Ritz celebrating 25 years as community theater

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  • Brett Robertson (left) and Craig Robertson sang Some Things Are Meant To Be from the Broadway musical Little Women during the Relight the Ritz 25th anniversary celebration Saturday evening.
    Brett Robertson (left) and Craig Robertson sang Some Things Are Meant To Be from the Broadway musical Little Women during the Relight the Ritz 25th anniversary celebration Saturday evening.
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Here’s to the next 25 years.
That was the message spread by people during the Relight the Ritz celebration Saturday, marking the 25th anniversary of the reopening of the downtown theater.
After more than two decades of standing vacant on the courthouse square, the Ritz Theatre was reopened on July 7, 1993. Since then, it has been the scene of plays, musicals and camps, but to the people involved with activities there, it’s been much more than just a stage.
For Craig Robertson, it’s been a home away from home, having spent more than two decades performing in and directing plays at the Ritz.
“I started performing here when I was seven years old,” the 28-year-old Robertson said. “The play was called Ragweed Cowboy Joe, and I had two lines.”
It would be nice and dramatic to say that brief experience cemented Robertson’s love for theater. It would also be wrong.
“I really didn’t get the bug until I was 14, when we had our first theater camp for kids, that it really started clicking with me, sharing all this with the younger generation,” he said. “I love to perform and I love to direct. Just sharing that with the youngsters was great.”
The Ritz holds a special place in Robertson’s heart for two reasons.
“First, it’s a place that allows you to explore artistically,” he said. “I learned to be an artist here. It is a place where I can perfect my craft. And, secondly, it’s about the people, people like Glen Burns. He walked in here five years ago to audition for a play, and we’ve been fast friends ever since.
Burns, president of the theater’s board of governors, also serves as president of Quad One, a group that represents community theaters across Texas. 
“This is my second home,” he said while standing in the Ritz lobby. “There are so many great people here. To be here just kind of recharges my batteries.”
The Ritz, Burns said, serves as a sort of magnet for the people in this community, whose support he credited with keeping the venue alive the past 25 years.
“We have a large amount of support, for this being such a small town,” he said. “This is important to a lot of people. We may live in a small town, but we have a facility that you don’t often see in small towns.”
The Ritz’ troupe will stage several productions to mark the anniversary season.
Kicking off the season will be the third show of a trilogy, Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens, which will take the stage at The Ritz in September.
In October, Deathtrap will hit the Ritz stage. Burns described the show as a comedy and thriller to play into the Halloween season.
Continuing its Christmas show tradition, A Doublewide Texas Christmas will show at the Ritz in December. The production will be open for two weekends to give people multiple opportunities to see it.
In February, the Ritz will team up with the Scurry County Museum and Scurry County Senior Citizens Center for the production of Quilters. The show will be a folksy musical that explores the significance of quilts in frontier America.
The production of The Lion in Winter will hit the Ritz stage in April. The show is described as a quick-witted comedy that is set in the medieval era.
Closing out the season in June will be Pippi Longstocking, which Burns said is perfect for the whole family.
Robertson said the future of the Ritz is bright, and credited Burns for its renewed luster.
“He’s pushed us into the 21st century, increasing our presence on social media and other avenues,” Robertson said. “Glen is the lifeblood of this theatre and, without him, there wouldn’t be a theatre.”