Preserved sections of a text revised by Fr. Karl Bader (1652 – 1731) document a baroque theatrical tradition.

The Augustine Anselm Manhart (1680-1752) from Rottenbuch created a new version, which introduced the allegorical figures of Envy, Avarice, Death and Sin as Jesus’ adversaries. From 1730-1760, the director was beneficiate Max Erlböck (1690-1770)

Passion plays were prohibited in Bavaria. After great effort on the part of the Oberammergauers, their application for special permission was rejected.

Their petition reveals much of their self-image. They pointed out that: "Over routes coverring 20, 30 and more myles, from Bavaria, the Tyroll, Swabia and the Empyre, as well as sutch cityes as Munich, Freysing, Landshut, Innspruck, Augspurg and other playces, hastened not onlie simple citizeyns but also traydespeople, personnes of aristocratyc characterre and scholares to witnesse this sacred perforrmance…. which they dyd prayse with alle satysfaction attendyng the same at alle tymes with alle seemyng personnal satysfaction as they did hoape to acquyre.”

Beyond this, there were "no risyble, childysh and taystelesse exhybitions or personages”, and, first and foremost, the principal roles were played by men, "the same having travelled throughout alle Europe, thus enaybling themme to differentiayte betweene those elementes deemed symple-minded and repulsyve in other places and those which are approapriate to sutch a saycred perforrmance.”