DIRECTOR AND PROJECT MANAGER

The Town of Škofja Loka attends to the selection of the project manager and the appointment of the Expert Committee which selects the director and monitors the preparations for the performance. From among their brothers, the Capuchins select a spiritual guide of the Škofja Loka Passion Play.

The project manager who is also the director collaborates closely with various experts as well as with the spiritual guide. The director’s professional team is composed of proofreaders, choreographers, costume designers, and in 2015 also of a dramaturge and other technicians. The manager’s core team deals with the promotion, protocol and finances. An organisation team is also involved in the preparations, and deals with a technical aspect of the performance.

ACTORS

The project brings together more than 800 actors from different societies, drama clubs, choirs, orchestra, bands, equestrian teams, fire brigades… Education and cultural institutions participate as well.

Actors are divided in groups according to the scenes they participate in. Among numerous roles there are also spoken male and female parts, significant silent parts, riders, horse handlers, Adam’s children, hermits, penitents, grenadiers, members of guilds and fraternities, choir signers, solo singers, bandsmen, porters…

During preparations, those in charge of individual teams of actors collaborate closely with the director, and make sure that actors feel connected with one another the whole time.

HORSEMEN

The Passion Play cavalry is a special feature of the Škofja Loka Passion Play. The roles of horsemen differ according to the level of difficulty, from single roles to group horsemen and horse handlers.

There are three teams of horses involved in the procession, the first one pulling a cart with thirteen performers, the second one pulling a cart with the crucifix and Christ on it, and the third one pulling the other two crucifixes.

There are two stalls with tying rings and enclosures available for horses arriving to the Passion Play camp on the day of the performance.

MUSIC

In 1999, the music and background music were created which have become an important part of the performances. The author of the Passion Play music drew his inspiration from the chant and the folk’s music. The instrumental part was created by the composer Andrej Misson, while the vocal part was created by the organist Tone Potočnik. The sounds creating the atmosphere are also made using everyday items such as wooden sticks, wooden spoons, rub stone, pebbles as well as friction drums and church bells… In 2009, new pieces were added to the Passion Play repertoire Avizo, Tolminski rožar, Pasijonski preludij and Burdon, and three sound recordings for the music for the lute were also created – the Minuet. In 2015, some new music insertions and improvements were included in the Play which, apart from the main composers, were created by the percussionist Jaka Strajnar.

Instrumentalists, solo singers and choir singers also help to create the incidental music in the Play, with the Joint Passion Play Brass Band of Honour assuming an important role as well.

COSTUME DESIGN AND MAKE-UP

In 1999, the costume designer Nada Slatnar designed costumes for around 600 performers. The costume design for the Passion Play is based on the research of the dressing culture from the beginning of the 18^th century, and tries to recreate the atmosphere of the Škofja Loka of that time. The design of costumes was also affected by the ordinary people’s traditional perception of the clothes worn by biblical characters.

Some costumes are simpler, styled, and follow the symbolism of three colours of the Škofja Loka Passion Play: red (love, suffering, martyrdom, blood), black (repentance, sadness, hell, status symbol) and white (purity, innocence, vulnerability).

Costumes were made under a strict surveillance of the professional tailor, and sewed by numerous dressmakers at home. The more complex baroque costumes were manufactured in the Slovene National Theatre Maribor. The costumes have remained more or less unchanged. With every new performance, however, some new costumes are made and the old ones are repaired. In the Passion Play camp, the costumes and props fall under the responsibility of dressers and props masters.

To make a convincing impression, the make-up and hairstyle are also important. These are done skilfully and with a great deal of attention by make-up artists and hairdressers who have been trained to this aim beforehand as the make-up of some of the roles is a very complex one.

Theatre make-up remain open for further research and upgrades.

Costumes and props are stored, maintained and restored by the Education Society Sotočje Škofja Loka.

PRODUCTION SET

The old town centre with its medieval architecture forms a spectacular and original scenery for the Škofja Loka Passion Play. During the performance, the town is decorated with the Passion Play flags and illuminated with red light. When evening performances take place, the town is lit only by torches, candles and spotlights.

A thoughtfully arranged production set, which becomes one with the old town centre, and allows the spectator to focus on the actors and content itself, was prepared by Bojan Rihtaršič and Minca Rihtaršič. Different technicians and professionals helped in the preparation of the production set elements.

VENUES

Just like in the past, nowadays, the Škofja Loka Passion Play takes place in the form of a procession: the actors make a circular path though the town and perform all 20 scenes at four different stages.

At four different venues (A – Town square, B – Square below the Castle, C – Lower square, D – Granary) there are static stages allowing the spectators to see the actors better. In front of them, there is an empty space envisaged for portable stages, which are either carried by porters or pulled by horses, as well as for riders and performers coming on foot. At each venue, the Play is performed in full. A large technical and organisational team together with lightning and sound technicians ensure everything goes smooth.

Venue D comes with a support allowing the deaf and the hard of hearing as well as the blind and the partially sighted to follow the performances.