''The Mission Play'', by John S. McGroarty, was a three-hour pageant portraying the history of the California missions. Performed in San Gabriel, Ca, it was first staged in 1912 across from the San Gabriel Mission. In 1927 the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse was constructed to house the production. It was seen by over 2.5 million people.

History

In 1902, reflecting an interest in Spanish California brought upon by the success of Helen Hunt Jackson's '' Ramona'' combined with population influx from new railroads connecting Southern California to the rest of the United States,

Frank Augustus Miller Frank Augustus Miller (June 30, 1858 – June 17, 1935) was the owner and chief developer of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, United States, where Frank Augustus Miller Middle School was named after him. He was also a civic leader and ...

changed the name of his father's 1876 hotel from the "Glenwood Hotel" to the " Mission Inn." He began building in a variety of styles including most prominently Mission Revival Style architecture. During the 30-year construction period Miller traveled the world, collecting treasures to bring back to the hotel for display. It was during this time he witnessed a German Passion Play, most likely the ''

Oberammergau Passion Play The Oberammergau Passion Play (german: Oberammergauer Passionsspiele) is a passion play that has been performed every 10 years from 1634 to 1674 and each decadal year since 1680 (with a few exceptions) by the inhabitants of the village of Obera ...

'', which became the basis for the ''Mission Play''. Miller took McGroarty to Mount Rubidoux in Riverside where beneath "the shadow of the cross erected to the memory of Father Serra, the plan unfolded." Along with McGroarty came investment from other Southern California deep-pocketed heavy-hitters, including railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books,

Henry E. Huntington Henry Edwards Huntington (February 27, 1850 – May 23, 1927) was an American railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Huntington settled in Los Angeles, where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estate ...

; the son-in-law of the owner and future publisher of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', Henry Chandler; and one of Southern California's first oil tycoons,

Edward L. Doheny Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mission Play Mission Play Mission Play San Gabriel, California History of California