By Elena Macias
From April 20 through May 5, the “Ramona” play returned to the Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre in Hemet for its 101st year. Two local Catholics, husband and wife Dennis and Kathi Anderson, have been an instrumental part of telling the story of longest running outdoor drama, “Ramona,” for over 30 years.
“It’s the love of the story,” Dennis said. “It’s in an outdoor theater, this 5,000-seat amphitheater, it really gets into your blood when you go outdoors and do this play. They have a few hundred people in the show, we have Native American dancers, Spanish dancers, we have cowboys, and you’re outdoors in this beautiful setting so it just becomes a part of life and the people and the community. I think that’s why its been going on since 1923. When you do it, you just keep on doing it.”
The couple’s love of theater, devotion to their faith, mixed with “Ramona’s” depiction of Catholicism has made it a very easy decision to keep coming back to the play year after year, they say.
Dennis and Kathi have been parishioners of Holy Spirit Parish in Hemet for about three years and before that they had attended Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Hemet since 1987 when they were married there. The couple were Eucharistic Ministers at Our Lady of the Valley and when they moved to Holy Spirit, they both became Lectors. Participating during Mass as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector, the couple says has had a tremendous impact on their life.
“I so much love both, in different ways,” Kathi said. “As a Eucharistic Minister, with the host, when I’m holding the Body of Christ, I feel such inner joy. I can’t help but smile, I remember after the first time I did that, I remember telling Dennis afterwards about that feeling of joy that just overcame me.”
When it comes to lectoring, Kathi says she loves to use some of her theater background to emote the meaning of the readings.
“God gifted me with a big voice, I love being able to use that gift. When you are a lector, you study the bible closer, you become closer to the readings. It makes our spiritual growth and knowledge of the Bible even greater.”
Dennis also agrees that being a Eucharistic Minister has helped deepen his faith. In addition, he has spent some time serving as a catechist.
“I was a teacher for many years, so being a catechist fulfilled me very much,” Dennis said. “But when I became a Eucharistic Minister, when you actually believe and understand that you are handing Jesus, the Body, the Blood divinity into somebody’s hands, it has always been the most spiritual time of my life.”
When Dennis’ family moved to Hemet in 1956, they almost immediately became a part of the “Ramona” play because it was made up of volunteers. In the early 1970s Dennis played a role in the play and in 1995 he became the Artistic Director and has been directing the play now for 29 years. Kathi became a cast member as a Spanish dancer, the lead role of Ramona and has played the role of “Senora,” the second lead role, since 2008. “Being Catholics and loving theater, then you have this wonderful play, Ramona, which has this strong Catholic theme, it’s like you can give your whole total person to this play,” Dennis said.
There are two priests portrayed in the play with significant roles and scenes in the story. The Senora, who Kathi plays, has a strong devotion to her faith an seeks advice from one of the priests. There is also a Madonna placed center stage where The Senora goes to pray in a scene. Kathi says she takes this moment of the scene to actually recite a Hail Mary to herself. Father Joe Gaglione, CSSP, a retired priest who served at Holy Spirit, gave a special blessing over the Madonna on May 3.
“There’s about 2,000 people per performance, and there’s the Virgin Mary right in front of them,” Dennis said. “Not everyone in the cast is Catholic, but we just portray the Catholic faith with pride and I just love that.”
The Anderson’s say that they continue coming back to “Ramona” because of their love of the story and the cast, some of which have also continued to come back and have been participating in the play for decades and range in age from five to 90 years old. Other parishioners from Holy Spirit are a part of “Ramona,” like Al Cordova, who has been with the play for about 50 years and serves on the board of directors. Other local Catholics are actors and costume designers. Madeline Jimenez, a parishioner of St. Christopher Parish in Moreno Valley, is the understudy to Ramona.
“We have a wide variety of our parishes represented here,” Kathi said. “We’re always surrounded by Ramona.”
“We’re very blessed to have been able to be a part of the play and we are very blessed also to be Holy Spirit [parishioners],” Dennis said. “We are just so thankful to God for everything.”
Elena Macias is the Managing Editor of the Inland Catholic BYTE and El Compás Católico.