Synopsis

The plot of the play is in part derived from the Jason-Medea story, and the name Jason has been retained in the play. The setting, characters, and dialogue are, of course, new. Jana, a Chilcotin Indian girl, journeys to the strange Shushwap country to join her white lover, Jason, the father of her child, only to find that he is involved with a wealthy white woman. He rejects Jana; she therefore kills both the white woman and her own son. Using the conventions of Greek tragedy and poetic dialogue, Ringwood raises Jana to the regal position of an Indian Princess.