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Show jjjSP' : v' I j ''''.'' "Thy sins are forgiven'' an ap- pealing scene from the remark- able Passion Play now being d.'rB presented in Los Angeles dL-,'- ' ' 3p5! It HE presentation tills month In California of a great Passion Play, simultaneously with the one for which the little village of Oberammergau in the highlands of Ba-varia Ba-varia has so long been famous, gives for the first time the opportunity for a comparison of the Old and New Worlds' methods of making a reverently realistic real-istic stage spectacle of tho story of the Saviour's life and death. Among those who were privileged to witness the final rehearsals and some of tho early performances of tho Passion Pas-sion Play in Los Angeles were many who have seen the Oberammergau spectacle, spec-tacle, If not this year, at least in previous previ-ous years. And these critics are almost a unit In declaring that in reverent treatment, In fidelity to the New Testament narrative, narra-tive, In dramatic impresslveness and everything else that makes for the success suc-cess of a religious pageant of this kind the American actors and producers have actually outdone tho pious peasants peas-ants of the Bavarian village. This is indeed a remarkablo achievement, achieve-ment, for in Oberammergau tho people live only for the Passion Play their whole lives are dedicated to making it a solemn and artistic religious triumph. The ability they show in their respective parts is a matter of years of training and in many cases has been handed down through the centuries from father to son, mother to daughter. The American Passion Play is staged in a great open air amphitheater capable of seating nearly 10,000 persons. per-sons. Both stage and auditorium immeasurably im-measurably surpass those which the humble peasants of Oberammergau are able by such painful effort to provide for their play. Mercenary elements are eliminated even more than in Oberammergau, for while there a moderate admission fee Is charged to defray the necessary expenses ex-penses of the production, in California spectators are admitted absolutely free of charge. Advance estimates of the number of persons who would see the spectacle ranged from a minimum of 100,000 to half a million, and many amusement experts were convinced that even the latter figure would be exceeded before Christ's resurrection and His ascension into heaven had been shown for the last time. It has always been a matter of worldwide world-wide regret that such a comparatively small number of people are able to see the Oberammergau Passion Play on its . .presentation every ten years or so Hidden away in an obscure mountain valley the village is not easy of access and its primitive facilities do not permit per-mit of housing any considerable number num-ber of guests for any length of time This year, with European hotel keepers and tradesmen gouging tourists in such outrageous fashion, a trip to Oberammergau is something to be attempted at-tempted only by those with extremely well filled pocketbooks. Interesting Oppor- i tunity for Comparing Compar-ing Old and New i World Methods of Making an Impressive pi i Dramatic Spec- tacle of the ? Sacred Story of I the Saviour's :sd Lire and lea has been send- ' . "3) ing its people by ' L tho hundreds of vEftk. rmtm. thousands to Los Angeles to see tho mnde-in-the-U. S. A. Passion Play it also has been the chief ,aMNiSBfciijjiiiaHKBP'' support of the Oberammergau spectacle. The two facts form a pleasing commentary on the slight extent to which the wealth of the United States and Canada has been Impaired by the war, and also tho d '.: p interest taken by tho p. rime f both countries in matters of religion. '" IP flH Of the 4,000 persons who saw the first production of v the 1922 Passion Play In Oberam- mergau last May ' over one half V were Americans, ,V..- and since then ? ; this proportion . has been consider- ,y ably exceeded. While Ameri- cans cannot help feeling pride in seeing their ac- tors surpass those of Europe in their portrayal i of the gripping ; scenes connected f with tho Saviour's ; life and death, they must re- member that i without Oberam- j mergau the spec- j -tacle given in j California would have been im- mNMBS possible. It was jJfceMpr !(. . ! 1 d . down to the 1 '' , ' ' :,-.';-: . tho p.,,-, -.r.ri:. 1 . '1 1 if t - r . - !. r.jb' of Mary, mother 0 f Jesus, the ' custom that has prevailed in Oberammergau for three centuries was faithfully followed. fol-lowed. The part was given to Miss Mary May, not only because she possessed pos-sessed the necessary qualifications for this unusually difficult bit of acting, but also because her name was Mary and she was an unmarried woman. There have been numerous other attempts at-tempts to imitate in this country the I -ion Play of Oberammergau, but all hove been on a far less ambitious scale than this one. One of the most notable The Saviour mi ' '" ' " " ' I shown in the , , famous Ameri- Above The scene from the Oberammergau Passion Play where Christ appears to Mary Magdalene can film, "From 00 the morainS of Hi. resurrection; and below the Last Supper as it 'is being enacted faf the the Manger to California spectacle of these is the play given annually by the congregation of a church in West Hoboken, N. J. The California play was produced under the direction of men and women who have attained eminence as students of New Testament history and who also, through frequent