Title supplied by cataloger.; Photograph was edited for publication purposes. The religious-themed Pilgrimage Play, written by Christine Whetherill Stevenson, was performed every summer between 1920 to 1941. In 1931, a new amphitheater, made of cast concrete, was erected to resemble the ancient architecture of the Holy Land for the purposes of the play performed there. During WWII, the theater was deeded to Los Angeles County and converted into dormitories for servicemen. After the war, the play resumed until 1964, at which time it was legally ordered to close due to its religious content. In the early 1970s, the amphitheater was renamed after John Anson Ford, in honor of his dedicated and successful campaign to revive the facility. Photograph caption dated July 9, 1931 reads, "The Pilgrimage play, famous spectacle portraying the life of Christ, will open tonight in its new $200,000 theater in the Hollywood Hills. The above scene from the Biblical play shows 'The Last Supper.' Reading around the table beginning with the figure in striped garments, the characters are: Simon Called Peter, Thaddeus, Bartholomew, Andrew, James, John the Beloved, the Christus, Judas, Thomas; in background, James, son of Alpheus, Philip, Simon the Canaanite, Matthew. The Christus is portrayed by Ian MacLaren. In this scene, the disciples are seated in a slightly different order from Da Vinci's famous painting of 'The Last Supper.'"
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
MacLaren, Ian,--1875-1952 Jesus Christ--Drama Pilgrimage Theatre (Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.) Apostles--Drama Actors--United States Theater rehearsals--California--Los Angeles Costumes Last Supper Religious drama Theater--California--Los Angeles Theaters--California--Hollywood (Los Angeles) Amphitheaters--California--Hollywood (Los Angeles) Mountains--California, Southern Santa Monica Mountains (Calif.) Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles, Calif.) Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
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