Passion Play

Passion Play, form of mystery play, depicting the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The earliest dramatic representations of the crucifixion, in Latin verse, were given early in the 13th century. One hundred years later passion plays were being performed by societies of amateur players in both German and French. At the height of their popularity in the middle of the 15th century, they had developed into elaborate productions requiring three days for performance. During the Renaissance the tradition languished. Of the passion plays performed in modern times, the best known is one dating from 1634, given every ten years by the residents of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps.