Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-07-27
1.-THE MISSION PLAY" OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

the tourist, who is south bound from
the Panama Exposition. Much in
the way of climate, fruit, flowers
foliage, beaches, mountains, etc, but
perhaps one of the most interesting
and fascinating inducements held
out is the EMISSION Play" produced
at old San Gabriel Mission, short
trolley ride from Los Angeles.
The American people who are
familiar with early Californian his
tory know that Christianity was in
troduced to the Indians of that state
by the Holy Fathers of the Catholic
church of Spain. First and foremost
among these was Father Junipero
Sierra who, accompanied by Spanish
soldiers, led his band of Jealous work
ers up from Mexico into wild and
unbroken country to establish mis-
sions up the coast of California and
teach the word of God to an unawak-
ened and uncivilized race. 1t is
around this romantic but earest
period that John McGrOarty has
woven his fascinating and instructive
drama, the time of which is between
the years of 1869 and l847 and which
is now being presented.
The setting of the play calls our at
tention at the outset. We al1ght
from the trolley at the door of the
play house in the shadow of the old
San Gabriel Mission. The play house,
large opera house, is reproduction
of one of the old missions. The in
terror has the quiet subdued light
and atmosphere of a church. On the
walls are reproductions of old sacred
paintings. The ceiling is beamed,
the windows are stained and the
electric chandelier in the center holds
candle shaped fixtures, all as near an
exact reproduction of the early times
as possible. An ancient mission bell
hung at one side near the stage an
nounces the rise of the curtain.
The drama is preceded by prelude
in pantomine symbolizing the three
great epochs in the play as follows:
First, the savage sensing the APP
proach of his White ConQuerors. On
diam
Second, Specter of the faded mill
tary glory of the Spanish Conquest.
Spanish Soldier)
Third, the spirit of the ever living
Faith in the Cross of Christ. Monk
Then the play in three acts follows
first showing the struggle of Father
Junipero, who takes the leading part,
and his workers to establish missions
up and down the coast, with the aid
of the Spanish soldiery; then the
missions and their surroundings at
the height of their glory and industry,
with the Indians as converts and
tillers of the soil and the Spanish
seniors and their families living in
peace and plenty And finally the
slow decline of the little mission
towns when the Americans secured
California and the Indians went back
to the hills.
A thread of romance runs through
the play, holding the acts together.
This is necessary, as it is large sub
ject to handle, covering nearly two
hundred years.
The stage settings are wonderfully
beautiful, the second act being the
| most colorful. The first act pic
lures the shores of the Bay
of San Diego or where the
first mission was established. The
blue of the Pacific CLEANS in the dis
lance and Spanish vessel is an
chored off the coast.
In the second act the exterior of
the mission at Monterey is shown at
the zenith of it's prosperity. AS it is
a festival day, the Indians, SpaniardS,
and mission fathers have assembled
for feasting and merry making. The
Indians exhibit the work they have
done inibasketry, ETC., the Spanish
boys and girls entertain in singing
and dancing while the mission fathers
who have come from other missions
give their reports and then enjoy the
merry making. 1t is q gorgeous
scene, the vivid cOlOrS of the Spanish
and Indian costumes Strikingly set
off by the Somber robes of the fathers.
The Spanish songs and fandangOS are
musical and graceful. And finally
the last act showing the ruins of an
old mission sixty years later which is
deserted by all but a caretaker.
Father Junipero is dead and none of
the holy fathers remain but far up
on the broken wall of the mission the
cross still stands, symbolism that
the result of their labOrS and faith
still endureS And so the play ends
and one feels that he has lived the
| romantic, Jealous and loyal life OF
the early Californian.
Between the acts the audience is
invited to stroll along trelliSed path
which runs around three sides OF the
play house and represents the road
extending from San Diego in the
south to beyond San Francisco in the
north, through the foot hills anC
over which the mission fathers trav
eled to the missions along the way
This road is called Ell Canine Real OF
the Kings Highway and the missions
are produced in miniature along the
path about the play house.
The original road is now splendid
" developed driveway and makes al
interesting automobile trip from
south to north, with stops at the
different missions, some of which
have been restored and preserved
while others are in ruins. One UNIQUE
feature of a trip along this road i
that each sign-post directing tn
traveller is crowned with an old mis-
sion bell, taken from some mission
giving the automobile autocrat thu
advantage of the weary fathers VIII
toiled footsore up and down the the
dangerous Kings highway with onl
their faith to guide them.