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For nearly 400 years, these villagers kept their promise to God. Then came the pandemic.

NEWS DESK by NEWS DESK
September 23, 2022
in THE WAY OF BEAUTY
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For nearly 400 years, these villagers kept their promise to God. Then came the pandemic.
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Tourists milled about the village of Oberammergau during a three-hour intermission of the Passion Play. Known for its production that only happens every decade, Oberammergau is also famous for its buildings painted with colorful frescoes called Lüftlmalerei.
Erin Clark / Globe Staff

It’s been this way for nearly 400 years. As the bubonic plague ravaged Bavaria, the village of Oberammergau remained unscathed until Sept. 25, 1633, when a man named Kaspar Schisler brought the plague to the village. Within a month, nearly half of Oberammergau’s population would die.

Desperate, the community pledged to God that if He spared them, they would perform a “Play of the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ” every 10 years. No one died from the plague after the villagers made their vow, and they fulfilled their promise beginning in 1634.

The villagers have gathered to reenact the life, death, and resurrection of Christ every 10 years for nearly four centuries — except for three times: In 1770, when Passion Plays were banned across Bavaria; in 1940, during World War II; and in 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bibo Farman, who plays a temple guard in Oberammergau’s Passion Play, sits in the window of the temple guard’s dressing room between scenes.
Bibo Farman, who plays a temple guard in Oberammergau’s Passion Play, sits in the window of the temple guard’s dressing room between scenes.
Erin Clark / Globe Staff

The community had begun rehearsals in January 2020. But after three months of work, as the severity of the pandemic became clear, they shut down the play.

“Everyone hoped that we could continue, and it was a big shock for everyone that we had to stop,” says Eva-Maria Reiser, who plays Mary, mother of Jesus. “For me, the sad thing about it was that we couldn’t get together to hug. We weren’t allowed to come together and cry together.”

Community leaders decided early on that they were merely postponing the play for two years, not canceling it entirely. The village depends on the Passion Play; it brings in nearly half a million people every 10 years, and the money they spend keeps the village economy going through the years between.

“We said it from the first day,” says Andreas Rödl, Oberammergau’s mayor, on the decision to reschedule the play for 2022. “We thought, ‘We must do this.’ For us, for the people here. We must do this because of the history.”

Oberammergau’s Passion Play is performed on an open-air stage at the front of a 4,384-seat covered theater. The play normally draws a crowd of about 450,000 attendees over 110 performances.
Oberammergau’s Passion Play is performed on an open-air stage at the front of a 4,384-seat covered theater. The play normally draws a crowd of about 450,000 attendees over 110 performances. Erin Clark / Globe Staff

And so, two years later, the show has gone on — but not without changes. Out of an original cast of 1,400 adults and 400 children, nearly 500 chose not to return, citing life changes — new schools, new jobs, new babies. A seamstress for the Passion Play described the many alterations that had to be done because the children had grown so much.

For Reiser, and for most Oberammergau residents, the Passion Play is a family affair, dating back centuries. She was 5 for her first performance. Her brother was in the ensemble, her father in the choir. This year, her cousin is Caiaphas and another cousin is John.

“My grandmom was very excited,” Reiser remembers. “We had no Mary in the family before, so she was very excited. But she died, unfortunately, in 2020. Her mother played [Mary Magdalene] in 1922, so 100 years later, I play Mary. “

Jonathan Koblitz, Ludwig Freier, and Joseph Flemisch photograph a goat outside of the Passion Play theater between scenes. The children are part of an 1,400-person cast, many actors performing five days a week from May until October.
Jonathan Koblitz, Ludwig Freier, and Joseph Flemisch photograph a goat outside of the Passion Play theater between scenes. The children are part of an 1,400-person cast, many actors performing five days a week from May until October. Erin Clark / Globe Staff

In other villages, you might play sports or talk about soccer, says Reiser. “Here, it’s playing theater. When it’s not a Passion Play year, you’re still talking about the Passion Play.” Who will be cast as Jesus? Who will be Judas?

For those five months, their worlds revolve around the production.

“It’s a good time to find a relationship,” says Rödl, who met his wife while performing in 2010, and whose parents met while performing in 1980.

