Written by Garnet Holme Original language English First performance 13 April 1923 Setting California Place premiered Hemet | Date premiered April 13, 1923 Genre Drama/Comedy Playwright Garnet Holme Subject Ramona | |
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The ramona pageant from the business blast
The Ramona Outdoor Play, formerly known as (and still commonly called) The Ramona Pageant, is an outdoor play staged annually in Hemet, California since 1923.
Contents
History and description
The script was adapted by Garnet Holme from the 1884 novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. Although at least eight other stage plays have been adapted from the novel, as of 1993 The Ramona Pageant is the only surviving version. It is held over three consecutive weekends in April and May in the Ramona Bowl, a natural amphitheater in the foothills above Hemet in Riverside County.
The production features a cast of approximately 375 players, made up largely of local residents and amateur actors. The lead roles are Ramona and Alessandro, her Native American lover.
The Ramona Pageant is the longest running outdoor play in the United States. In 1993 it was declared California's official State Outdoor Play.
Original cast
Notable performers
Occasionally, professional actors have performed in the show, often portraying the romantic leading roles.
Performers (listed alphabetically) had included: