Everything about Passion Plays totally explained
» This article is about a type of dramatic presentation. For other uses of the term Passion play
, see Passion play (disambiguation).
A
Passion play is a
dramatic
presentation depicting the
Passion of
Christ: the
trial,
suffering and
death of
Jesus Christ. It is a traditional part of
Lent in several
Christian denominations, particularly in
Catholic tradition.
Origin and history of the Passion play
The Easter play
The evolution of the Passion Play was about the same as that of the
Easter Play. It originated in the
ritual of the
Church, which prescribes, among other things, that the
Gospel on
Good Friday should be
sung in parts divided among
various persons. Later on, Passion Plays, properly so called, made their appearance, first in
Latin, then in vernacular languages; contents and forms were adapted more and more
audience expectations, until, in the
fifteenth century, the popular religious plays had developed. Thus, the Benedictbeurn Passion Play (
thirteenth century) is still largely composed of Latin ritual sentences in
prose and of church
hymns, and, being designed to be
sung, resembles an
oratorio.
The addition of more music and more characters
Yet even this oldest of the Passion Plays already shows, by the interpolation of free translations of church hymns and of German verses not pertaining to such hymns, as well as by the appearance of Mary (the Virgin
Mary, mother of Jesus) and
Mary Magdalene in the action, a tendency to break away from the ritual and to adopt a more
dramatic form began to appear. From these humble beginnings the Passion Play developed very rapidly, since in the
fourteenth century it was at a stage of development which couldn't have been reached except by
repeated practice. From this second period we've the Vienna Passion, the St. Gall Passion, the oldest Frankfort Passion, and the Maestricht Passion. All four Plays, as they're commonly called, are written in
rhyme, principally in German.
The Passion Play continues to expand
The Vienna Passion embraces the entire history of the
Redemption, and begins with the revolt and
fall of
Lucifer; the play, as transmitted to us, ends with Jesus and his
Twelve Apostles sitting at
the Last Supper.
The oldest Frankfort Passion play, that of Canon Baldemar von Peterwell (1350-1380), the production of which required two days, was more profusely elaborated than the other Passion Plays of this period. Of this play only the
Ordo sive Registrum has come down to us, a long roll of
parchment for the use of the
director, containing
stage directions and the first words of the
dialogues. The plays based on this list of directions lead us to the period in which the Passion Play reached its highest development (1400-1515). During this period the later Frankfort Passion Play (1467), the Alsfelder, and the Friedberger (1514) originated. Connected with this group are the Eger, the Donaueschingen, Augsburg, Freising and Lucerne Passion Plays, in which the whole world drama, beginning with the
creation of man and brought down to the
coming of the Holy Ghost, is exhibited, and which was produced with great splendour as late as
1583.
The Tyrolese Passion Play
Expansion and consolidation of previous plays
Nearly all these Passion Plays have some relation to those coming from the Tyrol, some contributing to, others taking from, that source. These, again, are founded upon the Tyrolese Passion Play which originated during the transition period of the fourteenth to the fifteenth century. Wackernell, with the aid of the plays that have reached us, has reconstructed this period. In the Tyrol the Passion Plays received elaborate cultivation; at Bozen they were presented with great splendour and lasted seven days. Here, too, the innovation of placing the female
roles in the hands of women was introduced, which innovation didn't become general until during the
seventeenth century.
Elaborate, public productions
The magnificent productions of the Passion Plays during the fifteenth century are closely connected with the growth and increasing self-confidence of the cities, which found its expression in noble buildings, ecclesiastical and municipal, and in gorgeous public festivals. The artistic sense and the
love of art of the citizens had, in co-operation with the
clergy, called these plays into being, and the wealth of the citizens provided for magnificent productions of them on the public squares, whither they migrated after expulsion from the churches. The citizens and civil authorities considered it a point of honour to render the production as rich and diversified as possible. Ordinarily the preparations for the play were in the hands of a spiritual brotherhood, the play itself being considered a form of
worship. People of the most varied classes took part in the production, and frequently the number of
actors was as high as two hundred and even greater. If was undoubtedly no small task to drill the performers, particularly since the
stage arrangements were still very primitive.
Staging and set design
The
stage was a wooden structure, almost as broad as it was long, elevated but slightly above the ground and open on all sides. A
house formed the background; a
balcony attached to the house represented
Heaven. Under the balcony three
crosses were erected. Sometimes the stage was divided into three sections by
doors. Along the sides of the stage, taken lengthwise, stood the houses required for the production; they were indicated by fenced-in spaces, or by four posts upon which a roof rested. The
entrance into Hell was pictured by the mouth of a monster, through which the
Devil and the
souls captured or released during the plays passed back and forth. The
actors entered in solemn procession, led by
musicians or by a præcursor (
herald), and took their stand at the places appointed them. They remained on the stage all through the performance; they sat on the barriers of their respective divisions, and were permitted to leave their places only to
recite their lines. As each actor finished speaking, he returned to his place. The audience stood around the stage or looked on from the windows of neighbouring houses. Occasionally platforms, called "bridges", were erected around the stage in the form of an
amphitheatre.
Simplicity of scenery, dialog, action, and costumes
The
scenery was as simple as the stage. There were no side
scenes, and consequently no stage perspective. Since an illusion of reality couldn't be had, indications were made to suffice. Thus a cask standing on end represents the mountain on which Christ is tempted by the Devil;
thunder is imitated by the report of a
gun; in order to signify that the Devil had
entered into him,
Judas holds a bird of black plumage before his mouth and makes it flutter. The
suicide of Judas is an
execution, in which
Beelzebub performs the hangman's duty. He precedes the culprit up the ladder and draws Judas after him by a
rope. Judas has a black bird and the
intestines of an
animal concealed in the front of his clothing, and when Satan tears open the garment the bird flies away, and the intestines fall out, whereupon Judas and his executioner slide down into Hell on a rope. A
painted picture representing the
soul, is hung from the mouth of each of the two
thieves on the cross; an
angel takes the soul of the
penitent, the devil that of the impenitent thief. Everything is presented in the concrete, just as the
imagination of the audience pictures it, and the scenic conditions, resembling those of the antique theatre demand. All
costume, however, is contemporary, historical accuracy being ignored.
Secularization of the Passion Play
The Passion Plays of the
15th century, with their peculiar blending of religious, artistic, and increasingly
secular elements, gave a true picture of German city life of those times. Serious thought and lively humour were highly developed in these plays. When, however, the
patricians, in the sixteenth century, withdrew more and more from the plays, the plays, left to the lower classes, began to lose their serious and (in spite of the comic traits) dignified character. The influence of the Carnival plays (Fastnachtspiele) was felt more and more. Master Grobianus with his coarse and
obscene jests was even introduced into some of the Passion Plays. In time the
ecclesiastical authorities forbade the production of these "secularized" plays. Thus, the
Bishop of Havelberg commanded his clergy, in
1471, to suppress the Passion Plays and legend plays in their parish districts because of the disgraceful and irrelevant
farces interspersed through the productions.
Secularized Passion Plays banned
With the advent of the
16th century European religious conflict the uneasiness with liturgical drama in general increased. The
Synod of
Strasburg of
1549 opposed the religious plays, and the year previous, in
1548, the
Parliament of Paris forbade the production of
The Mysteries of the Passion of our Redeemer and other Spiritual Mysteries. One consequence was that the secularized plays were separated from the religious, and, as Carnival plays, held the public favour. The Passion Plays came to be presented more rarely, particularly as the
Reformation was inimical to them.
Rediscovery of the Passion Play
The Passion Play almost disappears
School dramas now came into vogue in Catholic and Protestant schools, and frequently enough became the battle-ground of
religious controversies. When, in the
seventeenth century, the splendidly equipped
Jesuit drama arose, the Passion Plays (still largely secularized) were relegated to out-of-the-way
villages and to the
monasteries, particularly in
Bavaria and
Austria. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, during the
Age of Enlightenment, efforts were made in Catholic Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the Tyrol, to destroy even the remnants of the tradition of
medieval plays.
A resurgence of public interest
Public interest in the Passion Play developed in the last decades of the
nineteenth century, and the
statistician Karl Pearson wrote a book about them.
Since then,
Brixlegg and Vorderthiersee in the
Tyrol and
Horice na Sumave, near Cesky Krumlov
in the
Czech Republic, and above all, the
Oberammergau in
Upper Bavaria attract thousands to their plays.
The text of the play of Vorderthiersee (
Gespiel in der Vorderen Thiersee) dates from the second half of the seventeenth century, is entirely in verse, and comprises in five
acts the events recorded in the Gospel, from the Last Supper to the Entombment. A prelude (Vorgespiel), on the
Good Shepherd, precedes the play. After being repeatedly remodelled, the text received its present classical form from the Austrian
Benedictine,
P. Weissenhofer. Productions of the play, which came from Bavaria to the Tyrol in the second half of the eighteenth century, were arranged at irregular intervals during the first half of the nineteenth century; since
1855 they've taken place at regular intervals, at Brixlegg every ten years. The Höritz Passion Play, the present text of which is from the pen of Provost Landsteiner, has been produced every five years, since
1893.
Modern performances of the Passion Play
The Oberammergau Passion Play
The chief survivor, however, of former times is the
Oberammergau Passion Play, first performed in the Bavarian village of
Oberammergau, which continues to perform it every decade despite concerns from Jewish groups that feel the performances promote anti-Semitism.
Australia
In
Australia, there are several major productions of The Passion staged annually in the lead up to
Easter.
"
The Iona Passion Play" was founded in
1958 in
Queensland and
tours cities and towns around
Australia. In each location the touring cast invites community members to join the production.
"
Passion Play" A New group of enthusiastic people staged a version of the 'Passion Play' with music and script written by Roy Pires in a completely original score. It was staged for the first time this year (2007) at Riverstage in the City botanical gardens in
Brisbane, Queensland and was very successful, touching the lives of many people."
New South Wales:
In suburban
Sydney, at
Turramurra,
The Turramurra Passion is a contemporary, character-driven interpretation, using multimedia elements and an original score
Queensland:
"The Moogerah Passion Play" is produced in
Queensland, and is staged "realistically" on a large outdoor stage beside a
lake.
Canada
The
Canadian Badlands Passion Play is performed annually in
Drumheller, Alberta. It is staged outdoors in a naturally occurring
amphitheatre in the hills of the Drumheller valley. The cast are volunteers from across Alberta.
In Queensway Cathedral (
Toronto,
Ontario) a Passion play takes place during the Easter Season. The story begins with a grandmother, granddaughter and the granddaughter's friend. The three sit around a fire as the story of Jesus unfolds with many encounters with characters from the story. The cast is wholly comprised of volunteers. There is also a well-known passion play in Vaughan, Ontario organized by St.Peters Parish and performed at Holy Cross Catholic Academy.
In
Manitoba, located in the La Riviere Valley at Oak Valley's Outdoor theatre, located on the edge of the valley among the natural beauty of the Pembina Valley. The cast and crew are all volunteers from all over southern Manitoba. Rehearsals usually start in April or early May and are ready for mid-July performances.
Brazil
The Passion of the Christ is performed every year during
Easter in a purpose-built 100 000 m² theatre-city in the arid backlands of
Pernambuco, in northeastern
Brazil. It is considered to be the largest open-air theatre in the world. Thousands of visitors arrive every year to watch the performance; over 500 actors appear on the 9 separate stages within the stone walls of the city.
The Netherlands
De
Passiespelen is a re-enactment of the Passion of the Christ taking place every year that's divisible by 5, for example
2005 and
2010. It is performed in the open air in
Openluchttheater De Doolhof in
Tegelen. Originating in
1931 it has become an internationally acclaimed event drawing visitors from all over the world.
Philippines
The
Philippines, being one of two predominantly Christian nations in
Southeast Asia (
East Timor being the other), has Passion plays called
"Senakulo", named after the
Upper room, or Cenacle. Companies perform the Senakulo during Holy Week. Also, there are actual crucifixions done by people outside of Passion plays to fulfill a
panata (for a request or prayer granted), in Barangay
San Pedro Cutud,
City of San Fernando,
Pampanga being a popular place to see this.
Poland
Tradition of passion plays in
Poland has become popular again in the early 20th century. Today the best known plays take place in Kałków, Kalwaria Pacławska, the
Pallotines' Seminary in Ołtarzew, and the most prominent in
Sanctuary of
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. This passion play is one of the oldest and biggest in Europe, gathering around 100 thousand pilgrims each year on
Good Friday.
