The Passion Play Theater is pictured in 2010 in Oberammergau, Germany. Only local villagers are allowed to perform in the Passion Play, which is usually performed every 10 years. Photo: CNS Gunther Simmermacher In 1633, at the height of the Reformation, the Black Death was sweeping through Europe, including the southern German region of Bavaria. The terrified people of one small village decided to do something to protect themselves from this pandemic: The villagers vowed that every 10 years they would perform a “Passionsspiel” – a…
