Ramona, played by Kayla Conteras, dances with Felipe Moreno played by Bret Cherland in a fiesta scene in the 2023 “Ramona.” Valley News/Tony Ault photo
“Viva Ramona! Viva Ramona!” was all the shout at the fourth showing of the Ramona Pageant as more than 1,500 spectators, actors and stage hands enjoyed the spectacular live outdoor event at the Ramona Bowl Amphitheater in Hemet Sunday, April 30.
The 100th season of theatrical production “Ramona,” written from Helen Hunt Jackson’s “Ramona” novel in the late 1800s, turned America’s attention to the mistreatment of Native Americans across the land.
Eli Santana, veteran actor of Ramona’s character Alessandro, mirrored the excitement of not only the play’s audience, but of all the actors including his co-actor Kayla Contreras who played Ramona in this season of the outdoor pageant dubbed “California’s Official Outdoor Play.”
Speaking of this year’s play, Santana s
