Gwen Pharis Ringwood
Gwen Pharis Ringwood was a prominent Canadian playwright and novelist born on August 13, 1910, in Anatone, Washington. She spent much of her youth in Montana and later attended the University of Alberta, where she graduated with a B.A. in English in 1934. Ringwood's career in the dramatic arts began with her involvement in regional theater in Alberta, leading to her first significant work, the play "The Dragons of Kent," which premiered in 1935. She continued to hone her craft while studying at the University of North Carolina, where she received her M.A. in 1939 and gained recognition for her one-act plays.
Throughout her career, Ringwood wrote a diverse array of works, including tragedies, comedies, and children's literature, often focusing on the experiences of western Canadian communities, European settlers, and indigenous peoples. Her acclaimed play "Still Stands the House" explores complex themes such as tradition versus change and social dynamics during the Depression era. For her contributions to drama, Ringwood received several prestigious awards, including the Governor General's Medal in 1941 and honorary doctorates from respected universities. She is celebrated for her rich portrayal of regional voices and social issues within Canadian literature. Ringwood's legacy endures as a significant figure in the development of twentieth-century Canadian theater.
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Gwen Pharis Ringwood
Playwright
- Born: August 13, 1910
- Birthplace: Anatone, Washington
- Died: May 24, 1984
Biography
Gwen Pharis Ringwood was born in Anatone, Washington, on August 13, 1910, the eldest child of Leslie and Mary Pharis. Her parents relocated to Alberta, Canada, to farm in 1913 and reentered the United States in 1926 after they purchased land in Montana. Ringwood spent the remainder of her teenage years in Montana. She enrolled at the University of Montana but transferred to the University of Alberta when her family again headed north to Canada.
Graduating with a B.A. in English in 1934, she found employment as the assistant to director Elizabeth Sterling Haynes, whose mission was to support regional theater in the province of Alberta. Inspired by the surrounding arts community, Ringwood composed works for stage and radio. Her play, The Dragons of Kent, received its premier at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1935. The following year, the University of Alberta broadcast Ringwood’s coauthored radio plays on station CKUA. In 1937, she began graduate studies at the University of North Carolina, taking playwriting courses under Frederick Koch, a practitioner dedicated to folk theater. While still a student, Ringwood’s one-act plays were performed by the Carolina Playmakers.
Upon earning her M.A. in 1939, she returned to Canada to marry John Brian Ringwood, a medical doctor; the couple later had two sons and two daughters. In 1939, she was hired by the Province of Alberta to direct its extension drama program. Additionally, Ringwood taught courses in acting and playwriting at the Banff School of Fine Arts. Following a lengthy career in the dramatic arts, Ringwood died on May 24, 1984.
Among Ringwood’s works for the stage are tragedies, comedies, histories, musicals, and pieces for children. Truly regional in her choice of content, Ringwood’s plays depict the lives of western Canadian people, European settlers and native inhabitants alike. Her critically acclaimed one-act play, Still Stands the House, set on a bleak Depression-era prairie, examines tensions between tradition and change, husband and wife, and town and country. Chief among her comic works is The Jack and the Joker, a clever account of bigotry embedded in politics. Ringwood’s children’s novel, Younger Brother, continues these themes as it explores race relations and social justice in western Canada.
In 1939, while at the University of North Carolina, Ringwood received the Ronald Holt Cup for her achievements in playwriting. For her contributions to Canadian drama, she received the Governor General’s Medal in 1941. She was named an honorary member of the Association of Canadian Theatre History in 1979, and she received honorary doctorates from the University of Victoria in 1981 and the University of Lethbridge in1982.
Ringwood is respected for her contributions to twentieth century Canadian literature in the field of drama. As a playwright, Ringwood created works for the western Canadian provinces, a canon that includes a diversity of regional voices, both pioneer and indigenous, and that explores environmental themes and social conflicts endemic to the area.