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Oberammergau Passion PlayThe World Famous Play of Life and DeathThe first Passion Play (Passionsspiele) took place in Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany in 1634 and the 41st performance is scheduled for 2010.
In the middle of the Thirty Years’ War the plague spread across Europe and in 1633 in the mountain village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps the local residents made a pledge that if the horrors of the plague stopped they would present a play about the suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ every ten years. In the following year the villagers kept their promise and put on a performance of the very first Passion Play. The First Passion Play in 1634The first Passion Play took place in 1634 on a stage constructed over the graves of the victims of the plague and the first performance was acted out by the villagers of Oberammergau (a tradition which still continues today). After the performance in 1674 the date was changed and from1680 to the present day the Passion Play has been performed every ten years with only one exception during the Second World War The Popularity of the Passion Play SpreadsBy the middle of the 18th century the Passion Play had become so well known that as described on the Passionsspiele website “spectators came to Oberammergau from all parts of Germany, attracted by the great power and mystique of the play”. The Passion Play TheatreIn 1820 the venue for the Passion Play was moved to a new open-air stage which was constructed at the site of the current Passion Play theatre. At this time the audience sat on rows of benches but in 1930 proper theatre seating was installed with a capacity of 5200. In 1999 the theatre was completely renovated and in addition to modernising the stage equipment and introducing new fire and safety measures it now has nearly 5000 start-of-the-art covered seats which enable performances to go on whatever the weather. Who Takes Part in the Passion Play?Over 2000 amateur actors, musicians, singers and stage technicians all of whom must have been residents of Oberammergau for at least 20 years bring the Passion Play to life every ten years. The Oberammergauers also make the magnificent costumes. Preparations for the play start at least a year in advance and as noted on the Reformation Tours website because the actors are not allowed to wear wigs they start to grow their hair and beards several months before the performance - for the 2010 performance this will start on Ash Wednesday 2009. The Passion Play TodayThe 2010 Passion Play performed in German runs from May to October and although it lasts over five hours, there is a three-hour break for dinner in the middle. The first part is performed in the afternoon and the second part is performed in the evening with the added effect of the sun setting on the back-drop of mountains. The 41st production includes newly revised text and music especially created for the performance by the composer Rochus Dedler. Where is Oberammergau?Oberammergau is in Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) in Southern Germany only about 56 miles (90km) south of Munich. This picturesque village lies in the Ammer Valley surrounded by mountains, meadows and forests and provides the perfect backdrop for the open-air stage at the Passion Play theatre. Oberammergau is also famous for its woodcarving and the traditional Bavarian and religious scenes painted on the facades of many of the buildings.
The copyright of the article Oberammergau Passion Play in Theatre History is owned by Christine Lightfoot. Permission to republish Oberammergau Passion Play in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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