- Upper Ammergau: Stony road to the next crucifixion
Much ado about the biblical spectacle: For weeks, Oberammergau has been abuzz with debates over the selection of the director for the renowned Passion Play. Now, the question seems set to be resolved sooner than initially planned: The application deadline for the position has been moved up by nearly a quarter, with the director for 2030 expected to be decided in just two months.
The town council has set the application deadline as September 8, and a decision is expected to be made by the council on October 16, according to Oberammergau's mayor, Andreas Rödl, in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
For the first time in the nearly 400-year history of this internationally known amateur theater, there will be a formal application process. The prospect of a potential rivalry between the long-standing director Christian Stueckl and his deputy and protégé, Abdullah Karaca, has been a source of unrest. Stueckl brought Karaca onto the team in 2015, making him the first Muslim to serve as deputy director.
Reports now suggest that the two have reached an agreement and plan to apply together. Neither Stueckl nor Karaca were available for comment.
There is also another applicant, though they have little experience with large-scale productions, unlike Stueckl, who is also the intendant of the Volkstheater, and Karaca, who regularly directs there.
Originally, interested parties had until the end of the year to submit their applications. However, the extended deadline did not help to calm the waters in the village. Supporters of Stueckl were already planning a citizens' initiative in his favor.
In early August, the town council decided to move the application deadline up to September. Stueckl, who was the youngest director ever at his first Passion in 1990, has successfully directed the biblical drama four times, including the 2022 Passion Play, which grossed 48 million euros.
The upcoming application deadline for the director of the Passion Play in Oberammergau, now set for September 8, has sparked anticipation and potential competition between Christian Stueckl and his deputy Abdullah Karaca, both of whom have expressed interest in the role. The Passion play, a passionately performed biblical spectacle, has been a source of pride and controversy in Oberammergau for nearly 400 years.
