impact of providing a bridge between Judaism and Christianity” (Goodburn, 24). Rather than connect to New Testament narrative as a shadow of the past, the scenes are vivid portrayals of life, frozen in time.

Though no verbal analysis can truly do justice to the tableaux vivants, the following section names each tableau in the order it appeared in the play, and offers a

brief explanation of how it parallels the story of The Passion.

Part I of the Passionspiele

1. The Loss of Paradise: Adam and Eve cower on the ground while an angel with

a fiery sword looms over them. On stage right is an angel standing beside a tree and

holding an apple while another angel holds a serpent stage left.

This opening tableau illustrates Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of

Eden. Appropriate for the beginning of the Passionspiele, the image reminds us Jesus’

sacrifice would have been unnecessary if sin had not entered the world.

According to the Old Testament book of Genesis, when God created the heavens

and the earth, the first people on earth were placed in a garden called Eden. They were

given only one restriction; do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Having been tricked by a serpent into tasting the fruit of the tree, Adam and Eve

committed the first acts of disobedience against the law of God and opened the door for

sin to enter the world. The tableau presents a striking image of Adam and Eve cowering outside of a garden while an imposing warrior angel blocks the entrance, symbolizing the separation of God and man.

In order to cover sins and bring people back into a relationship with Him, God created a system of animal sacrifice. Since sin leads to spiritual death, shedding the blood of an animal represented an exchange of a physical life for a restored spiritual life.

The Passion is essentially the story of Jesus offering himself as the final sacrifice for sin; one death for the benefit of all who believe, abolishing the old system. The tableau of

Adam and Eve introduces the biblical New Testament story in which Jesus enters the temple and confronts the sinful acts being committed by people there.

2. Moses leads the Israelites through the Red Sea: Moses and the Israelites watch as the waters of the Red Sea crash down on Pharaoh’s army. An angel holding a bowl of fire stands center stage in the middle of a large wave.

Moses put his trust in the Lord when he was “in most dire danger” from

Pharaoh’s army, according to the accompanying song; “When you lead us on uncharted paths, let us believe in your grace! When we cannot see your goals, let us have faith in your guidance.”

This is one example of a tableau that seems only loosely connected to Jesus’ journey. The comparison is made between Moses’ ability to trust in the midst of trouble, 54 just as Jesus had to put His life into the Father’s hands and trust Him as he faced death.

Without the choral explanation of how the two stories relate to one another, however, there would have been no apparent connection between the stories except, perhaps, how unwavering faith is essential as one walks with Yahweh.

3. The Ten Commandments and the dance around the golden calf: Moses stands just right of center stage at the base of Mount Sinai with two angels who are holding stone tablets. He and two other angels, elevated above the scene on stage right and stage left, watch as the people of Israel bow before a calf made of gold downstage left.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from the

Lord, the people of Israel made a calf-shaped idol out of gold. Moses came down from the mountain and chastised them for turning their back on Yahweh who had always guided them, and instead inviting Satan’s power to advise them.

The Ten Commandments the Lord gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai introduced the idea of “the law.” Throughout Old Testament scripture, the law was used as a guide for how the Israelites were to relate to God and to each other. The breaking of God’s law is what resulted in the requirements of animal sacrifice.

This living image is used both as a connection to the past which illustrates, as did the Garden of Eden, the distance sin creates between the Lord and His people, and also foreshadows Judas’ departure from Christ when he follows the council of the Pharisees, causing him to lose his close relationship with the Son of God.

4. The Paschal meal before the exodus from Egypt: Moses and the Israelites

stand upstage center atop a mountain around a lamb that is bleeding from a slit in his

neck. Downstage, in the foreground of the scene, an angel with a sword stands amidst a

mound of slain men and boys.

The Paschal meal is the Catholic equivalent to the Jewish sedar meal which was

eaten the night before the people of Israel were released from Egypt. That night, the

Israelites were to kill a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorframes of their houses.

They were then to eat the meat of the lamb for dinner with their families. Later that

night, the Lord sent a Death Angel to Egypt to kill the firstborn son in every household.

The angel “passed over” all the homes that had the blood of the lamb displayed, and the

Israelite children were saved. This was the first feast of Passover.

In Jewish culture, The Passover Sedar, or Paschal meal, is eaten at the beginning of the week of Passover in memory of this event in Egypt. This living image precedes the scene where Jesus shares the Passover supper with his disciples, foreshadowing that his body would be broken like that of a lamb, and reinforcing the idea that bloodshed is related to salvation from death.

5. The betrayal at the rock of Gibeon: At the base of a mountain, Joab pierces his sword into Abner who lies in a pool of blood downstage center. Two angels hover upstage of Joab and Abner to the right and left of the murderous scene with expressions of sadness. Meanwhile an angel of death encompasses the scene with widespread wings from an elevated vantage point in the center of the mountain. Soldiers from Joab’s army watch the slaughter from the periphery.

Joab, the least recognizable Biblical character featured in a tableau, is the center

of this scene. In the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel, we learn that Joab was the

commander of King David’s armies during his reign over Judah. King David is often

compared to Jesus because he is a man who sought to know the heart of God. Though

not perfect, he did demonstrate compassion towards people and was known for his songs

of worship written to Yahweh.

Joab murdered Abner and Amasa, commanders of two of Israel’s armies, during

peacetime against David’s wishes. David viewed Joab’s actions as a direct betrayal and

left instructions on his deathbed to have Joab killed. (I Kings 2:5-6)

The choral explanation of this tableau is essential as this story is relatively unfamiliar and only loosely related to the Passion. The scene is shown right before Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane as a parallel to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of his closest friends. Judas lead the soldiers to the place where Jesus is praying with

His disciples, and with a kiss identified Jesus as the one to be arrested.

6. The calling of Moses before the burning bush: Moses kneels center stage in front of a large tree with a flaming center. Several people stand or kneel around the tree with hands raised in gestures of worship.

Part I of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 ends with a startling image; that of

Moses in the desert being called by God to go to Egypt.

As a child, Moses narrowly escaped death at the hands of Pharaoh when

Pharaoh’s daughter found him floating in a basket as she bathed in the river. She took

57 him in and raised him as her own child. When Moses grew up, he defended an Israelite slave by killing a cruel Egyptian guard, and fled to the desert where he lived for forty years.

After forty years, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush instructing him to return to Egypt and speak to the Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites. Feeling unqualified and fearful, Moses pleaded with the Lord, “Send someone other than me.” God assured him that he was the right man for the job.

Jesus also was sent into a situation filled with certain danger. “If this cup can be taken from me, please let it pass” Jesus prayed, but eventually both He and Moses submitted to the will of the Lord and went to their assigned destinations.

Part II of The Passionspiele

7. The Prophet Daniel in the Lion’s Pit: Daniel sits calmly in a pit downstage center as six lions prowl around him. On a rocky plain above him, right of center, King

Darius stands soberly with Daniel’s accusers looking towards the pit. Above the plain’s horizon, two angels watch the scene from elevations on stage right and stage left.