Spain
In
Catalonia, it's common for villages to present different passion plays every
Easter, like the ones in
Esparreguera,
Olesa de Montserrat or
Cervera, first documented in
1538. Olesa's
1996 production surpassed the world record for the most people acting onstage at the same time, with 726 persons.
Balmaseda, in
Euskadi, also has a passion play.
Thailand
The Church of Immaculate Conception in
Bangkok holds an annual Passion Play on
Good Friday.
United Kingdom
- The town of Leominster in Herefordshire holds a Passion Play on Good Friday every four years, performed by volunteers from churches of all denominations in the town. The play is performed outdoors, with each scene located in a different position in the streets and squares of the town centre. The 2008 performance included original music written by local composer Liam Dunachie.
BBC Three broadcast a modern musical version called Manchester Passion in 2006.
United States
Florida's passion play is held annually in Wauchula at the Cattlemans Arena, beginning Good Friday and for the next several following weekends.It has a cast of over 200 people and 150 animals. For more information see: www.storyofjesus.com
One of the most widely viewed Passion Plays in the United States is "The Promise", performed near Glen Rose, Texas. Between Glen Rose, and its sister production in Branson, Missouri, over 1 million people have seen The Promise.
In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, "The Great Passion Play" is regularly performed. Since its first performance in 1968, The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs has been seen by over 7.5 million people making it the largest attended outdoor drama in America. Also on the grounds of The Great Passion Play is the Christ of the Ozarks statue (the largest Christ statue in the North America), the New Holy Land Tour, a full-scale re-creation of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, a section of the Berlin Wall, a Museum of Earth History, and Bible Museum. From time to time popular artists visit The Great Passion Play to perform in the 4,100-seat amphitheater where the play is performed. The Great Passion Play of Eureka Springs can be seen from the last weekend of April to the last weekend of October with performances four and five nights a week. For more information about this Passion Play, visit(External Link).
The Play has also been performed in Hughes Springs, Texas as "The Passion Play".
The longest running passion play in the U.S. has been performed in Union City, New Jersey since 1915, and at the Park Theater since 1931. In 1997, there was a minor controversy when an African-American actor was cast as Jesus.
In Zion, Illinois, the Zion Passion Play has been performed at Christ Community Church since 1935.
The NORTH HEIGHTS PASSION PLAY was a popular indoor musical stage production sponsored by North Heights Lutheran Church of Arden Hills, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says, "With 700 participants, dozens of live animals, flames, rain and 'lightning', North Heights Lutheran Church's annual Passion Play is spectacular." More than 400,000 attended the performances over 19 years before the production was discontinued. Over 20,000 attended the final season, including more than 150 tour buses and groups. Performances began April 1989 and ended April 22, 2007.View Photos
The Black Hills Passion Play is performed every summer in Spearfish, South Dakota. During the winter months from 1953 through 1998, the same cast also performed the play in Lake Wales, Florida.
In Downingtown, Pennsylvania, the Hopewell United Methodist Church has performed a version of the play in a 1,000 seat outdoor amphitheater each year since 1963. The original version of "The Passion Play," initiated in 1963, is based in the King James Version of the Bible, but a newer version, entitled "The Power and The Glory" was launched in 2005, based in several modern-language translations of the Bible. The church offers both versions on successive weekends in June each year as a free offering to their audience. For more information visit HisPlay.org
The play is performed in Gatlinburg, Tennessee as "The Great Smoky Mountains Passion Play".
Atlanta's "Passion Play" has been produced by the First Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1977.
In Duncan Falls, Ohio, Cornerstone Full Gospel Church has put on "It Took A Lamb" since 1986.
The Living Word Outdoor Drama in Cambridge, Ohio has been offered every summer since 1975.
The Glory Of Easter at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California is an extremely popular passion play and family tradition to Southern Californians. It boasts a cast of hundreds, live animals, and flying angels, among other unique aspects.
The Passion Play in motion pictures
2004's The Passion of the Christ (produced and directed by Mel Gibson) had a plot similar to that of Passion plays.
1989's Jésus de Montréal (directed by Denys Arcand) presented the staging of a very unorthodox Passion Play while the players' own lives mirrored the Passion.Further Information
Get more info on 'Passion Plays'.
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