1. Passion Plays

2. Passion Plays • Were the last of the Medieval plays to develop • Tell the story of the Last Days of Christ’s life • Usually cover from the Last Supper through the Crucifixion • Are still produced today all over the world • Many are rewritten to avoid any taint of anti-Semitism in the modern-day versions

3. Oberammergau • One of the Oldest and Still Performed • Dates to 1633 • According to tradition, the people of Oberammergau promised to perform a Passion play in perpetuity if spared from the Bubonic Plague-they were! • With few exceptions, they have performed it every 10 years since then! • Over half of the town’s population are involved in the production • Only 20+ year residents and natives are allowed to participate

4. The Black Hills Passion Play Longest Running U.S. Passion Play Originators immigrated from Bavaria in 1934 to escape Hitler Last Performance August, 2010 Performed for 70+ years