Daniel had won great favor as a chief advisor to Babylonian King Darius, so much so that the King intended to set him over all the administrators and satraps in the kingdom. Jealous of Daniel’s success, his enemies made a plan to have him killed.

Aware of his devotion to the Lord God, the palace administrators went to King Darius and coaxed him to make a law saying that for 30 days people were allowed to pray only

58 to him. As was his custom, Daniel knelt in prayer before the Lord despite the king’s decree.

Daniel’s actions were reported to the king, and he was falsely accused of being disloyal. Even though Daniel’s religious devotion was to the Lord, he had always faithfully served the king. Realizing he had been tricked, but unable to repeal the law,

King Darius was forced to sentence Daniel to endure the designated punishment; he was thrown into the pit of lions.

After a night had passed with Daniel in the pit, King Darius called down to him to see if he had survived. To his amazement, Daniel answered that the Lord had been faithful to him and had closed the mouths of the lions. Like Jesus, Daniel didn’t waiver in his faith even in the face of death and God saw him through. This image is shown back-to-back with the following.

8. The Mocking of Job: A tormented Job sits on the ground downstage center surrounded by four men and his wife mocking him. In the upstage center background, an archangel hovers above Job’s burning house. The outstretched wings of the archangel nearly fill the painted sky of the cyclorama.

Job is well-known from the Old Testament because of the suffering he endured when God gave Satan permission to test him. Satan believed that if Job endured enough loss and pain, his faith in God would be broken. Trusting his servant, God gave Satan permission to test Job any way he desired, short of taking his life.

No one understood why Job was suffering, and unwittingly contributed to his

agony. Job’s wife encouraged him to curse God and die. His three closest friends

questioned his integrity and falsely accused him of doing something to have angered

God. They believed his circumstances must be a just punishment.

In the face of adversity, Job held onto his faith. God eventually restored all things

Job had lost and multiplied his wealth as a reward.

The purpose of both images 7 and 8 seems to be to illustrate how men who were

innocent before God were found guilty in the eyes of others. The parallel between these

tableaux and the opening scene in Part 2 of the play is that after his arrest on the Mount

of Olives, Jesus was taken to stand trial before the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas.

Though undeserving of punishment, he was interrogated by officials, mocked by soldiers

and people who felt free to pass judgment on him, and was betrayed by friends. Despite

all opposition, Jesus held never denounced God or waivered in his resolve to follow him.

9. Cain’s Despair: Downstage center Cain raises his sword to bring the death blow to Abel whom he has pinned on the ground below him. To Cain’s right, an angel holds a lamb and to his left another angel holds a bundle of fire wood. In the upstage sky above, a large dove with widespread wings and a golden glow sits on a throne with flaming altars on either side of him.

Cain and Abel were the first two sons born to Adam and Eve. Their story is

recounted in Genesis 4 in which we read that Cain was angry with his brother Abel and

killed him. When the Lord question Cain as to the whereabouts of Abel, Cain lied and

said he didn’t know. The Lord said that Abel’s blood was crying out to Him and Cain 60 would have to wander the earth restlessly as a consequence for his actions. Cain exclaimed that the punishment was too much for him to bear.

Upon hearing Jesus’ interrogation before the High Priests, Judas realized the intention was to have Jesus killed. In his distress, Judas lost sight of the grace of God and could not bear the pain of his betrayal. Both Judas and Cain were culpable of another’s death and the guilt they felt created a barrier in their relationship to God.

Being questioned and falsely accused in front of the High Priests and Sanhedrin was Jesus’ first trial on the night of his arrest. Before his second test in front of Pilate and Herod, the next living image takes us back to another parallel in the life of Moses.

10. Moses is expelled by the Pharaoh: Pharaoh looms upstage right of center on the steps of his palace, arms crossed, looking at Moses who stands downstage left.

Several Egyptian soldiers and Israelites stand to the right and left of the palace steps while an archangel in the foreground of the scene stands above a skull.

When Moses stood before Pharaoh and told him that the Lord God had sent him to deliver the people of Israel out of their captivity as slaves in Egypt, Pharaoh would not listen. He did not acknowledge the Lordship of Yahweh because of his own position of power and disbelief in anything higher than himself. This tableau suggests how Jesus may have felt before Pilate.

Moses and Jesus were both sent to proclaim freedom for captives; Moses to literal slaves, and Jesus to those held captive by the power of sin. Exodus tells the story of

Pharaoh’s heart being hardened to Moses’ request. The New Testament Gospels tell of

Pilate’s heart being hardened against Jesus’ message of who he was and what he had come to earth to do. The Oberammergau Passion portrays Pilate as a pompous Roman leader who was not about to give credence to claims made by Jesus on behalf of a God whose authority he did not recognize. Just as Pharaoh dismissed Moses for making unsubstantiated claims, Pilate stood against Jesus and ultimately handed him over to be crucified.

11. Joseph is Celebrated as Egypt’s Savior: In contrast to the previous tableau,

Pharaoh kneels downstage right of Joseph with an arm lifted toward him in a gesture of honor and worship. Many Egyptians on the outskirts of the scene join Pharaoh in worshiping Joseph who stands humbling downstage left. Upstage right of the Pharaoh, two trumpeters stand with horns raised to their mouths. An angel stands upstage of

Joseph in a field of wheat.

Irony is the cornerstone of this image. When Joseph was proclaimed as a ruler of

Egypt, it was truly a joyful time. He was given authority to speak as if he were the voice of Pharaoh and, under Joseph’s leadership, the whole nation was spared during a famine that lasted three and a half years. Joseph was celebrated as the savior of the people of

Egypt and took his place as a king. Conversely, when Pilate was finished with Jesus, he announced him “King of the Jews,” a title spoken with disdain even to present day.

Instead of celebration, the authority of Jesus was marked by a mocking robe from

King Herod, and a crown of thorns that was placed on his head. There was no show of earthly success to accompany his position. Joseph was lauded for saving people in a tangible way, but the followers of Jesus were forced to ask the question, “Can we expect

62 help from somebody who was not even able to help himself?” (Community of

Oberammergau, The Passion Play 2010 Oberammergau. 90)

12. The sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah: Isaac lays downstage center on an altar of wood while Abraham kneels to his left with a raised sword. Stage right are two angels; one holds a bowl of fire while the other holds is hands up as if to stay Abraham’s sword. A mountain looms above the scene and upstage center near the top of the mountain is the dove with widespread wings seated on a throne.

The twelfth tableau is commonly used in Christian scholarship as a comparison to what happened when Jesus was crucified. In fulfillment of a prophecy, Abraham had miraculously been given Isaac as a son by his wife Sarah in their old age. When Isaac was still young boy, the Lord told Abraham to take him to Mount Moriah and there to offer him as a sacrifice unto the Lord. Abraham did as he was asked, and just as he was about to end the life of his son, his faith was rewarded when God sent him a ram to sacrifice instead.

Isaac was the beloved son of Abraham just as Jesus was the beloved son of God.

The ram sacrificed on Mount Moriah signifies that the Lord God gave his only Son as the sacrificial lamb, fulfilling the requirement in Jewish culture for the remission of sins.

The implication is clear when Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) in the New Testament. He died on the hill of Golgotha as the sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. The Chorus continues to sing as this tableau gives way to the next.

13. Salvation by looking up at the bronze serpent: Moses stands on a hill upstage center in front of the tabernacle. His arm is outstretched toward stage right where a tall, 63

cross-shaped post is raised with a serpent coiled around it. One angel stands at the base of the post while another stands to Moses’ left like a guardian. Israelites of all ages kneel or stand around the scene, all looking up at the serpent.

The final tableau is once again related to a story of Moses. During the forty year

period of wandering in the desert following their release from Egypt, there is a story of

the Israelites being bitten by venomous snakes. Many died until Moses asked God what

could be done to lift the plague of snakes. God told Moses to craft a serpent out of

bronze and raise it up on the end of a pole. If someone was bitten, they had only to look

up at the snake and they would be saved. (Interestingly, the symbol of a snake on a post is

still used to indicate medical services in present day.) This scene is a prefiguration of

Christ being lifted up on the cross.

As the blood flowed from his wounded body, Christ brought healing and salvation

to anyone who was willing to look up at him and accept it. Like the animal sacrifices

being used for the forgiveness of sin, this physical illustration from the Old Testament

demonstrates a spiritual principle from the New Testament.

Summary of the Tableaux

The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” can be aptly applied to the

tableaux of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010. Each scene was a snapshot of the

climax of each of the Old Testament stories, depicting the physical realm of the story

blended with the spiritual. One could not view the pictures without being constantly

reminded that each story had a spiritual connotation.

Present in all but one of the thirteen tableaux are angels resplendent in halos,

wings, and striking garb. They are often shown holding symbolic elements from the

story, such as the post with the snake, the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, and

the lamb when Cain killed Abel. The one scene without an angel is the scene of Moses at

the burning bush. This may be because the story tells of God Himself being present in

the desert in the form of a fire.

The human characters in the tableaux didn’t seem aware of the presence of the

angels, which made the stories even more intriguing for the audience. Glimpses of the

supernatural in each scene that foreshadowed the Passion were reminders that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection had spiritual significance beyond the circumstances being portrayed in the drama.

Void of text, save the brief descriptions sung in the language of the German

Chorus, the tableaux actors had to rely largely on their blocking, gestures, and

expressions to communicate their messages. Those acting in the main storyline of the

Passion play had the benefit of text, but with hundreds of people onstage even the most

expert performer could not effectively communicate to a house of nearly 5,000 spectators

without the help of some additional tools of theatre. In the following chapter, we will see

how the visual elements of costumes and color were used to scintillate the sense of sight

and reinforce the impact of the drama.

CHAPTER VI

COSTUME ELEMENTS

Costumes are an essential consideration in any modern theatrical production.

From minimalist theatre to the elaborate creations of the Italian opera, costumes help delineate character and usher us into the atmosphere of the play. In a production featuring over two thousand cast members, costuming is a formidable undertaking; one that designer Stefan Hageneier spearheaded in both the 2000 and 2010 passion plays.

The earliest surviving account sheets from the Oberammergau Passion Play are from 1690. Within these sheets, “expenses for the Passion Play” are mentioned alongside a few details noting that costumes had been borrowed from Rottenbuch Monastery. It wasn’t until 1840, however, that Parish accounts record the first major costume purchases made by the Oberammergau people instead of borrowing from a variety of sources. The late 19th century trend in European theatre towards historical accuracy being portrayed

onstage was not lost on the Oberammergau people who followed the lead of

contemporaries like the Meiningen Ensemble and Richard Wagner into unifying the

artistic details of their production.

Across the decades of the Passion Play, the most significant changes have been

made to the costumes of the Jewish high priests. The oldest costumes in existence

(displayed in the Oberammergau museum) are those of the High Priests. Used from mid-

18th century until well into the 19th century, these presentational designs feature brocade braids, metal sequins, and cotton or silk jacquard on their robes and horned headdresses one would expect to see on an ancient oriental warrior rather than a priest. The modern day costume designs for the productions are much more representational, though with some touches of contemporary flare.

Over 1,700 costumes were constructed for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010, each personally fitted to the individual actor. For this portion of the analysis, the focus will remain on the characters in the primary story and not include the portrayals in the tableaux. Costumes will be described in generalities with the exception of those significant differences which set a specific character apart from the rest. Distilled into simplest terms, three basic costume-types appear in the play: the costumes of the Jews, the Romans, and the ethereal.

The Jews

The vast majority of the actors— approximately six hundred people— were part of the Jewish crowd, outfitted in muted tones of blue with touches of charcoal gray blended in. The grays added depth to an otherwise monochrome palette and the effect was reminiscent of the hues of a stormy sea. The soft, shapeless cotton knit fabric of the costumes moved fluidly with the actors reinforcing the idea of water. This impression seems symbolic of how the opinions and emotions of the masses were tossed to and fro during the brief week of Jesus’ passion.

All actors who portrayed Jews wore three main articles of clothing. The basic

costume ensemble can be closely compared to its ancient Greek counterpart. First was a

long-sleeved ankle length tunic, adapted from the Greek chiton, belted by a length of

narrow fabric at the waist. Over the tunic was either a long-sleeved or short-sleeved

mid-calf to ankle length cloak that opened down the center front, generally a mere shade

or two off of the color of the under tunic. This was followed by the outermost garment,

the pallium (or shawl), a long piece of fabric with straight edges and square corners that

could be draped over the head as a covering or around the shoulders as a shawl. This

item can be most closely compared to a wide winter scarf with no fringes. Blanche Payne

explains in The History of Costume that Jews didn’t wear the toga (similar to the pallium, but typically a longer and wider piece of cloth with rounded edges) because they associated it with pagan rites (109). Most actors simply draped the shawl over their heads and let the sides hang loosely down the front. Those who didn’t cover their heads with the shawl wore turbans or were children.

Though garbed in the same basic ensemble, Jesus and his disciples stood out from the crowd for two main reasons: their heads were uncovered for the majority of the play and they were dressed in pale earth tones. The disciples’ tunics varied in color and fabric from the outer cloaks, and their scarves were a different shade as well, adding visual intrigue. Detailed embroidery on the tunics, cuffs and fringe on some of the cloaks, and scarves ranging from burlap to loose crochet added touches of texture and dimension that distinguished one disciple from the next.

The only difference between Jesus, played by Andreas Richter, and his disciples was the black pallium he wore. The sides of this final garment fell forward forming two black stripes against his light beige tunic and cloak. Incidentally, Jesus’ mother Mary

(Ursula Burkhart), was dressed exactly opposite of him in a black tunic and cloak, but with a beige pallium. This visual contrast clearly indicated the special relationship between mother and son, while establishing a sense of harmony between them and the members of the High Council whose costumes featured sharp contrasts and stripes.

