Les Mystères d'Eleusis (The Eleusian Mysteries) is Maurice Bouchor’s last play for the Petit-Théâtre des Marionnettes which he founded with Henri Signoret in 1888. First standing in the Galerie Vivienne, this theatre then moved to a place called La Bodinière, a “théâtre d’application” (literally: theatre for application) for students of the Conservatory. Paul Vidal composed the incidental music.

Having already adapted a biblical legend (Tobie [Tobit]) for the puppets of the Petit-Theâtre, as well as the motif of the birth of Jesus (Noël ou le Mystère de la Nativité [Christmas or the Mystery of the Nativity]), and the life of a saint (La Légende de Sainte Cécile [The Legend of Saint Cecilia]), Maurice Bouchor kept exploring religious themes while borrowing the story of the rape of Persephone from Greek mythology; this was a popular theme of mystery religion in the small town of Eleusis, near Athens. However, the author gave the pagan legend a Christian meaning, by adding the promise of a blessed stay for the souls of the righteous. The play met with little success; its performances marked the end of the Petit-Théâtre.

Bouchor used the text again in 1911, in a volume entitled Mystères païens (Pagan Mysteries), published by Flammarion, which also included adaptations of two Buddhist legends: La Naissance du Bouddha (The Birth of the Buddha) and Les Yeux de Kounâla (Kunala’s Eyes).

Iacchos (Iacchus) and Minos welcome the souls of the dead in the Underworld. Hadès has just abducted Perséphone, Iacchos’s daughter, and threatens to rape her. But Perséphone takes a solemn oath never to marry him if he forces her to. In the world of the living, peasants deplore their harvest, which Déméter’s anger has dried. Daiphantus, Tellis’s father, mourns his son, who has just died; he was about to marry Lysilla. Looking for her daughter Perséphone, Déméter learns that she was abducted by Hadès and decides to bring her back. Hadès appears; he has been transformed by love and repents. Moved by this change, Perséphone agrees to marry him, if Zeus lets her. Déméter hears her and reproaches her for her decision; because of this, Hadès gives up on his plan to marry Perséphone. Iacchos manages to pacify Déméter, who agrees to let Zeus decide. She comes back to the world of the living; the harvests have been miraculously saved and everyone is celebrating. Tellis comes back from the Underworld and announces that, from now on, the souls of the righteous—including his own—will go to an enchanting place. Zeus appears, surrounded by Justice and Pitié (Mercy), and announces his decision: Perséphone will stay with Déméter six months a year, and spend the other six in the kingdom of Hadès.