Lögberg-Heimskringla - 21.09.1984, Side 2

2-WINNIPEG, FOSTUDAGUR 21. SEPTEMBER 1984
Icelandic Language
and Cultural Camp — 1984
Icelandic Camp group at Hecla Island.
Camp leaders: Seated: Omar Simundsson; Standing, left to right: Lee
Brandson, Linda Benediktson, Neil Mclnnis, Hulda Danielsdottir and
Jackie Goodman. Missing: Shelly Stevens, Kristjana Gunnars, Elva
Simundsson.
One Hundred Years of
Icelandic drama in North America
The Icelandic Language and Cul-
tural Camp of 1984 had quite a
successful week at Sunrise Camp in
Husavik. Some forty campers en-
joyed the week's camp of great
weather and a fine group of leaders.
The campers were divided into
groups and each group attended one
class each day of language, music,
folktales, crafts, recreation and swim-
ming, then evening activities in
drama, group games and campfires.
As well, the final evening's entertain-
ment was the traditional concert and
dance. One full day was devoted to
a field trip. The campers took a walk
through the Heritage Village at Hecla
Island and enjoyed a swim and a pic-
nic there. They then took a tour of
the Gimli Museum before returning
to Husavik that evening.
As usual, the youths involved .in
the camp came from all Parts of
Manitoba, and one camper even
came from as far as New Hampshire.
They met and mingled and all went
home with many memories of Ice-
landic folksongs, folktales, stories of
the old Norse gods, ghost stories and
a special memory of many new
friends. The leaders also went home
at the end of the week with
memories of shared moments and
new friendships.
The stories of the Norse gods and
Icelandic folktales were told each day
by Kristjana Gunnars. She is well
known in Canada as a writer of short
stories, a poet and a gifted story-
teller, Hulda Danielsdottir taught an
enthusiastic daily session of Icelandic
words and phrases to the campers,
most of whom had hardly ever heard
Icelandic spoken before. Lee Brand-
son, besides directing the camp's
day-to-day activities, practiced
several Icelandic and English songs
with everyone so that the perfor-
mance for the parents on the last day
of camp vvas quite commendable.
Jackie Goodman, a talented Gimli ar-
tist encouraged her groups to pro-
duce some excellent pictoral displays
of Vikings and mythological Norse
gods.
For a break from all these class-
room-like learning sessions the ex-
huberent campers played a variety of
games designed to wear off some of
the energy that six to twelve-year-
olds seem to have in such excess.
These activities were conducted and
controlled by the recreation
specialists Shelly Stevens and Omar
Simundsson. The other break came
with a cooling and relaxing trip to the
beach, and a visit with Neil Mclnnis,
the camp's lifeguard. Also involved
in the general operation of the camp
were Linda Benediktson who helped
in every capacity wherever she was
needed, Elva Simundsson who took
over some of the director's duties on
the last three days of camp and
Gunnvör Asmundsson who did
much of the preliminary planning
and organizing of the camp.
The directors of the Icelandic Lan-
guage and Cultural Camp are very
grateful to all those who have shown
their support for the camp this year
and in previous years. The campers
and staff enjoyed the cultural ex-
perience and thank those groups who
contributed in some way; all these
things add up to make the camp the
success it was.
WE THANK:
Manitoba Department of Parks and
Recreation for a free pass into the
Hecla Island Provincial Park.
Icelandic Cultural Corporation for
free entry into the Gimli Museum.
The Icelandic Festival's Parade
Committee for the third prize award
in the Islendingadagurinn parade.
The Evergreen School Ðivision for
the loan of their movie projector.
Special thanks go to the follovying
for their financial grants and dona-
tions, for without these, there would
be no camp:
Manitoba Department of Cultural
Affairs and Heritage Resources.
Gimli Chapter — Icelandic Na-
tional League.
Arborg Chapter — Icelandic Na-
tional League.
Icelandic National League — Ex-
ecutive Council.
Icelandic Club of Western Mani-
toba — Brandon.
Selkirk Chapter — Icelandic Na-
tional League.
Lundar Chapter — Icelandic Na-
tional League.
Frón — Winnipeg.
Amateur drama societies played an
essential role in the cultural life o( the
Icelandic communities in North
America. During the last two decades
of the 19th century, and until the
middle of the present century, vir-
tually every Icelandic community
had one or more groups which would
put on Icelandic plays, and many had
resident playwrights as well. The first
Icelandic performance in North
America seems to have been the
Framfarafélag's production of
Sigríður Eyjarfjarðarsól in Win-
nipeg, probably in 1880. The
centenary of this important event
recently passed unnoticed, and
unless something is done soon vir-
tually all memory of these dramatic
activities will be last.
The Canada-Iceland Foundation
has recently awarded a research
grant to Hulda Danielsdóttir and Lee
Brandson to conduct preliminary
research towards the writing of a
History and Anthology of Icelandic
Drama in North America.
Because very little has been writ-
ten on the subject, we urgently need
to contact as many people as possi-
ble who have any information on
Icelandic drama in their areas. It is
important that we interview at least
one person from each of the Icelan-
dic communities, either in person or
by mail, to check the accuracy of
written sources and to supplement
them.
We are also looking for scripts of
a great number of plays which were
never published. Among the "lost"
manuscripts are at least 12 full-length
plays by Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason,
including Hinrik Bakari and
Fóstbræðurnir. Séra Jakobs Jónsson
has told us that he believes that all
of these plays were written under a
pseudonym. Other missing plays in-
clude Séra Jakob's Stapinn,
Emigrantinn By Valdi Jóhannesson
of Víðir, Óskastundin by Kristín
Sigfúsdóttir of Wynyard, Rauði Boli
and Stúdenarnir by Jóhannes P.
Pálsson and Baldur Jónsson, and
Sálin Hans Jóns Míns by
Hólmfríður Sharpe of Milwaukee.
This last play appears to have been
the first Icelandic play written in
North America.
Anyone with any knowledge of
amateur drama in their area or who
has any unpublished plays which we
could photocopy are asked to contact
Hulda Danielsdóttir at 139 Green-
wood Ave., Winnipeg, R2M 2T4,
phone 257-3515 or Lee Brandson at
247-99 Dalhousie Dr., Winnipeg,
R3T 3M2.
Upcoming Events
IODE Jon Sigurdsson Chapter annual Fall Tea at Eaton's Assembly
Hall Saturday, Sept. 29, from 2-4:00 p.m.
Remember Bridge and Whist at Scandinavian Centre, phone Iola
284-8781.
The Scandinavian Drama Society will hole its first meeting on Mon-
day, Sept. 24 at 7:30 in the Scandinavian Centre, 764 Erin St. Everyone
is welcome!
v_______________________________________________J