<span>Welles was able to pull off his hoax in 1938, but nobody could do the same today: true</span>
pot·pour·ri
/ˌpōpəˈrē/
noun
a mixture of dried petals and spices placed in a bowl or small sack to perfume clothing or a room.
a mixture of things, especially a musical or literary medley.
Therefore, the phrase "a beautiful potpourri..." or mixture "...of differences" means that whatever this line is referring to is a pleasant mixture of many different things.
Hope this helped.
To build suspense. Plays are not interesting without conflict. In this case the conflict surround John Proctor, the tragic hero, we would not be interested in Puritan drama.
