A western comedy is coming to the Ritz Community Theatre in November.
Written by western author Zane Sterling, A Deceitful Day in Deception will be presented at 7 p.m. Nov. 6-7 and 2 p.m. Nov. 8. Tickets are $10 each and may be reserved by calling 575-2347.
According to Sterling, tickets must be paid for in advance.
Deceitful’s cast includes four veterans of the local stage and one newcomer. Local actors Ken Spoor, Gale Northcott, Hugh Merritt and Grant Knipe will be joined by Geron Scates in the production.
The play will also feature special effects provided by Corey Knipe.
“I am amazed at how much Corey knows and what he is willing to learn,” Sterling said.
The play, set in West Texas in the 1880s, is a comedic tale about a cave near Deception that was salted with gold dust to create a false gold strike.
That plan soon fizzled and Deception becomes a ghost town with a lone saloon and its bartender.
When word leaks that a stagecoach carrying gold will travel through the town, three outlaws plot to rob it.
Sterling’s play was originally scheduled to be performed at the Ritz during White Buffalo Days two years ago. But issues with parking near the theatre led him to postpone the production.
“Plans called for blocking off the street which would have made it harder for patrons to get to the theatre,” Sterling said. “I decided to postpone the play.”
During the ensuing two years, Sterling rewrote the script, which he said improved it.
He is also the director for the production.
Even though Sterling is billed as the director, he said the cast has a lot of experience.
“It’s a joint venture really,” he said.
More at home writing western novels, Sterling researched the finer points of being a playwright before venturing into another genre.
“A play is more animated,” he said. “Like in short fiction, you have to keep the story moving.”
Deceitful is Sterling’s second play. He also wrote and directed My Fair Scurry County Lady based loosely on Pygmalion.
Sterling might not have written that play except for Hugh Merritt, who asked him to adapt Pygmalion for the Ritz stage.
“I thought about it,” Sterling said. “I even rented the movie version of My Fair Lady.”
His first reaction was to say “no.” He told Merritt the only way he could see to do it was to “redneck it up.”
Merritt said that’s exactly what he wanted Sterling to do.