Passion Play

Passion Play, medieval religious drama in the vernacular, which dealt with the events from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion, unlike the mystery play which presented in cyclic form Bible history from the Creation to the Second Coming. The establishment in 1313 of the feast of Corpus Christi (the Thursday after Trinity Sunday) gave a great impetus to the enactment of Passion plays in large cities throughout Europe, and also led to a tradition of open-air productions of the Good Friday story in many small towns and villages, all the actors being drawn from the local community. Most of these died out during the 15th century, but, helped by the Catholic Counter-Reformation in the following century, a few were revived in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. The only one to have become well known is that given decennially since 1634 at Oberammergau in Bavaria. This was first performed during a visitation of plague and remains entirely amateur, the villagers dividing the parts among themselves and, as in earlier times, being responsible also for the production, music, costumes, and scenery. There have been several revisions in recent times of the Oberammergau text, caused mainly by the desire to muffle its anti-Semitism, but it still remains controversial.