The High Council was made up of members of the Sanhedrin, a group of appointed priests who served for life. Though historically selected from a variety of scribes, elders, and priests, for the sake of the play, this group was divided into two main groups; [presumably] the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were the primary factions interpreting and enforcing Jewish law at the time. The order of the priesthood was established in the Torah, complete with a description of special garments they were to wear. A portion of their costume is described in Exodus 28:36-41.

36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord. 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord. 39 “Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honor. 41 After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. (New International Version) With this description as a background, the costumes of the High Council clearly needed to be given special consideration; a fact that was not lost on designer Stefan

Haganeier. 69

Dressed like their fellow Jews in a tunic, cloak, and pallium, the Pharisees and

Saducees were distinguished in two ways: their colors and their headdresses. The brocade fabric of the Pharisees featured beige and black stripes while decorative fabric imported from India for the Sadducees costumes was primarily a textured burnt orange with accents of beige and orange plaid. A few garments of the Sadducees were also trimmed with striped patterns of beige and orange to harmonize their costumes with those of the Pharisees.

All of the High Council wore headdresses that were quite large in proportion to the rest of their costumes. They were stylized versions of Ecclesiastical vestments derived from the great domical headdress of the Hebrew tradition. Narrow at the bottom, and gradually widening to the top where it reaches a flat plateau, the lines form a kind of inverted triangle with the chin of the actor at its bottom vertex. This kind of headdress has similar lines to the high hat of the Italian Renaissance, but can most closely be compared to the hats worn today by many Russian Orthodox priests. The hats definitely placed emphasis on the heads of the High Council, which was appropriate considering most of their time onstage was spent in educated debate and rationale.

At the base of each headdress was a band of fabric which probably served the double function of stabilizing the hat and creating a sort of turban to which a cord could be attached for holding phylacteries, according to the instructions in Exodus. Though their costumes did not include blue cords, some priests did have extra pieces of fabric over their ears that had very wide tassels hanging from them.

The only exception to the costume pattern of the High Council was that of High

Priest Caiaphas, played by Anton Burkhart. His tunic, cloak, and pallium were unadorned light beige like that of the disciples. Even his hat, though taller than the other priests’ thus giving him a broader scale appropriate to his level of authority, was beige and of comparatively simple design.

The last group of Jews represented onstage was the temple guards. Instead of metal they wore padded wool in black and silver checkers as upper-body armor which resembled chain mail from a distance. The armor was belted with leather around the waist and attached with straps at the shoulders and sides. They also wore ankle-length gray trousers and thick-soled leather boots, strapped up their shins. Their helmets looked like upside down soup bowls with wide flat brims. It was this group of soldiers who were present in the temple when Jesus first arrived on a donkey at the beginning of the production and these who arrested him in the garden of Gethsemane. Their plaid prints and color schemes distinguished them as cohorts of the High Council.

The Romans

The Romans portrayed in the Passion Play can be described in two categories:

Soldiers, and Claudia. It may seem strange to place Claudia in a category by herself while not mentioning the most infamous Roman name connected to the Passion Play:

Pontius Pilate. However, according to Haganeier’s design, Pilate, played by Stephan

Burkhart, is not portrayed in his political garb as the Governor of Judea, but rather in military uniform as commander of the Roman troops who brought great oppression to the

Jewish people.

The Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate included, wore thigh-length, short-sleeved tunics in shades of midnight blue, gray, or burgundy. Close-fitting knee-length breeches which the Greeks referred to as feminalia, named because they covered the femur complimented the tunics. Historically, Roman opted for these short breeches rather than long pants because “…they regarded any kind of longer leg coverings or trousers as unmasculine and barbarous. Trousers were identified with long-standing enemies such as the Gauls.” (Payne, 108) Over these garments, the soldiers wore breastplates of molded metal to place emphasis on their pectorals. The leather cothurnus (a high laced boot), and metal shin guards completed their outfits.

The helmet of the foot soldiers resembled those of the temple guards, while the high-ranking soldiers had a more sculpted helmet that provided more protection at the base of the neck and was adorned with a fanning plume. Over their armor, Pontius Pilate and the soldiers of high-rank also wore the paludamentum, a cloak pinned on the right shoulder with a fibula.

The only truly distinct characteristics of Pilate’s costume over the other soldiers were that his breastplate had additional abdominal muscles molded onto it, and he wore black leather gloves. The gloves were perhaps the most subtly creative bit of emphasis to appear on any costume. That one addition drew attention to his hands and intensified the impact when he pronounced the death sentence over Jesus. He removed his gloves to wash his hands while declaring, “I wash my hands in innocence.” (Weis, Oberammergau

Passion Play 2010: Textbook. 104) Those hands, shrouded in black gloves, gave the impression of cruelty.

Pilate’s wife, Claudia (played by Sara Jablonka) appeared for just one scene during Jesus’ trial to warn Pilate not to harm Jesus because of a dream she had. She was wearing a white, sleeveless stola that fastened at the shoulders. The plunging v-neckline and high waist accentuated her ample bosom. Her hair was softly knotted at the base of her neck, held back in the front by several strips of linen. Though only seen briefly, she stood in stark contrast to the modesty of the Jewish women, speaking to the sensual lifestyle of the Romans.

The Ethereal

For lack of a better term, the category of the ethereal includes the angel who followed Jesus and the Chorus. The angel, because angels are celestial beings, and the

Chorus whose light and airy melodies were ethereal in their beauty.

The angel, Maximilian Laubert, appeared handsome and barefoot onstage during the scene of the Last Supper. He didn’t speak until the end of the play when he announced to Mary Magdela that Jesus had risen from the dead, but he was present, quietly lending strength to Jesus in many of the scenes in Part 2 of the Oberammergau

Passion. He was dressed in the same basic garments as the disciples, though his cream- colored outfit made him a shade brighter than the rest. His cloak appeared to be made of thin, lightweight linen that was cut in an A-line, allowing his wide hem to billow gently as he walked.

The chorus wore long-sleeved, cream colored A-line tunics covered by floor length smocks of the same color. The brocade fabric was weighty and stiff, contributing to the impression that each member of the Chorus looked like a whitewashed bar in an 73

iron gate. Atop each head was a small golden cap, slanting slightly forward to reflect a

bit of light toward the audience like little brass knobs, all were beautiful and hinted of the

majestic.

Summary of Costumes

Hageneier took a contemporary approach to his designs in that the costumes of

each people group were monochrome, and generally of a neutral color palette. This was

a useful tool for helping the audience distinguish between the different characters. For

instance, if a glimpse of burnt orange was seen onstage, it most certainly was being worn

by a member of the Jewish Council.

