Rita Joe is a Native girl who leaves the reservation for the city, only to die on skid row as a victim of white men's violence and paternalistic attitudes towards First Nations peoples. As perhaps the best-known contemporary Canadian play and a poetic drama of enormous theatrical power, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe had a major influence in awakening consciousness to the "Indian problem" both in whites and Natives themselves. Cast of five women and 15 men. With a preface by Chief Dan George. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe premiered November 23, 1967 at the Vancouver Playhouse.