a Western Canada Theatre Company (Kamloops) /

NAC English Theatre Company coproduction

Study Guide
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ENGLISH THEATRE
PROGRAMMES FOR STUDENT AUDIENCES
2008-2009 SEASON

Peter Hinton
Artistic Director, English Theatre

Theatre5 Media Partner Production Partner

Touring Partners

This Study Guide was written and researched by Deborah James for the National Arts Centre, English Theatre, February
2009. It may solely be used for educational purposes.

The National Arts Centre English Theatre values the feedback of teachers on the content and format of its Study
Guides. We would appreciate your comments on past Study Guides, on this current one, or suggestions on ways to
improve future Study Guides. Comments may be directed to Martina Kuska, either by email at mkuska@nac-cna.ca or
fax at (613) 943 1401.
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ArtsAlive.ca
Have You Heard?
This NAC hosted site has a wealth of educational resources available for teachers and
students of music, English theatre, French theatre, and dance. It’s well worth a visit.
http://www.artsalive.ca
 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 1

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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 3

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“‘Canadian Playwright’. The words seem a little incongruous together,
like ‘Panamanian hockey-player’, almost, or ‘Lebanese fur-trapper’.”
New York Times critic Julius Novick, review of the 1973 Washington production of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe ,

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“[Rita Joe] … prompted an awareness of the existence of other plays
potentially worthy of production. It provided resounding evidence
that it was not necessary for any Canadian theatre to rely solely on
imported fare... [as] Canadian plays ceased to be a rarity in English-
speaking Canada. Companies dedicated to the production of new
Canadian drama sprung up, and in so doing nurtured the further growth
of playwriting activity. Canada’s regional theatres—some of them
grudgingly—found themselves forced to take the Canadian playwright
seriously for the first time.”:

*August Schellenberg will appear in the role of David Joe in this production. Mr. Schellenberg is best known for his
roles in the films Black Robe (1991) and Crazy Horse (1996). He received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for his
portrayal of Sitting Bull in the HBO production of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 4

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*The Other is a philosophical term describing a process whereby “another person or group of people … are defined
as different or even sub-human to consolidate a group's identity. For example, the Nazi's internal cohesion
depended in part on how they defined themselves against (strove to maintain distinctions from) their image of the
Jews.”5

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From Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, Anne Nothof, Athabasca University

http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Ryga%2C%20George
 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 8

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Adapted from information provided on the Theatre Ontario website

http://www.theatreontario.org/content/news_releases2007.htm

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Source: NEPA website http://www.nativeearth.ca/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2

For more detailed information on NEPA, see the Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia entry at
http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Native%20Earth%20Performing%20Arts
 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 9

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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 12

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from director David Gardner’s program notes for the Playhouse Theatre Centre
(Vancouver) 1969 remount production of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe

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*To read a 19-page summary of this report, go to

http://www.amnesty.ca/campaigns/resources/amr2000304_summary.pdf
To read Amnesty International’s “Six Ways to stop violence against Indigenous women,” go to
http://www.amnesty.ca/take_action/actions/canada_stolen_sisters_6ways.php

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http://www.nwac-hq.org/en/background.html
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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 14

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“Ryga’s analysis doesn’t speak strongly to the present…. The play’s
Native characters lack understanding and agency … so they are lost in
victimization, unable to take responsibility for their own lives.” (

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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 15

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*Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German dramatist and poet best known as the developer of “epic theater” in which
narrative, montage, self-contained scenes, and rational argument were used to create a shock of realization in the
spectator. Brecht strove to give the audience a more objective perspective on the action by promoting a style of
acting and staging that created a distancing effect. Songs played an important part. Adapted from The Free
Dictionary by Farlex.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Bertolt+Brecht

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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 16

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 The Ecstasy of Rita Joe Study Guide – page 18

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L-R: Henry Ramer, August Schellenberg, Frances Hyland, George Bloomfield (director), George Ryga (playwright)
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