Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1900 — At Oberammergau. [ARTICLE]

At Oberammergau.

Under date of August 18, from Berlin, Germany, Dr. J. H. Honan writes his brother Attorney E. P. Honan of this city, an interesting letter from which' wo are permitted to copy the following account of the former’s impressions of the great Passion Play as produced by the humble peasants at Oberammergau: * * * I left Pans Thursday, Aug. 9, at 10 p. m.; went through to Strasbury and Munich where I met Liebe. We stayed all night at Munich; went up Saturday morning to Oberammergau to see The Passion Play. You may have read the scathing criticism by some cynic in the Harper's Weekly on this play, saying it was a money-making scheme, etc., etc. I want to say to you, my dear brother, I have never seen anything so realistic in my life and I have perhaps seen as good talent in different parts of the world as the chump who wrote that article. There is positively no acting about it, everything is so realistic that one forgets that it is only a stage he is looking at. To think, a lot of untutured peasants, without the alluring and deceptive rays of the footlights, without paint or powder, wig or make-up of any kind, can hold a most critical audience almost spellbound from early mom until dewy eve is to me most marvelous. The auditorium is covered, but the stage has only the blue canopy of heaven fora covering, embelished by the beautiful mountains as a back ground. We entered at 8 a. m., and, with only a sh >rt pause for luncheon was kept with rivited attention until nearly 6p. m. We visited the Christus In his home, the John in his wood-carving shop, Judas, Mary and Magdeline in their homes and was received with the truest simplicity and courtesy. We received all their autographs and held pleasant conversations with all. I positively saw more true, zealous Christianity in two days in Oberammergau than I have seen in all of Europe. The costumes are all made in the village, notwithstanding reports to the contrary. Aside from two chorus masters and one music teacher, all were born in the village, and only about i-iooper eent. have ever been as far as Munich. The three gentlemen mentioned above live and have lived there a number of years, but were not born there. We stopped with an old Rabbi who has taken part now for fifty years, begining when he was eight years old. The Magdeline, when not on the stage, waits on the table at her father's little inn. The Christus is a stove-maker, but most of the male population are woodcarvers. At the time when the people of Judea gather and Pilate releases Barabbas, there are over 700 people on the stage. The tableaus are simpiy superb, with nothing but the sunlight to beautify them and every one seems to live the very thing they are representing. It seems sacreligeous to call this a performance, but I will say each presentation means a house filled to its capacity, which is about 4.070 (seating) all on one floor. There has been to date more than one hundred thousand people witnessed the play this year. People of all creeds -and without any, are unanimous in their praises. The people who have seen the best talent of the world are loudest in their praises.