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"- How do you think that’s gonna play down front?" It's from the movie called "Spotlight"

Specific context: two journalists of The Boston Globe have just come out from an editors' meeting where the new editor-in-chief proposed them to investigate on a case of sexual abuse allegedly committed by a Catholic priest, and they comment on that, wondering how the paper's publisher (a Mr. Gilman) will react at such proposal.

According to the translation, "how will the higher people react?"

Now, can you explain how this translation works out? What does this expression mean by “down front” in this context? How about “play"? What does the pronoun “that” refer to?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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    I would take "down front" to imply the first few rows in a theatre or lecture hall.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Mar 25, 2020 at 0:55
  • Ah! I got it. Can you take "that" to imply the group of people ?
    – ILoveMath
    Commented Mar 25, 2020 at 1:21
  • I would interpret "that" to be the message that is being delivered. And "play" is the audience's reaction to the message.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Mar 25, 2020 at 2:04
  • Can you explain the meaning of "the message"? Does the "message" mean the proposal to investigate on a case of sexual abuse or how the paper's publisher react to the proposal?
    – ILoveMath
    Commented Mar 25, 2020 at 2:40
  • The "message" is the "proposal to investigate".
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Mar 25, 2020 at 2:43

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