By Tere Dunlap
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
NEW GLARUS - The loss of knowledge of the German language has diminished audiences at the annual "Wilhelm Tell" production in New Glarus so much that the German version was not even presented this year.
Heinz Mattmannn, New Glarus, and Ernest Halbheer, Monroe, believe some knowledge of Swiss history and American government is gone as well.
"There's a lot of history in the story," Halbheer said. "The American Constitution is based on the Swiss."
Mattmannn and Halbheer have had speaking parts in the German version of the play since the 1960s. Back then, 2,000 to 3,000 people attended productions, Halbheer said.
"They brought them in by busloads," he said.
But for the past couple years, only about 50 to 60 people attended the play in German, presented each Labor Day weekend since 1938.
"More people were in the cast than in the audience," Mattmannn said.
Both Mattmannn and Halbheer were born in Switzerland. Mattmann came to the U.S. in 1963, and Halbheer came in 1959. They were almost immediately recruited to act in the play, mostly because of their knowledge of German. But Mattmann and Halbheer also knew the story of Wilhelm Tell.
The 1804 play written by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, is about the Swiss struggle for independence from the Habsburg Empire near the end of the 13th century.
They had learned the historical story in school as part of their general education. Mattmann said he and his classmates read from the script and acted out the scenes. Halbheer said schools would get students interested in history by taking them to the play.
The German words in the script are a different, perhaps older, version of the standard German they learned, Mattmann and Halbheer said.
"If they can speak German, they can probably understand (the play), but it's hard to learn, even if you've had German," Halbheer said.
Mattmann compared the difference to that between modern and Shakespearean English.
The German-speaking cast is maturing beyond their character roles, and it was becoming harder to find lead actors to take over the parts, according to Kaye Gmur, a member of the guild's board of directors.
Mattmann, Halbheer and many other actors in Wilhelm Tell were without a role this year, when the guild decided to cancel the German version. But they found other parts to fill. Mattmann and Halbheer were peasant villagers this year.
Peter Etter, New Glarus, for many years played the German-speaking Herman Gessler, the cruel governor of Swiss cantons, Schwyz and Uri. This year, he was a town crier and a monk; though he continues as the pageant's announcer. He is not deterred by the loss of the German version of the play.
"It's pretty sad," he said. "I still support the English (version) though," he said.
Sara Kiesz, who played Frau Tell for 12 years, switched to the English-speaking Mrs. Tell this year.
"It's bitter sweet," she said.
Kiesz learned German in New Glarus High School, where it is still taught in middle school and high school.
"It's hard learning the English," she said. "The German I know in my sleep."
Kiesz said her son, Chandler Tarala, 11, is probably more upset by the cancellation of the German version, in which he played Wilhelm Tell Jr. for five years.
Mattmann said doing the play for 47 years has been fun, "but it'd be nice if someone else would step up and take over."
"I've never had a Labor Day weekend to myself," he said.
The Wilhelm Tell Guild is hoping to gather members of past German casts for a reunion production in 2012, for the 75th anniversary of the New Glarus production.
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
NEW GLARUS - The loss of knowledge of the German language has diminished audiences at the annual "Wilhelm Tell" production in New Glarus so much that the German version was not even presented this year.
Heinz Mattmannn, New Glarus, and Ernest Halbheer, Monroe, believe some knowledge of Swiss history and American government is gone as well.
"There's a lot of history in the story," Halbheer said. "The American Constitution is based on the Swiss."
Mattmannn and Halbheer have had speaking parts in the German version of the play since the 1960s. Back then, 2,000 to 3,000 people attended productions, Halbheer said.
"They brought them in by busloads," he said.
But for the past couple years, only about 50 to 60 people attended the play in German, presented each Labor Day weekend since 1938.
"More people were in the cast than in the audience," Mattmannn said.
Both Mattmannn and Halbheer were born in Switzerland. Mattmann came to the U.S. in 1963, and Halbheer came in 1959. They were almost immediately recruited to act in the play, mostly because of their knowledge of German. But Mattmann and Halbheer also knew the story of Wilhelm Tell.
The 1804 play written by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, is about the Swiss struggle for independence from the Habsburg Empire near the end of the 13th century.
They had learned the historical story in school as part of their general education. Mattmann said he and his classmates read from the script and acted out the scenes. Halbheer said schools would get students interested in history by taking them to the play.
The German words in the script are a different, perhaps older, version of the standard German they learned, Mattmann and Halbheer said.
"If they can speak German, they can probably understand (the play), but it's hard to learn, even if you've had German," Halbheer said.
Mattmann compared the difference to that between modern and Shakespearean English.
The German-speaking cast is maturing beyond their character roles, and it was becoming harder to find lead actors to take over the parts, according to Kaye Gmur, a member of the guild's board of directors.
Mattmann, Halbheer and many other actors in Wilhelm Tell were without a role this year, when the guild decided to cancel the German version. But they found other parts to fill. Mattmann and Halbheer were peasant villagers this year.
Peter Etter, New Glarus, for many years played the German-speaking Herman Gessler, the cruel governor of Swiss cantons, Schwyz and Uri. This year, he was a town crier and a monk; though he continues as the pageant's announcer. He is not deterred by the loss of the German version of the play.
"It's pretty sad," he said. "I still support the English (version) though," he said.
Sara Kiesz, who played Frau Tell for 12 years, switched to the English-speaking Mrs. Tell this year.
"It's bitter sweet," she said.
Kiesz learned German in New Glarus High School, where it is still taught in middle school and high school.
"It's hard learning the English," she said. "The German I know in my sleep."
Kiesz said her son, Chandler Tarala, 11, is probably more upset by the cancellation of the German version, in which he played Wilhelm Tell Jr. for five years.
Mattmann said doing the play for 47 years has been fun, "but it'd be nice if someone else would step up and take over."
"I've never had a Labor Day weekend to myself," he said.
The Wilhelm Tell Guild is hoping to gather members of past German casts for a reunion production in 2012, for the 75th anniversary of the New Glarus production.