Until 30 years ago, only certain people were allowed to take part. Women had to be unmarried or under the age of 35, and villagers had to be Protestant or Catholic to perform.

“Here, it takes longer to change traditions,” says Monika Lang, who is one of four women who fought for a decade to have the rules changed.

Elizabeth Zigon gets help from wardrobe manager Annia Bertelmann while dressing for her final scene in the Passion Play.
Elizabeth Zigon gets help from wardrobe manager Annia Bertelmann while dressing for her final scene in the Passion Play. Erin Clark / Globe Staff

Three decades later, Lang says women are still thanking her for her efforts. “They waited years. And they say it’s such a wonderful feeling of being part of this community, which is the main thing that everybody has out there in the theater. Being part of a big thing, of a community, of something we produce together.”

But that doesn’t mean just anyone can perform: To participate, you must either have been born in the village, been wed to a local for at least 10 years, or have lived in Oberammergau for 20 years. Those who meet the requirements and want to perform agree to not cut their hair after Ash Wednesday, one year before the start of the production.

“It’s posted all over Oberammergau, ‘Let your hair grow!’,” Lang says. “Some beards are wild.”

Frederik Mayet studies his lines while his son Vinzent chews on cheese curls.
Frederik Mayet studies his lines while his son Vinzent chews on cheese curls. Erin Clark / Globe Staff

Frederik Mayet, 41, one of two men who play Jesus, arrives with his sons in tow. It’s his day off, but he wants his sons to experience the performance. His family has been in Oberammergau since 1890 and hasn’t missed a production since. Mayet is the first in his family to serve in a major role, and it’s a big deal.

He was 20 when he was picked to play John the Apostle. That’s when he began to take the Passion Play seriously.

“It really changed my life,” says Mayet, wearing a brown robe, his long hair brushing his shoulders. “It was really important to me, being in the Passion Play, in such an important role.”

This is his second production in the role of Jesus. He imagines he will be too old to play Jesus a third time, in 2030. Oberammergau residents dream in decades: He would love to play Judas, but maybe in 10 years, he’ll be Caiaphas or Pontius Pilate.

His son Vinzent visits him in his dressing room, crunching on cheese curls and watching as his dad studies his lines. Vinzent, who performs as a young server during the Last Supper scene, dreams of being the “big server” in eight years — the one who serves the bread and the wine.

Stephan Doerfler (left) and Roland Kopic lead two camels to the theater for their upcoming scene. The camels, who belong to a nearby farm, are on loan to the Passion Play for the six months of performances. They live with a local farmer, who also provides temporary housing to Jesus’s donkey, a short walk from the theater.
Stephan Doerfler (left) and Roland Kopic lead two camels to the theater for their upcoming scene. The camels, who belong to a nearby farm, are on loan to the Passion Play for the six months of performances. They live with a local farmer, who also provides temporary housing to Jesus’s donkey, a short walk from the theater.Erin Clark / Globe Staff

As the sun begins to drop behind the jagged peaks of the Alps, actors clad in leather armor befitting of King Herod’s soldiers fetch the camels from a nearby farmer for the short walk to the theater. The camels are on loan from a farm in the neighboring town of Murnau, residing with the farmer for the duration of the Passion Play. They have a routine, the actors and the camels.

“We always stop here,” says Stephan Doerfler, one of the men. The camel chews contentedly from an overgrown patch of weeds. They take their time: The camels munch and the actors chat with tourists. Doerfler, who has been performing in the play since 1970, reflects on the past four decades.

“For the people on the stage, we’re a team — in unity,” he says. “It’s the first time you see some people in the past 10 years.”

Rochus Rückel slides his arms into the sleeves of his red robe as fake blood drips down his chest. Rückel, 25, is the second youngest actor to play Jesus in the history of the Passion Play. “The whole village, the whole world is looking at you,” Rückel says. “It’s a huge honor.”
Rochus Rückel slides his arms into the sleeves of his red robe as fake blood drips down his chest. Rückel, 25, is the second youngest actor to play Jesus in the history of the Passion Play. “The whole village, the whole world is looking at you,” Rückel says. “It’s a huge honor.”Erin Clark / Globe Staff

The actors guide the camels up a ramp into the theater. On stage, Jesus has been accused of being a fraud, his fate sealed.

