I attended the Passion Play in early September of 2022 and flew to Germany from the East Coast of…read moreAmerica specifically for this play. And it was TOTALLY worth it.
Here's my story:
I was listening to an interview on a radio station at the height of the pandemic in 2020 when I happened to hear about a very unique play that only happens ONCE every decade in a remote village in Germany... And that is how my family ended up in the village of Oberammergau in 2022.
The Oberammergau Passion Play is a very special play that began in 1633, when the black plague was raging in Europe. People sought refuge in prayer and vowed: If the dying stops, every 10 years we will stage the passion of Jesus Christ. And in fact, no one died of the plague from that day on, and the play was indeed staged every ten years henceforth.
There are two rules to for a person to act in the Passion Play: 1. They must be BORN in Oberammergau or 2. They must have lived in Oberammergau for TWENTY years. This means every single child, adult, other actor, and choir member (a total of 1500 participants) on stage for the play is a RESIDENT of the village. And last rule 3. no child that wants to participate can be denied from participation.
No one was allowed to take pics or videos during the show itself, but take my word for it when I say it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime form of mindblowing art that everyone should experience! From the costumes to the stage setup to the acting and the music, the Passion Play is a memorable, thoughtful and moving form of theater that any person - religious or not - would enjoy.
Mark your calendars, the next play will take place 8 years from now in 2030