Passionspiele Oberamergau
In 1633, the residents of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany, vowed that if God spared them from the bubonic plague ravaging the region, they would produce a play thereafter for all time every 10 years depicting the life and death of Jesus. The villagers believed they had been spared and they kept their part of the vow when the play was first performed in 1634.
The play is now performed repeatedly over the course of five months during every year ending in zero. 102 performances took place from 15 May until 3 October 2010 and is next scheduled for 2020. The production involves over 2,000 performers, musicians and stage technicians, all residents of the village. The play comprises spoken dramatic text, musical and choral accompaniment and tableaux vivants, which are scenes from the Old Testament depicted for the audience by motionless actors accompanied by verbal description. These scenes are the basis for the typology, the interrelationship between the Old and New Testaments, of the play.
The Oberammergau production takes place in one day, but the running time has varied due to the many revisions that have taken place through the years. In 2010 it had a running time of 5 hours, beginning at 2:30 pm and ending at 10:00 pm, with a meal break. It was staged a total of 102 days and ran from May 15 until October 3 that year.
The play is now performed repeatedly over the course of five months during every year ending in zero. 102 performances took place from 15 May until 3 October 2010 and is next scheduled for 2020. The production involves over 2,000 performers, musicians and stage technicians, all residents of the village. The play comprises spoken dramatic text, musical and choral accompaniment and tableaux vivants, which are scenes from the Old Testament depicted for the audience by motionless actors accompanied by verbal description. These scenes are the basis for the typology, the interrelationship between the Old and New Testaments, of the play.
The Oberammergau production takes place in one day, but the running time has varied due to the many revisions that have taken place through the years. In 2010 it had a running time of 5 hours, beginning at 2:30 pm and ending at 10:00 pm, with a meal break. It was staged a total of 102 days and ran from May 15 until October 3 that year.
This is the official site for the Oberamergau Passion Play. It has information about the play, the area, hotels, and the tickets. A binding reservation is possible by spring 2018 on this website.
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Tickets for the Oberammergau Passionsspiele 2020 are available as part of tour groups, package deals with hotel stays, and individual play-only tickets.
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Official Passion Play Video for 2010, Part 1
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Official Passion Play Video for 2010, Part 2
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Over 2000 participants brought the story of Jesus of Nazareth to the ears and eyes of the audience in a five-hour presentation on the imposing open-air stage.
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In part one of this week's series director Christian Stückl has his hands full coordinating the 900 performers for the opening scene. The actors, all of whom are local amateurs, are instructed to perform as though each one were in the spotlight. The setting shifts between huge mass scenes and small, almost intimate dialogues. A total of 2000 Oberammergau residents are taking part in the production.
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Oberammergau is getting ready for its famous Passion Play. The inhabitants of the town in southern Germany perform the play only once every 10 years.
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In part three of this week's series Village With A Passion, we meet a local family in Oberammergau, Bavaria, whose members spanning three generations are all involved in the passion play production.
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In part four of this week's series Village With A Passion, we take a look at the unsung heroes behind the scenes who play an important part in ensuring that the Oberammergau passion play production is a success.
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In part five of this week's series Village With A Passion, we look at the people playing the main roles in this year's Oberammergau passion play in Bavaria.
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In the sixth and final part of this week's series Village With A Passion, we see a dress rehearsal of the Oberammergau passion play before opening night of this year's production on Saturday.
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