LOS ANGELES PILGRIMAGE PLAY ARCHIVE

An archive of materials from performers who were involved in early productions of Los Angeles' famed Pilgrimage Play. The production was the creation of Christine Wetherill Stevenson (1878-1922), an heiress of the Pittsburgh Paint Company. Her dream was to build her own open-air theater and stage her own plays. A member of the Theosophical Society, she spent time studying in the society's Krotona Institute in lower Beachwood Canyon. She claimed to have searched for years for the perfect venue to stage outdoor religious dramas of an inspirational nature, and found it in the gentle Krotona foothills. In 1918, she produced 35 performances of Light of Asia, a play by Sir Edward Arnold concerning the life of Buddha.

In May 1916, a successful production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, featuring a cast including Tyrone Power, Sr., was presented in Beachwood Canyon's vast natural amphitheater. Impressed with such success, Stevenson sought to build a permanent amphitheater to produce her "huge spectacles." Together with other Hollywood leaders, she founded the Theater Arts Alliance to further these aims. Her initial attempt at securing 60 acres of land of what is now known as the Hollywood Bowl ended in conflict. She then quickly built the 1,000-seat Pilgrimage Play Amphitheater (now the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre) across the street from the Bowl site. In June 1920, Stevenson's adaptation of the story of the life of Christ, The Pilgrimage Play, opened its first summer season to enthusiastic audiences. Until her early death in 1922, Stevenson was deeply involved with the annual production as producer, writer, director, and costume designer, working to make the play as authentic as possible. During a research trip to Palestine, Egypt and India, she bought over $3,000 worth of costumes for the show; olives, figs, and grapes would be planted around the theatre to make it appear more like Palestine. The play continued annually until its final performance in 1964.

This archive is from the estate of Ruth S. or Ruth Josephine Omey, most likely sisters who both performed in the play as women of Judea. A brother or husband, Lillburn T. Omey, also performed as Apostle Bartholomew. The three performed in the 1944 and 1945 productions.

Included in this archive are: 10 black and white original photographs of the three performers in various costume with pencil notations on the verso; Pilgrimage Play programs for the years 1925, 1935, 1944-47, 1950, and 1961 (the program for 1944 includes 75+ signatures of performers and other persons involved with the production); and various brochures and newspaper clippings about the play. Apparently, the Omey's worked for Cathedral Films as indicated by a note wrapped around the clippings.