The Ramona Pageant

The original script was written by Garnet Holme in 1923. Holme was also the original director and the person who chose the plot of land where the play is still currently set, called the Ramona Bowl. The Ramona Bowl (or The Bowl) is located in the San Jacinto Mountains, in a valley in Hemet. There is a hillside where the stage is set, as well as an audience area. In 1988, major renovations took place, in which the valley was lifted, allowing the audience to move closer to the hillside. Although at least eight other stage plays have been adapted from the novel, The Ramona Pageant is the only surviving version. The play 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. In 2015, a brand new, updated script was written by international award-winning film director and screenwriter Stephen Savage, featuring much more action and historic content, while remaining far from the author’s original novel. Under the direction of Dennis Anderson, the new version enters its 7th season in 2023. The Ramona Pageant used to be the longest running outdoor play in the United States, and is still going today. It ran uninterrupted except in 1933, caused by Great Depression; in 1942, when World War II occurred and in 2020 caused by COVID-19 pandemic. In 1993, it was declared California's official State Outdoor Play. ==Overview==

The play can be considered a "Romeo and Juliet that is set in the Wild Wild West", since it resembles the story of two star-crossed lovers challenging their rivaling families in order to be together, despite the ongoing situation of white settlers taking over the native land. ==Performers==

The production features a cast of approximately 375 members, Cast • Ramona – Dorise Schukow (1923-1933), Dorothy Bailey Vosburg (1951-1961), Susan C. Hunter (1973-1976), Kathi Anderson (1985), Kayla Contreras (2016-2023) • Francesco Sorianello/Frank Sorell as Alessandro (1967-1971, 1975–1978, 1981) • Henry Brandon • Tom Lancaster as Alessandro (1982) • Jeffrey Meek • Brent Howard as Alessandro (1995-1996) ==Influence==

The play is strongly supported by local residents of Hemet, some spanning generations of entire families, who have had a role in the play, such as managing and leading a group of children acting as Native American kids who play on the hilltop, washing and mending the costumes that the casts wear, and applying makeup to cast members. Although the play was shortened from three hours to two and a half hours, the play's theme of tolerance and message of acceptance haven't been changed. The narrative has remained the same, maintained through the tradition of the play. Alongside The Ramona Pageant, there were also five movie adaptations, one song adaptation, and tourist attractions. The play also launched the successful careers of Anne Archer and Raquel Welch. ==California Historical Landmarks==

A marker at the site reads: • '' Within this valley was laid part of the scene, and here resided a number of the characters portrayed in Helen Hunt Jackson's historical novel, "Ramona", which depicted life and presented the status of the Indians of many great ranchos in early California beginning around the 1850s. This story, dramatized by the late Garnet Holme, was first presented on this site Apr. 13 1923, becoming annual event.'' Erected 1950 by California Centennials Commission in cooperation with Ramona Pageant Association, Inc. (Marker Number 1009.) Another nearby marker reads: • Pochea was one of cluster of Indian villages forming the very large settlement of Pahsitna which extended along the ridge east and west of Ramona Bowl. Pahsitnah was thriving when the Spanish first passed by in 1774. A tragic story tells of the natives contracting smallpox from Europeans; a terrible epidemic spreading, and some survivors fleeing to the area of the present Soboba Reservation. Erected 1983 by State Department of Parks and Recreation, San Jacinto Valley Museum, Hemet Area Museum Assoc., Ramona Pageant Assoc. Billy Holcomb Chapter No. 1069, E Clampus Vitus/Second Marker by D.A.R. (Marker Number 104.) ==References==