Fabian Kernstein withdraws application as game director

Um, he was ready. He threw his hat into the ring to stage Passion 2030. But now Fabian Kernstein has withdrawn his application. The 33-year-old has made serious allegations about the shortened application process, speaking of “shady deals”.

He had ideas in his head. He was ready to stage the Passion Play in 2030. He wanted to put on a vow play that would bring all Oberammergau residents together again. One that would be different from the last Passion Plays: In 2022, Fabian Kernstein, who was just watching at the time, did not have the feeling that this play, which represents the culture and tradition of the place, would unite the entire village community.

When the local council publicly advertised the position of director for Passion 2030 in June, the Oberammergau resident pricked up his ears. Kernstein saw his chance. He threw his hat into the ring as the third candidate, alongside Christian Stückl and Abdullah Karaca. But two months later, the wind has changed, both in Oberammergau and for him personally.

Stückl and his artistic foster son Karaca have spoken out and submitted a joint application. If he is re-elected, Karaca will again assist Stückl as second director. The application process has been shortened. The decision on the director will now not be made in May 2025 as originally planned, but in October (see info boxKernstein makes serious accusations in this context, speaking of “shady deals under the pretext of peace”.

The promised transparency in the selection of the director is now missing again. Kernstein puts forward the theory that the local council had ultimately allowed itself to be “lulled and bought”. Under these circumstances, he is withdrawing his candidacy. “I don't throw my ideas like pearls before swine.” He therefore does not publicly reveal what ideas he had for Passion 2030.

“Don’t throw my ideas like pearls before swine”: Fabian Kernstein withdraws his application as Passion Play director

After all the developments, Kernstein sees his negative impression of the representatives of the municipality and the Passionstheater GmbH confirmed. “Some of the things I feared about the local council and the GmbH have actually been confirmed.” He is somewhat disappointed with Karaca. “I tried to get in touch with him from the start because I thought we were stronger together.” But then Karaca reached out to Stückl again – with the request for more responsibility. “But I don't think he will get it,” explains Kernstein. For him, one thing is clear: in his hometown, “there is only one master of the theater.”

“Anyone who wants to play in the Oberammergau Theater needs Stückl's blessing,” Kernstein claims. “If you don't like certain people, you'll ruin yourself.” He has had this experience. The 33-year-old, who most recently worked as a pizza baker but is now back on the road as a postman, has always been a theater enthusiast. “I love fables and stories,” he says. In 2010, he offered to take over the direction of the Kinderpassion. “In the end, Mr. Stückl intervened there too.”

The Oberammergau resident's resentment against the four-time Passion Play director probably began in childhood. He is also deeply disappointed by the way roles were assigned in the last Vow Plays. Here he alludes to a frequently quoted statement by Stückl: “They went through the village with a casting eye and picked out the people they liked.” He used to be active with the Oberammergau Theater Friends. But small stages have a hard time in Oberammergau against what Stückl does, claims Kernstein. “But no one dares to say anything against it,” he says. Which he can understand. “It takes courage and you have to know what you're getting yourself into.”

“I want to bring my ideas to the stage” – Fabian Kernstein cannot currently imagine directing in Oberammergau

For Kernstein, who has not yet directed the play, the topic of director at Passion 2030 is over, but the theater chapter is not over. “I will bring my ideas to the stage,” he explains. But not in Oberammergau. “I do believe that there are people in the town who would support me.” He says that he has also received a lot of positive feedback in the past few months during his candidacy for director. “The only thing was a few strange looks, but I can live with those.”

His supporters are expressly thanked for this. Nevertheless, he is currently ruling out doing something in his hometown, where he also appeared on stage in 2009 under Zeno Bierling in the play “The Imaginary Invalid”. Perhaps he will stage something in Murnau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. “In any case, I will get in touch with theater groups there.”