Overall, the costuming choices for the actors were reasonably based in history while incorporating a few of the designer’s artistic liberties. The fabric choices were symbolic, practical, and balanced giving the audience a sense of “who’s who” at a glance and creating interesting compositions of form and color.

A Few Words on Lighting

In most theatrical venues, one must consider how a costume will look under a certain light, so this seems like a reasonable place to mention the necessary role lights played in how the actors were able to be viewed by the audience. A significant difference between the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 and most major productions one may be used to seeing in most European and American venues is the use of natural lighting.

Prior to 2010, the Oberammergau Passion Play started at 10:00 am and was performed in natural light for the duration of the 5 hour production. 2010 marked the

first year the production made the switch to an afternoon start-time. The first part of the

show was performed in the natural light afforded by the unique structure of the open air

stage space. No obvious special lighting effects or even spotlight was used to draw

attention to a particular scene- the blocking alone directed the focus of the audience to the

various locations of the stage.

The use of natural light accommodated the timing of the play nicely as it was a bright afternoon when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The dusk was just setting in as Part 1 of the play drew to a close, which was appropriate to the Last Supper scene with Jesus and his disciples. As part of the effort to showcase the “Jewishness” of

Jesus, the lighting of the candles in the menorah was central to this scene. A different form of natural light, the flames from the candles quickly became a central point of focus for the scene.

At the start of Part 2, the natural light from the setting sun was reinforced with the use of high-intensity ellipsoidal lamps and par cans hung throughout the front of the house. The purpose of these lights seemed to be solely to increase visibility. Lights were used to create atmosphere and provide focus as the evening went one, but no extravagant special effects or overuse of artistic liberty was taken. As the dark of the sky increased, so did the intensity of the stage lights and visibility was never a problem.

Minimal Effects

The brief use of special lighting effects took place during the crucifixion scene.

Some blue hues were used to simulate the light of night, and then several brief flashes of white simulated lightning as Jesus breathed his last breath. 75

During the final scene of the play the natural darkness had permeated the stage of

the amphitheater providing an effective setting for the use of candles once again. Mary

Magdalene, in an inspirational scene downstage center, was spotlighted and visited by the

angel that had been present with Jesus in the background of all scenes since the Last

Supper. The angel told her that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and Mary

Magdalene’s monologue was filled with faith-filled acceptance and hope for the future.

As she spoke, the chorus quietly entered the scene, forming their customary V-shape with the point of the V upstage center and the legs extending right and left onto the downstage apron.

At the vortex of the V, Jesus appeared carrying a single candle, which he used to light the candles of those nearest him. The light was spread candle-to-candle down the two lines of the V until all the chorus members were holding their individual lights and the stage was awash with a soft glow from the flames. Jesus disappeared from the scene as imperceptibly as he had arrived, leaving one with the impression that His light had been imparted supernaturally to the world and the responsibility of being “light” in the world had been passed to his followers. Thus the play ended and the houselights signaled the end of the show.

Only one aspect of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 remains to be discussed and it is perhaps the most essential. Upon seeing it, one feels like they have reached their destination in Oberammergau, and it also serves as the starting point for this journey into the world of the play; it is, of course, The Passion Play Theatre.

CHAPTER VII

THE PERFORMANCE SPACE

Approximately twenty minutes of walking will get a person across the diameter of

Oberammergau. Along the boundary of the southern edge is parish of the Catholic

Church and directly across town on the north is the Passion Play Theatre. The two

churches remain linked because on the night before each presentation of the Passion Play,

the parish church hosts a “Celebration of Lights.”

After dark, hundreds gather to watch a pre-recorded presentation explaining

Jesus’ life from birth to death, to resurrection and ascension. Throughout the sanctuary,

sculpted images are illuminated as the story of Jesus’ miraculous life is told. A

translation of the recording is provided, but it is too dark to read, and one gets so caught

up in the solemnity of the atmosphere that rustling papers would seem irreverent. As the

light fades on the final statue, the audience remains in a few moments of hush before

quietly exiting into the graveyard.

The Passion Theatre Through the Ages

The Play was originally performed in the graveyard of the Parish Church of Saints

Peter and Paul where a temporary stage was constructed over the graves of those who had

died in the plague.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the stage was equipped with some simple

sets and stage mechanics that were needed to accommodate the evolving text and

increasing crowds, but the first major overhaul to the stage is in 1815 when “A new

theatre is designed in the Empire Style by Father Johann Nikolaus Unhoch (the Parish

priest at the time), with a wide proscenium and a changeable central stage section,

flanked by two-storied buildings with ‘alley-ways’ and arcades leading off to the sides.”

(Community of Oberammergau, Ed. Passion Play 2010: Oberammergau, 123) The

design of this stage serves as the basis for every stage constructed since.

In 1830 when King Ludwig I refused permission for the play to be performed in

the graveyard, Unhoch’s stage was transferred to a meadow on the northwest edge of the

village where it could accommodate 5,000 spectators. The “Passion Meadow”, as it came to be known was the first semi-permanent stage of the passion play and the site of the present-day theatre.

Over the next fifty years, gradual changes were made to the theatre including a deeper orchestra pit which put the musicians out of view, part of the seating area being roofed over, and a gallery added around the auditorium as standing room. The next major remodel of the stage was completed in time for the 28th Passion Play in 1890. At this time, the stage:

is rebuilt by the internationally renowned theatre technician Carl Lautenschlager in the neo-Renaissance style, incorporating state-of-the-art technology. By moving Anna’s and Pilate’s houses to either side of the stage, a new area is created to accommodate crowd scenes. A glazed roof over the central section permits natural light to enter but makes it necessary for the backdrops to be raised from below instead— a feature found nowhere else in the world. Complex technical machinery is introduced to create the illusion of clouds, thunder,

lightning, angels’ wings, etc. (Community of Oberammergau, Passion Play 2010: Oberammergau, 125) In 1900 the rest of the seating area was covered by an iron truss structure with six high arches, leaving one end open over the stage which remained fully exposed to the elements. (See Appendix B)

The iron girder roof construction of 1900 still exists over the auditorium today; however, the stage itself underwent significant renovations again in 1930 to appear as it does today. Architect Raimund Lang simplified the visual aesthetic of the stage in 1930 when he constructed an open air monumental stage to accommodate Director Georg

Johann Lang whose modern minimalist methods placed less emphasis on set decoration.

After 1990 the decision was made to extensively renovate both the interior and the façade of the Passion Play Theatre. “The seating was renewed [minimized from

5,000 to 4,200 seats]; under-floor heating installed; the back-stage area and technical equipment modernized; cloakrooms extended; toilet facilities improved; the foyer made accessible for wheel-chair users and exhibition areas added; new fire prevention measures for steel and wooden components were taken, and the exterior was transformed.” (Goodburn, 35) The exterior was transformed from a bland beige tone into a two-toned salmon with white accents. The front face showcases a cross surrounded by worshippers in an aqua frame as the marquee. (See Appendix B)

One further addition of a retractable roof over the stage has also been constructed for the benefit of musicals and dramatic productions that are performed on non-Play years, a concession to the sacred space since 2000. The open stage is still used for the

Play itself. With its setting against gently rising slopes, distant mountains, and expansive 79 sky, the location provides its own scenery and requires few effects for embellishment. In regard to effects, the playhouse is also an acoustical marvel. No sound system is used or required for the amplification of actors or musicians, yet one can hear every word, every note without difficulty. As a spectator, one can easily be transported to another time in their imagination; a time when narrative theatre was not dependent on technology to enhance it.

The Stage and Its Influences

The set of the play forms a shallow semi-circle around the main acting area. Two porticos hem in the Passion Play stage: Pilate’s House on stage right, and the House of the High Priest (formerly known as Anna’s House) stage left. Upstage center is a box-like stage with side walls of glass and covered with a peeked roof. Tall archways between the houses and the central stage represent the streets entering Jerusalem. One olive tree stands upstage of each archway, the only set pieces that aren’t part of the permanent structure. (See Appendix B)

The center and downstage apron space are where the main action happens. They become the Chorus platform, the Temple courtyard, the upper room, the priests’ chambers, and even the Hill of Golgatha with the use of a few simple props. The stage floor is painted a dark blue-gray and all of the set is washed in a textured tan that looks like stucco. The only spot of color is the blue panels that cover the opening of the center stage in lieu of curtains. The panels open horizontally at the center to reveal the tableaux and other scenes featured in that area.

The overall appearance of the stage is impressive in its sheer magnitude, but

Father Unhoch’s design, which serves as a basis for every design since, was not overly original. Aspects of the stage and even auditorium design can be found throughout theatre history. Just as one can find remnants of ancient Greek culture and theatre of the

Middle Ages in elements of Oberammergau’s text, music, and costumes, traces of these time periods are recognizable in the architecture of the playhouse.

From Greek theatre we see the use of the skene, the structure that forms the background of the scenes. Originally used as a changing space for actors, the skene became a central structure in the stage out of which set pieces could be rolled on tracks and actors enter and exit. The skene’s roof was also used as an acting platform, usually to show human characters situated in an elevated place, gods, or other supernatural beings. Roman soldiers used the upper levels of the archways and the two Houses to watch over the events of the play. They were considered to be humans of high stature, or at least superior over the Jews, so the symbol of their authority was reinforced with the staging.

The orchestra, a semicircular space in front of the stage, was designated for use by the Chorus. Influences from Medieval theatre include 2 fundamental stage elements:

Mansions, small structures used to establish the place of action, and Platea, a space adjacent to the mansions that served as the primary playing space. The open air setting common in both Greek and Medieval theatre productions is also utilized in the Passion

Play Theatre.

The boxlike structure central to the Oberammergau ‘skene’ is like proscenium

theatre within the main set. If all surrounding structures had been removed, this

‘mansion’ could stand alone as a proscenium stage. It was the only part of the stage that

could be closed off from the audience’s view and was used to bring on the scenic

properties of the tableaux. It also framed the tent for the Last Supper, and the tree that was used by Judas to hang himself after his betrayal of Christ.

It seems that a large skene, such as what historians conjecture stood at the center of the Theatre of Dionysus, Athens, was a precursor to the proscenium stage. There were no curtains, entrances and exits could be made through this central building, from the two outermost Houses and even from stairs above the orchestra pit, but the position of the audience and the general frame of the stage identify it as proscenium.

Father Umloch wouldn’t have had to look quite so far back in antiquity to find

influences that would inform the graveyard-turned-meadow set he constructed. The use of medieval conventions to stage Renaissance texts is also seen in France. The following similarities between the Bourgogne and Oberammergau have been italicized for emphasis.

In Paris, when religious plays were outlawed in 1548, the Confrerie de la Passion, a charitable society that had held a monopoly on producing religious plays in Paris since 1402, was building its own theatre, the first purpose-built, free-standing theatre erected in Europe since Roman times…The Confrerie, unlike most medieval producers of religious plays, staged its productions indoors (not in churches) and therefore in a more limited space. After searching out new spaces for its productions several times, it decided to build its own theatre. It acquired land that had once been part of the Duke of Burgundy’s Paris residence; consequently the theatre built there came to be known as the Hotel de Bourgogne…The precise dimensions of the Bourgogne are unknown, but the most accepted view is that the theatre was approximately forty feet wide by one

hundred five feet deep…there was no proscenium arch or front curtain. The stage space, which was established by the downstage mansions on either side, was probably about twenty-five feet wide; estimates for the depth of the stage vary from seventeen to thirty-five feet. Because the plays presented at the Bourgogne usually demanded several locations, the limited stage space meant that the mansions required for the action had to be erected in a semicircle and remained visible through the performance. This arrangement, known as décor simultanee remained the standard mode of organizing the Bourgogne’s stage space until around 1640. (Brockett, 50) Beyond the stage itself, the auditorium at Oberammergau resembles the innovations of Sebastiano Serlio (1475-1554). Serlio, of the Italian Renaissance, was the first theatre architect to design a stage space with audience seating composed of rising tiers arranged in a semicircle that was limited by the walls of the hall. His stages were temporary structures, combining the use of vividly painted scenes with practical use of the space. The rising tiers upon which the audience sat were in the style of the old stadium-style seats of Greek and Roman theatre and amphitheater seating of the middle- ages.

A Monumental Theatre

In Places of Performance, Marvin Carlson describes “monumental theatres,” the kind of theatre erected apart from the central hub of a busy town because its value is based on theatre as a building rather than theatre as a commercial enterprise.

Monumental theatres make use of external natural settings which open the senses to experience things beyond the elements of our finite existence, such as occupations and commercial interests. Two kinds of space are essential to this kind of theatre: that of the actor and that of the spectator. These spaces are evident in monumental theatres of early

83 classical Greece which required a flat piece of earth for the actor surrounded by a natural slope that would provide a theatron, or “place for seeing” for the spectators. He writes,

The historical tension between the theatre as art form and the theatre as commercial enterprise has naturally been reflected in theatre structures and theatre locations. The monumental theatre, while rarely entirely devoid of commercial considerations, suggests, as we have seen, by its location and isolation, an affinity with other public cultural monuments. In this form the theatre is almost never found at or near the commercial center of the city… (Carlson, 98) While no one could argue that the Passion Play is not a commercial enterprise, until recently the Passion Play Theatre itself was not allowed to be used for anything other than passion-playing, regardless of the extra revenue that might be generated. The playhouse can appropriately be described as a monumental theatre housing a permanent stage structure that makes use of external nature. Audience seating, though not on a hillside, is sloped upward from the elevated stage, allowing spectators to watch the action of the performers and while simultaneously taking in the vast expanse of meadows and mountains in the background.

Though the audience is sheltered under a pavilion-style roof to protect against inclement weather, the actors are not. Subjecting themselves to the open air elements they must perform rain or shine, windy or still, hot or cold. (Incidentally, this Bavarian region might experience all of these weather patterns within the five hours of the play.)

They would not do this if they did not have the sense that they were part of something greater than themselves. Convenience and commercialism are not the primary concern.

One gets the sense that something deeper is the driving force behind Oberammergau’s unwavering commitment to invest in this play. Upon entering the space, both actor and spectator can understand they are truly part of something monumental.

CHAPTER VIII

IMPRESSIONS AND ANALYSIS

Perhaps it is the fame of the Oberammergau name that draws the crowds, the

welcoming attitude of the townspeople, the proximity of the village so close to Munich

and other tourist sites, or the desire of faithful Christians to be inspired by their roots that

made the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 such a success. Rather than look at the

success of Oberammergau from a theoretical standpoint, however, this analysis is

concerned with the tangible elements of the play itself.

Merits of the Performance

German cultural tendencies, commercialism, the tenuous link between art and

Biblical history, and recent edits and additions for the sake of peace and political correctness have surely affected the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010. Additionally, observing the production through the filter of a dramatist who was born in America and raised in a conservative Christian home undoubtedly creates some bias in what should be an objective analysis. Keeping these things in mind, the play excels in the following ways:

1. Use of stage space. Each part of the set had a purpose that was fully utilized.

Visually, there were clearly designated areas for Pilate and the Roman

85 constituency stage right opposite the main acting area for the high priests stage left. Functional and practical, the stage accommodated hundreds of actors at the same time, keeping them well within the sight lines of the audience. Different levels were created by the downstage apron, the stairs leading into Pilate’s and the

High Priest’s houses, the box center stage, and the walking area for the Roman soldiers over the archways.

2. Tableaux vivants. The people of Oberammergau have taken a simple parlor game and turned it into an impressive art form. The living images draw vivid parallels between Old and New Testament stories with primary colors, interesting levels, encompassing cycloramas, and showcasing the literal alongside the symbolic. The sheer strength of the actors who had to maintain perfect stillness in a precarious position (i.e. Abel with his arms and legs elevated in defense against Cain, the Egyptian army flailing in the Red Sea waters, and the trumpeters raising their trumpets to celebrate Joseph) was remarkable.

3. Minimal use of props and additional set pieces. Beyond the tableaux, the only major set transitions happened behind the blue panels of the center box.

Over 41 set changes happened in this small space and in a relatively short amount of time. One large tree was brought on as the backdrop for scenes such as Judas’ monologue, Jesus’ arrest in the Mount of Olives, and the burial and resurrection.

A canopy attached to the floor within the center box projected outward and upward beyond the frame to create force the perspective look of the Seder. Hand props and stools were brought on by actors and removed amidst a milling crowd.

The crosses were mounted in floor traps while the crowd filled in the stairs behind them, suggesting the elevation of the Hill of Golgatha. Keeping the scene uncluttered helped to keep the story central in the production.

4. Strong contrast between the characters in the Passion story, the Chorus, and the tableaux. The story was really told through three different mediums: live theatre, music, and still art. Haganier’s designs were distinct for each element of the play, keeping things visually interesting and creating an atmosphere for each medium to be used successfully.

5. Costumes. Again Haganier’s designs deserve mention. The costumes were representative of time period, while subtly incorporating symbolism. The color schemes made it clear who each character was while creating an overall blend of harmony and balance. Fabric textures and monochrome shades provided just the right amount of depth and intrigue.

6. Incorporating elements of Jewish culture. Jesus was recognizably Jewish because of his costume, his understanding of Jewish law, and his use of the

Hebrew language at different points throughout the play. The text incorporated

Hebrew prayers, footwashing, and a manora in the Seder scene, all things which carry significance in Jewish culture. Effective also was the specification of the

“Seder” meal in the text, distinguishing it as the first meal of the feast of Passover rather than generalizing it as the Passover itself.

7. Incorporating principles of scripture into the text. An effort was made in

Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 to emphasize the overall message of Jesus as 87 one of love, forgiveness, and welcome. For instance, though the Sermon on the

Mount is recorded early in the Gospel of Matthew, lines from it are used in the opening scene as Jesus talks to the people in the temple about true riches and blessing. The woman caught in adultery was also brought in during the temple scene. Jesus forgave her. With these additions, we saw a more complete picture of how Jesus interacted with his fellow Jews rather than just getting the sense that he was angry and opposed to them.

8. Reasonable additions to conversations. Rooted in, but not recorded directly in scripture, most creative liberties taken to make the story flow nicely were rational and necessary. With a few exceptions, the text brought out the underlying conflicts and tensions of narrative.

9. Acoustics. No artificial amplification was needed in the Passion Play

Theatre, though the primary actors began vocal training nearly a year in advance of the production. The lack of technical trappings one is used to in public theatre reinforced the historical realism of the play and maintained the sense that

Oberammergau is careful when it comes to adopting modern methods.

10. Timing of the play. 2010 is the first year the play was performed into the evening. This allowed natural light to be used for Part I of the performance and allowed for dramatic lighting later. Going from light to darkness as the play progressed was symbolically relevant as Jesus was able to enter Jerusalem amidst praise and celebration and then entered his dark moment of the soul in the second part of the story. It was also realistic because, according to Scripture, Jesus’ final

meal with the disciples, his arrest, and the trials happened at night. The final

illustration of Jesus’ light being spread throughout the world after his resurrection

was made effective by the use of candlelight. Each individual flame stood out in

the dark.

11. Location of Passion Play Theatre. Oberammergau makes great use of its

natural landscape. The location of the playhouse, nicely situated in a valley

surrounded by majestic edifices one enjoys the benefits of an amphitheater while

being protected from the elements. Within an easy walking distance of most

lodging, restaurants, and shops, the playhouse also assists the economy of the

town without compromising its serene aesthetic.

12. Tour packages. As international tourism makes up the lion’s share of

Oberammergau’s profits, it is important the tourist is given certain amenities.

Tickets are sold as part of tour packages that have been authorized by the

community of Oberammergau. People from many different countries and

backgrounds benefit from the numerous translations of the text, the promotional

materials that overview the play’s origin, maps, free passes to the Passion Play

Museum, and concept statements by the directors. All of this makes the guest feel

like they, too, are part of history in the making.

Considerations for Future Performances

Though the positives of the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 experience outweigh the negatives, there is, of course room for improvement. Once one gets past the initial awe of having reached their destination, taking in its surrounding beauty and the 89 sheer largeness of the enterprise, some drawbacks become apparent. To that end, the producers of the play may want to take a few things into consideration.

1. The length of the play. The idea of seeing a five-to-six hour play may

make the trip seem worthwhile in theory, however on a practical level, it is hard

to sit in one position for that length of time no matter how good the performance

may be. Perhaps the play committee could divide the performance into three parts

or incorporate a half hour stretch somewhere.

