WHEREAS, The Ramona Pageant, the longest continuously running outdoor theatrical production in the United States, is celebrating its 70th Anniversary in 1993; and

WHEREAS, Since 1923, The Ramona Pageant Association, Inc., a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, and the citizens of the communities of Hemet and San Jacinto in Riverside County have annually presented this historical drama based on the 1884 Helen Hunt Jackson novel, Ramona, to over two million play attendees; and

WHEREAS, The Ramona Pageant has a cast of nearly 375, the largest cast of any outdoor play in the United States, and is acclaimed for its superb acting, setting, and volunteerism; and

WHEREAS, There have been at least eight other stage plays of Ramona, none of which have survived, five movies made of the story, and a song written about it; and

WHEREAS, The Helen Hunt Jackson book Ramona has never been out of print since it was published in 1884, an exception in novels, and Ramona was required reading in California schools for many years as a tool for teaching the history of the ethnic groups and their contribution to California history; and

WHEREAS, The Pasadena Playhouse is the “State Playhouse” but there is no designated state play; and

WHEREAS, Well-known individuals who have appeared in the Ramona Pageant include Racquel Welch, Anne Archer, Victor Jory, Jean Innes, and Jeff Meek; and

WHEREAS, Garnet Holme, playwright and original director of the Ramona Pageant, was named Pageant Master for our National Parks and also wrote and directed the “Bracebridge Dinner” at Yosemite National Park; and

WHEREAS, Many of the Governors of the State of California have attended and enjoyed this famous event; now, therefore, be it