Passion Play Oberammergau: Christian Stückl's fiery performance at the premiere
Created: 05/15/2022, 17:41
By: Katja Kraft
On Fire: Out of sheer euphoria, Christian Stückl accidentally knocked over a candle after the service for the premiere of the Passion.
© API (c) Michael Tinnefeld
The Passion Play Oberammergau is open!
Once again, the Upper Bavarian village showed itself to be an exemplary host - and honored long-serving Passions veterans.
Game director Christian Stückl showed that he is still passionate about the cause.
Actually, on the day of the premiere of the Oberammergau Passion Play, Mom should have been on stage too.
Together with her husband, daughter, two grandchildren, son-in-law.
But mom is no more.
Rosemarie Lang died in February after a serious illness.
She and Walter Lang were together for 60 years.
Other couples have theater all the time - the Langs were doing theater.
Honor: Walter Lang and his daughter.
He has appeared on The Passion nine times.
© Achim Frank Schmidt
On Saturday afternoon, the 82-year-old is in the Oberammergau Passion Theater.
A badge of honor in one hand, a certificate in the other.
It is an award for having taken part in the Passion Play nine times (including the two special plays in 1977 and 1984).
That sounds so technical.
Nine times passion, lived that means: around 1000 performances.
Style head and beard hair 1000 times;
1000 fights with the Romans;
1000 ratchets in the wardrobe;
1000 ice creams during the break.
And 1000 times this moment, which overwhelms Lang again and again.
When he's backstage just before it starts.
“Then you step out in front of so many spectators – all in rapt expectation.
Indescribable,” he says.
Oberammergau - an enchanted place
And immediately there's a light in his eyes where there were tears before.
His heart is heavy on this premiere day, which, if it hadn't been for Corona, he could have celebrated with Rosemarie and the family two years ago.
That's why the boys, the daughter and the son-in-law are playing for Rosemarie today.
Lang not only believes that she is very close to them that day, he knows it.
“This morning I took something out of the closet and I came across a sweater from her.
She's wearing it in a photo that's 60 years old.
And it still smells like her perfume.” A sign from heaven.
Oberammergau, you enchanted place.
Anticipation: Barbara Schuster (Magdalena) and Rochus Rückel (Jesus) in the service.
© ANDREAS MAYR
You can feel the special magic of this village as soon as you get off the shuttle bus.
Where the Munich subway system reaches its limits during major events and causes a lot of crowding and nagging, everything here seems to be controlled by an invisible hand.
The hundreds find their way and place without any problems.
In the hustle and bustle between party mood and introspection, lederhosen and evening dress, champagne and meat loaf.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx and Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm lead the service
Not all who came are believing Christians.
But what if we believed this insane story, this miracle of Jesus' life and resurrection?
If we assume: Yes, that's how it was?
Cardinal Reinhard Marx asks this in the touching ecumenical service in the morning.
Jesus Christ as the bringer of hope for a world without violence.
Because the passion is not just a history game.
Christian Stückl's sensitive editing always shows the passion of today's people (read our interview with director Christian Stückl here).
Christian Stückl gives us hope - despite everything
The GM has brought a dark version of the old story to the stage.
The dark notion that we will never learn from our mistakes, it constantly resonates.
But when you experience him, the piece Christan, honoring the Passion veterans like Walter Lang, all darkness is gone.
Full of joie de vivre, he laughs and sings with the children's choir, "the future generation of our game".
So passionate that he knocks over the candle.
Another sign from the very top: The fire in this man is far from gone.
He and his Oberammergauer, they tirelessly carry on the flame against everything dark in the world.
It is highly flammable – people like to be infected by it.
