The Mission Play

The Mission Play was a theatrical production created in the early 20th century to celebrate and educate audiences about California's Spanish missions and their role in history. Performed in a large outdoor theater in San Gabriel, California, it combined drama, music, and dance to depict the founding of the missions and the interactions between Native Americans and Spanish settlers. The play aimed to promote regional pride and preserve California's cultural heritage, becoming a popular entertainment and educational spectacle for many years.