''Cross and Sword'' was a 1965 play by American playwright Paul Green created to honor the 400th anniversary of the settlement of St. Augustine. It was Florida's official state play, having received the designation by the Florida Senate in 1973.Florida State Symbols - The State Play: Cross and Sword
It was performed for ten weeks every summer in

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

for more than 30 years, closing in 1996.

Beginning

The

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning playwright Paul Green created a play in 1937 about Walter Raleigh's

Roanoke Colony The establishment of the Roanoke Colony ( ) was an attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The English, led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, had briefly claimed St. John's, Newfoundland, in 15 ...

entitled '' Lost Colony''. It was written as a "symphonic drama" blending music, dance, pantomime, and poetic dialogue into a larger-than-life historical play. In 1965 Green was commissioned to write a play commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine. St. Augustine Amphitheatre - Venue - Specs
The play was to be performed at the newly constructed, 2,000 seat St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The result was ''Cross and Sword: A Symphonic Drama of the Spanish Settlement of Florida''.Paul Green Bibliography
/ref> The play is a musical reenactment depicting Florida's early history at St. Augustine, especially its colonization by Spaniard

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (; ast, Pedro (Menéndez) d'Avilés; 15 February 1519 – 17 September 1574) was a Spanish admiral, explorer and conquistador from Avilés, in Asturias, Spain. He is notable for planning the first regular trans-oceani ...

and his settlers' bloody conflicts with French Huguenots at Fort Caroline in present-day Jacksonville.

End

Production for ''Cross and Sword'', with its large cast and elaborate costumes and props, was expensive.Florida's Lost Tourist Attractions: Cross and Sword
/ref> For many years, costs were partially subsidized by the state. However, changes to state rules led to a decrease in funding. Faced with a decreased budget and an aging theater in need of renovation, ''Cross and Sword'' lobbied for $27,000 from the state Division of Cultural Affairs in 1997, but the proposal was rejected. After the 1996 season, the production closed. In 2002,

St. Johns County St. Johns County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 273,425. The county seat and largest incorporated city is St. Augustine. St. Johns County is part of the ...

acquired and renovated the amphitheater, turning it into a concert venue.

References

{{Reflist 1965 plays Plays by Paul Green Florida culture Plays set in Florida Colonial United States (Spanish) Plays set in the 16th century Plays based on actual events Cultural depictions of Walter Raleigh St. Augustine, Florida