Summerland to host annual celebration of George Ryga
The third annual Ryga Festival, which begins on Wednesday, Aug. 29, in Summerland, has a slate of exciting events and activities.
A celebration of the legacy of writer George Ryga, the five-day festival will include both free and ticketed events.
Ryga lived and worked in Summerland from 1963 until his death in 1987.
In Summerland, Ryga created plays, screenplays, novels and poetry, including the ground-breaking play, “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe,” which was the first Canadian play to address the plight of the country’s Indigenous people.
Since its 1967 debut in Vancouver, “Rita Joe” has been performed in Canada, the U.S., Japan and China and remains the best-selling Canadian play of all time.
A highlight of this year’s festival is a compact version of awardwinning Canadian composer Victor Davies’ opera adaption of “Rita Joe,” on Friday evening, Aug. 31.
Performances in Toronto earlier this year were well received.
“It’s a concert of opera highlights,” said festival artistic director Heather Davies.
To produce the entire play or opera in Summerland would be prohibitively expensive, she explained.
“The pocket-sized production is one way we can bring the story back to the community where it was created. It refreshes the way we can share the story with the audience,” Davies said.
Four of the five main opera singers, who performed in Toronto and will be in Summerland, are Indigenous.
“Last year traditional knowledge keeper Richard Armstrong spoke about how Ryga consulted with local bands while writing “Rita Joe.” My desire is to continue that communication,” Davies said.
Ryga who grew up on a subsistence farm near Athabasca, often worked along Cree labourers and witnessed their demoralization.
Part of George’s break-through as a writer was the half-hour production of his play, “Indian,” on CBC television in 1961, explained Peter Hay.
“That success influenced his decision to come to Summerland and try to make it as a writer,” Hay said.
Ryga’s publisher and good friend, Hay, along with his wife Dorthea Atwater, and other close associates are the driving forces behind the Ryga Festival.
Juno-award winning musician Stephen Fearing will perform at Centre Stage Theatre on Saturday evening, Sept. 1.
Fearing’s latest album, “Every Soul’s a Sailor,” was key to his being selected as the Contemporary Singer of the Year at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
The festival’s musical events begin on Wednesday, Aug. 29, with The Blue City Trio’s smooth sounds for a mellow summer evening in Memorial Park.
Aspiring musicians who want to create their own songs with traditional tunes can participate in the Traditional BC Music workshop led by Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebssat on Saturday.
Roark Critchlow and Heather Davies will share the intriguing shifts actors must know when moving from the stage to the small or big screen in their Thursday workshop.
Critchlow grew up in Summerland and has over 20-years of television acting experience in such shows as “Days of Our Lives” and “Pretty Little Liars.”
Davies has worked as performer, director and writer for theatre companies across Canada and in Europe.
Saturday, Sept. 1, Vancouverites Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller will present a workshop on cookbook writing — from dreaming to doing.
“George’s home overflowed with people and wonderful food. Life revolved around the kitchen,” Atwater said.
In an apt description of Ryga’s legacy, stories workshop leader Donna-Michelle St. Bernard said, “A story is a world; a storyteller is a world maker.”
Theatre Trail, a progressive popup theatre event, and Outspoken, a feast of performances by poets, comics and storytellers, are back by popular demand.
Sunday morning, Fearing will kick off the popular Hootenanny with an informal folks and roots session.
For a complete schedule of events and ticket information visit www.rygafest.ca.
To volunteer call 250-460-3532 or email info@rygafest.ca.