2010 Oberammergau Passion Play Tickets on Sale
August 30, 2009 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Home & Living
It only happens every 10 years, so if attending the Oberammergau Passion Play has always interested you, it’s time to start your travel planning today. The play, a reconstruction of the life and death of Christ, is getting ready for it’s 41st season in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau. The play was first performed in 1634 as a result of a vow made by the village during the Bubonic Plague. The village promised that if they were spared from the plague, they would perform a passion play every 10 years. The prayers were answered, and the Passion Play began.
Oberammergau Passion Play
The play is a 5 hour production, and uses the talents of over 2,000 villagers, including children. But don’t think you can just move here and get a role in the play. Oh no, you must have been born in the village or have been living there for at least 20 years. The residents of the village made the vow, and to this day, it’s the residents of the village that put on the play.
With a hat tip to reality, there is no make up, fake beards, wigs, or any other fakery. Men start growing out their hair and beards months (and sometimes years) prior to the play, and every attempt is made to reach historical authenticity.
Tickets for the 2010 Passion Play are now on sale, along with a variety of packages that include accommodations. The play runs May 15th through October 3rd, 2010, with performances five times per week.
Although tickets sales are a bit slow this year, most likely due to the economy, this event attracts close to half a million visitors of various religious backgrounds. For many this is a once in a lifetime experience, and if you’d like it to be one of yours, you can keep up on events with the Passion Play newsletter.
Photo credit: wikimedia
It really is a special time when this play comes around every 10 years. Not only do the village suspends a “clean-cut” policy with their constibules (so they can grow out their hair up to 15 months prior to the start of the play season), but everyone in the village participates in one facet or another. I don’t think there is any production of the passion play available anywhere in the world quite like this. Because of such lengths these people put forth to make sure the play is as authentic as possible, being one of the fortunate ones to make the trip to this German village will be in for much more than a mere play, but an experience that they can share with the people in their lives and not soon forget.