Rochus Rückel, 25 — the other actor who plays Jesus — whistles in his dressing room. He’s preparing for the climax of the play: Soon, he will be hung from the cross. His wardrobe manager covers him in fake blood and a cloud of powdered clay to make sure it stays. Rückel takes one last look in the mirror before resting the crown of thorns into his thick dark curls.

“The whole village, the whole world is looking at you,” Rückel says. “It’s a huge honor.”

Down the hall, Kristina Schulte-Davis fusses over the tenors before they depart for the stage. She manages their wardrobe and ensures the tenors “look good and feel good about themselves” before they face the audience. In the mornings, she’s a grade-school teacher. Her students tell her she looks tired.

“Of course I look tired,” she tells them.

“You still enjoy going there?” they ask.

“Every day. I love it,” she says.

Schulte-Davis didn’t grow up with the Passion Play, but she made sure her sons, Sebastian and Lukas, did. Their first performance was 12 years ago. Sebastian insisted on being the first one to the performances. For the next four years, the boys would reenact scenes daily when they got home from school. With a herd of 50 toy donkeys, they came home and played, the play’s soundtrack on repeat in the background.

“When we were in the car, at home, went to bed. Nonstop,” Schulte-Davis says.

Twelve years later, it’s still playing. She listens to it on her way to work and again on her way home.

It’s not her only routine. Every night, shortly after Jesus is crucified, she trails behind the choir as they fill the back wings of the stage. She hides in the shadows of the tenors, reveling in their sound. “Sixty seconds,” she says, as tenors sing their final hallelujah. “Sixty seconds of beauty.”

The Passion Play performance seen from backstage.
The Passion Play performance seen from backstage.Erin Clark / Globe Staff

In October, the Passion Play will come to a close. Villagers describe the end of the season as bittersweet. Older actors fear that this play will be their last. So much can change in a decade.

Sitting on a bench outside of the theater, Rödl shudders to think about it. “You see so many people so many, many times. And then it’s gone. . . . It’s hard to find words for this.”

In the evening, the play ends and villagers attend to their “real” jobs. Pontius Pilate runs one of Oberammergau’s thriving hotels. When he’s not performing as Jesus, Mayet handles public relations for the play. One of King Herod’s soldiers owns a dental practice. Mary, mother of Jesus, is a flight attendant. Regardless, they do what they have to do for the show to go on.

“We grow up with this and for us, it’s so important to do it,” says Reiser. “It’s in our DNA.”

Jesus’s disciples play cards and drink beer during downtime in the performance.
Jesus’s disciples play cards and drink beer during downtime in the performance.Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Tucked into the Ammergau Alps, the village of Oberammergau has a population of about 5,400 residents. About a third of the villagers perform in the Passion Play.
Tucked into the Ammergau Alps, the village of Oberammergau has a population of about 5,400 residents. About a third of the villagers perform in the Passion Play.
Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Sebastian Dörfler, who performs in the role of Nathanael, watches as his partner, Carla Schauer, kisses their 5-month-old daughter, Valerie.
Sebastian Dörfler, who performs in the role of Nathanael, watches as his partner, Carla Schauer, kisses their 5-month-old daughter, Valerie.Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Actors catch up backstage while waiting for their scene in the Passion Play.
Actors catch up backstage while waiting for their scene in the Passion Play.
Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Temple Guards gathered around a burning torch while backstage of the Passion Play.
Temple Guards gathered around a burning torch while backstage of the Passion Play.Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Roman soldiers waited backstage before carrying Jesus’ cross out for the crucifixion scene.
Roman soldiers waited backstage before carrying Jesus’ cross out for the crucifixion scene. Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Pontius Pilate’s servants play cards during downtime backstage of the Passion Play.
Pontius Pilate’s servants play cards during downtime backstage of the Passion Play.Erin Clark / Globe Staff
Frederik Mayet walked slowly toward the stage, preparing to be hung from the cross. “It really changed my life. It was really important to me, being in the Passion Play, in such an important role.”
Frederik Mayet walked slowly toward the stage, preparing to be hung from the cross. “It really changed my life. It was really important to me, being in the Passion Play, in such an important role.”

Erin Clark / Globe Staff

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