By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The c0-founder of the Hays Community Theatre will make her playwriting debut Valentine's weekend with the murder mystery, "My Deadly Valentine."
Cheryl Glassman,63, wrote the two-act, comedy especially for the HCT's annual Valentine's weekend performances.
"I have been wanting to write something," she said. "I loved English and poetry and writing in high school. I have always wanted to write something."
When she couldn't find just the right script for the February show, her daughter encouraged her to write the play herself.
Glassman said she drew inspiration from her own life and many characters she has met over the years.
The play starts at a coffee shop in upstate New York where an open mic night is being staged. The owner of the coffee shop learns his uncle, the owner of a theater in New York City, has been murdered.
He is summoned to New York to the theater to settle the estate and meets a cast of comedic characters.
"I love to hear people laugh," Galssman said.
As the plot unfolds, there are more murders, a romance and someone goes missing.
Glassman said initially bringing her own writing to the stage was nerve-racking.
"It is part of who you are," she said.
She said she really felt good about the script when the cast started laughing during the first read through.
"The reason why I wrote a script is because I want people to enjoy it and laugh and experience things from my perspective," Glassman said
A dinner show set for Feb. 14 has sold out. Tickets are still available for show-only performances, which will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16.
Tickets are $10. A cash bar will be available. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.hctks.com/.
HCT will also be performing "My Deadly Valentine" at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Great Bend for their annual fundraiser. Tickets are $50 each or $90 for two people and include a steak dinner and social hour. The social hour starts at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For tickets call the Prince of Peace Church office at 620-792-1396.