''Cross and Sword'' was a 1965

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

by American playwright Paul Green created to honor the 400th anniversary of the settlement of St. Augustine. It was

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

's official state play, having received the designation by the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

in 1973.Florida State Symbols - The State Play: Cross and Sword
It was performed for ten weeks every summer in St. Augustine for more than 30 years, closing in 1996.

Beginning

The

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning playwright Paul Green created a play in 1937 about

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

Roanoke Colony The Roanoke Colony ( ) refers to two attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The first colony was established at Roanoke Island in 1585 as a military outpost, and was evacuated in 1586. ...

entitled ''

Lost Colony The Roanoke Colony ( ) refers to two attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The first colony was established at Roanoke Island in 1585 as a military outpost, and was evacuated in 1586. ...

''. It was written as a "symphonic drama" blending music, dance,

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

, 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 (; ; 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-oceanic convoys, which became known as ...

and his settlers' bloody conflicts with French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

s at

Fort Caroline Fort Caroline was an attempted French colonial settlement in Florida, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in present-day Duval County. It was established under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière on 22 June 1564, follow ...

in present-day

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

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 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 Symbols of Florida