visits to Oberammergau, Oberam-mergau, are thoroughly familiar with the time honored methods used there to - 1 tell with profound dramatic effect the sacred story of the Saviour. Another not at all small factor in the success of the California production produc-tion has been the wonderful amphitheater amphithe-ater In which it is being given. This was so skillfully constructed that every sent commands a perfect view of tho great stage, and tho lowest murmured words of the actors are easily audible In all the most distant corners of the auditorium. Tho photographs of striking scenes from the plays of Oberammergau and Los Angeles reproduced on this page to-day furnish a good opportunity for comparing the two productions produc-tions and of judging how well the American actors, stage managers and costumers have succeeded in" imitating the praiseworthy model set by tho pious Bavarian peasants. In addition to tho scenes from I - these two plays is shown one from tho film, "From the Manger to tho Cross," which won such world- - wide approval when first resented some year., a,,... This also is an American ;i work, and it ret a . tand-W tand-W ard for the treatment of Biblical subjects in tho :g nlm which lias never been surpassed and seJ-i, seJ-i, dom equalled. Americans who have seen tho Passion Play in Oberammergau this year and also in 1910 or some previous year say that never was the performance more faultless. The art of Anton Lang, who again takes the part of Christ, rouses the spectators to a high pitch of enthusiasm by his marvelous combination combi-nation of reverence and great histrionic ability. ' The two scenes which impress nearly all observers most deeply are the one in which Lang hangs on the cross for nineteen minutes, and that showing the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. In the latter more than seven hundred of Oberammergau 's men, women and children, chil-dren, ranging from little tots of three to wrinkled graybeards of eighty years, tako part. Only thirty performances of the Passion Pas-sion Play were scheduled for this year by the people of Oberammergau, but the attendance is holding up so well that this number will probably be increased. Tho California play is to be continued through August and September. The Passion Play, for which the little village of Oberammergau long has been famous, is tho only survival of the plays representing the passion of Christ that were numerous in various parts of Europe Eu-rope between the thirteenth and sixteenth six-teenth centuries, particularly in Germany Ger-many and the Tyrol. The perpetuation for nearly three centuries is an interesting inter-esting example of profound religious faith and gratitude for deliverance from thr?atcned misfortune. In the year 1033 the dread Black Death, the disease which is now known to science as the bubonic plague and which is still spread by fieas that infest rat;, was raging throughout Europe and claiming its victims by the tens of thousands. thou-sands. The peasants of Oberammergau were filled with fear as they saw the epidemic epi-demic draw nearer and nearer to their peaceful homes. In the village church men, women and children gathered every day to pray for hours that they might be pared from this dread disease. In spite of their pious pleas, the Black Death steadily came nearer and nearer. At last one day came the disturbing news that it had claimed several victims in a village only a mile away. It seemed a mere matter of hours when it must make its appearance in Oberammergau and take a heavy toll of its people But the Black Death never reached any nearer Oberammergau than the I neighboring village. At that point til I epidemic began suddenly to abate. Tho pious villager; were iure thai their deliverance was the direct results their prayer?, and in gratitude for Gotfi mercy they made a solemn vow to ttf-resent ttf-resent the passion of Christ every M I years. They have faithfully kept this I vow over ynce, although tho play whtci 1 they should have given in 1920 had to bl j postponed until this year. The inhabitants of this secluded littie village, on which the Interest of tie whole world centers every ten years, tit I a remarkably interesting people. Tbej have long been noted for their skill 1 carving wood and ivory and for the rir way in which they unite high artisiie attainments with perfect simplicity. A. large part of their lives is devoted to the preparation of the Passion Play,l the highest honor any man or woMM in Oberammergau can hope to achieve u one of the principal roles in this impn I sive religious spectacle. Those who impersonate Christ and v other religious characters consider their parts as acts of religious devotion. AD the principal performers are selected because be-cause of their holy lives, and they are 1 macerated to their work with sole 1 religious ceremonies. B It is an amazing thi ng that, althoafh these people have 'never had the slight artistic instruction, except what Jiw I they are able to obtain from tho Pr"J I priest, they act their parts with mueS I dramatic power and a delicate appr1' j tion of the events they are portraying- I In the Passion Play the s,jry I Prist's life and death a- t.ld m J j New Testament is closely followed TM I various acts alternate with tableflU A striking scenes from the Old Testa" I and with choral odes The text used J 1 the actors and actresses was origi" I written about the year 1 ".i0. t'J1 r'. j considerably revi: ed a hunared years j - |