2020_05_04_ISGUS News 38_2005

8 „The preparations began as early as 2015, when there were just two of us“, remembers Monika Stückl, Deputy Plant Manager of the “Eigenbetrieb Kultur Oberam- mergau”. The same year additional employees were welcomed to the company, and in excess of 100 people work in the organisational team. They all had to work very hard to make the 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play a great success. For the first time electronic time recording provided by ISGUS, has been implemented. During the previous plays in 2010, each rehearsal and every performance by all the participants was documented by hand on paper lists and transferred to an Excel spread sheet later. The idea of electronic recording had been in the back of the mind of those responsible for the project for some while, but not actually tackled until 2018. Monika Stückl and Bernhard Schwaighofer, Head of ISGUS-bavaria GmbH, agree that the entry of all par- ticipants and the definition of the various employment contracts, roles and time patterns at the beginning of the rehearsals was worth the effort. “The simplificati- on provided by the solution became soon obvious, will enable very apparent efficiencies throughout the actual performances. Accordingly, the first test run for the transfer of accounting data from about 1,300 performers run completely smoothly”. Oberammergau and the beard writ Altogether more than 2,500 participants, of which about 1,800 actors in various roles, i.e. Romans, the High Coun- cil, distraught woman and many other roles, all rehearse separately, often at different times and in different buil- dings and rooms. In addition, there are the main roles, such as Jesus, Judas and Mary, all of them being double cast, the fire and rescue service, costume department, as well as technique. An administrative burden that would represent a big challenge for any larger company. The people of Oberammergau take a relaxed view of it, true to the motto “it will go well – it must”. Another speciality: all actors need to get the right to play, which is only possible, if you were born and grew up in Oberammergau or have lived in the village for more than 20 years. Each role is cast by “game leader” Chris- The history of the passion plays in Oberammergau began in 1633. After months of suffering and dying from the plague, the Bavarian municipality located in the natural park of the Ammergau Alps, promised to renew the Passion every 10 years, after they eventually overcame this dreadful epidemic. Today it is one of the largest passion plays worldwide. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Passion Plays have been postponed to 2022. ISGUS will be there in support again, as a strong partner. © Passion Plays Oberammergau ISGUS AT THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAYS