Here's something you definitely won't see at home: a decree from your town's mayor, ordering all participants in an upcoming cultural event to begin now, months before that event, to let your hair and beards start growing. No more shaving... or you're out of the show! Teutonic tyranny? Nope, just Oberammergau getting ready for next year's Passion Play.
This cute little southern Bavarian village has been staging the show about the final days of Christ for well over 350 years now. But only during one summer, once every 10 years. They take this community theater very, very seriously, to put it mildly. They make use of 1,100 amateur actors, drawn exclusively from town folk. Considering how small the village is, that has to amount to probably every third or fourth adult. And boy do they have rules! The most important is that only residents of O'gau for at least 20 years are allowed to take part - no exceptions. I met a guy who was born and raised in a tiny place only 4 km from O'gau and who had been in the town itself for the past 16 years. But he was politely told, "No way; we'll see you in 2020." The man playing Jesus in 2010 has been "promoted"; in 2000 he was just a disciple. The obvious question: where does he go from here? I guess you could say he has peaked!
Walk into any restaurant and look around; it's easy to tell the local males from the tourists: they're the ones who look like Grizzly Adams. They don't care; it's all for a higher purpose. Amen.
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