2. The anticlimactic ending. Symbolic light of the world, doesn’t really

translate. Without the accompanying notes from the director, this ending appears

more like there’s a glimmer of hope in the darkness, but not that Jesus has risen in

a moment of triumph. The story closely followed the dramatic structure outlined

in Freytag’s triangle until the last scene. The denouement was a spoken scene

between Mary Magdala and the angel. Jesus then came on with the chorus who

sang a somber, albeit beautiful song. This conclusion seemed disconnected from

the previous action of the play and strayed significantly from the New Testament

narrative.

3. The dialogue should move the story forward. There was too much

redundancy in the dialogue among the members of the High Council. One or two

scenes to establish their differing viewpoints would have been plenty, but it

seemed that the dialogue continually espoused the same ideas of Jesus as

insurrectionist versus Jesus as prophet. Every possible argument for and against

him was hashed and rehashed. This may have been the result of trying to appease

90 too many sects who were allowed input into the revisions of the play. The result was that the opinions of the High Council were rooted in their personal opinions and the dialogue didn’t flow out of the teachings of Christ. Ludwig Modl stated that the play “seeks to clarify important elements of Jesus’ message for today’s audience.” (Textbook, 6) He further explains, “Within the High Council, the supreme religious authority, the arguments for Jesus’ conviction are much more contentious than in previous performances.” (6) The latter may have been achieved at the expense of the former.

4. Clarify the central message and stick to it. The text of the Play is extremely verbose. The arguments among the High Council, monologues from

Judas, Mary Magdala, and Peter, and speeches from Caiaphas all could have been shortened. It is important to show how different people felt during the events of the story, but these lines seemed “Hamlet-esque” in that they processed the inner thoughts of the actor while without leaving much room for the spectator to draw their own conclusions. So many contradicting thoughts espoused in quick succession felt more like a scatter-shot from a shotgun than a bullet aimed directly at the heart of the message. The result was information overload.

5. Clearly acknowledge the resurrection. Rather than cut out the resurrection altogether, introduce the difference of opinion (i.e. the soldiers and Jews who denied the resurrection vs. the disciples and witnesses who saw Jesus post mortem) and let the audience decide which is true. The play could have ended just as easily with Jesus in the grave, for as much notice was given the moment of

resurrection. In place of a scene at the empty tomb, the angel who had

accompanied Jesus at the end convinces Mary Magdala that Jesus is alive.

Magdala acknowledges her belief in his resurrection but doesn’t encounter Jesus

personally. The point of Jesus spreading his love to the world and that his death

was a sacrifice for all mankind was so understated it may have been seemed non-

existent to those who weren’t familiar with the Biblical account of the story.

Jesus’ resurrection is what sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions, allowing people to follow his living example. This is critical to the Passion story and should not be merely suggested.

6. Clarify the relationship between Mary Magdalena and Jesus. The scene at

Bethany seems to suggest a romantic relationship between Magdalena and Jesus.

This was a blocking choice rather than anything rooted in the text. Though the

text speaks of Magdalena’s deep love for Jesus— “You are my life, Rabbi. When

you go you will take my life with you…Strong as death is love” (Textbook 25)—

these could mean that she would follow him even if it meant death. However, the

way she tenderly stroked Jesus beard as she pleaded with him and came close to

kissing him on the mouth had they not been interrupted by Jesus’ mother Mary

implied something quite different. These actions were not necessary and did not

reinforce the idea that Jesus loves all people equally.

7. Better use of effects during thunder rolling and lights flashing on the

cross. There is something to be said about the minimal use of special effects, but

once the choice has been made to use them, it would be better to do them well.

Even with the amazing acoustics in the Passion Playhouse, the thunder was barely a rumble. The lights which flashed on the cross to simulate lightning would have been more effective if followed by a blackout. This would have increased the impact of the effect and remained true to the Biblical accounts of the crucifixion in Matthew 27:45 and Mark 15:33 which tell of darkness coming over the land at the moment of Jesus’ death.

8. Include more of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the tableaux vivants. As patriarchs of the Jewish faith it would be worthwhile to tell more about the lives of these men. Moses is obviously a significant part of the history of the people of

Israel, but recognizing other forefathers could bring additional honor to Jewish heritage. This was done to a small extent in the tableaux with Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, but Isaac and Jacob were never specifically featured. Moses was highlighted numerous times.

9. Keep the play text rooted in the biblical narrative. The dilemma of doing religious drama is that both religion and art stir people’s passions. For a story to flow, it is often necessary to allow a playwright the artistic liberty to fill in the gaps of an historical event with appropriate and relevant dialogue. This can be accomplished in bible-based drama by incorporating harmonizing scripture into the text such as when Jesus taught people from his Sermon on the Mount in the opening temple scene. For the most part Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 addressed the concerns of Jewish people who have been offended by the play by making minor changes. For instance, several lines of offensive scripture were

omitted and Pilate was clearly vilified. These seem like reasonable adjustments

for the sake of living peaceably with people of Jewish faith, but in future

productions where there is a question of change, the people of Oberammergau

would do well to remember that many people are subject to offense over how the

Passion is told; either the Jews on one side, or the Christians on the other. Aside

from faith, one must remember that the Bible can be viewed as an historical

document, and for the sake of the Vow, Oberammergau must remain true to it.

10. Comfort of the guests. While it is impressive to say that an auditorium

seats 4,700, it is definitely at the expense of comfort. The seats are narrow from

side-to-side and front-to-back. There are very few aisles in between, making an

emergency exit unthinkable. Besides being cramped, the seats are wooden. The

tourist group should include complimentary cushions in their packages.

Conclusion

“An experience well worth having” is perhaps the highest recommendation one can give for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010. The opportunity to witness an event that has the longevity of the Oberammergau Passion Play feels like taking a walk on a narrow bridge that hangs between the days of Passions past and present. The quaintness of the town in a rather remote location is idyllic; the idea of the Vow is a romantic. The rules of participation are a bit dogmatic; modernization can be problematic.

Experiencing such an historical and world-renowned event is something one never forgets or regrets. The play itself may not qualify as an artistic marvel, but the fact

94 that it has managed to endure over hundreds of years of religious, social, and political upheaval makes this mystery play nothing short of miraculous.

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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX A

THE SIGHTS OF OBERAMMERGAU

ABOVE: (Left) Inside the Parish Church during the display of lights on the eve of The Passionspiele. ( Right) Outside the Parish Church in the graveyard where The Passionspiele was originally staged.

102

ABOVE: (Left) The Parish Church with the peak of the legendary Kofel Mountain in the background. (Right) The Kofel Mountain overshadows the village of Oberammergau; the plague which preceded the Passion Play oath may have entered the town via this mountain.

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APPENDIX B

THE PASSION PLAYHOUSE

ABOVE: (Left) The exterior of the Passion Playhouse. (Right) The Passion stage in daylight.

ABOVE: (Left) Two of the six trusses which support the Playhouse structure. (Right) The orchestra descends into the pit at the beginning of Part 2, revealing the magnitude of the set.

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The Passion stage after dusk illuminated by stage lights.

105