OXFORD – The Oxford Civic Theatre (OCT) will present a new play by Fred Dankert on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday performances at the Oxford Academy Performing Arts Auditorium, 50 South Washington Avenue, will begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday will be a matinee at 3. The two act play will run about two hours.

The play is set in 1898, backstage in a theater in Syracuse, where the famous impresario William Gillette and his company are performing his play “Secret Service.” A band of eight orphan runaways come to him for help. They are knowledgeable about drama and wish to join his company. In the course of the play, these eight young girls demonstrate their ability by doing segments of Shakespeare and a play they have written about Sherlock Holmes. This inspires Gillette to write his own play about the famous detective. Arthur Conan Doyle approves of the work and Gillette and company eventually open with great success on Broadway.

This new comedy by Dankert is the latest of his long career as a playwright. He also directs it with the help of Diane Thorne as producer and Kathy Bullis as assistant director and costumer. Members of the cast come from Oxford, Norwich, New Berlin, Greene and Bainbridge. Come see this interesting work and especially the talented young people who furnish the play with the excitement of youth.

Ticket prices will be $5 for all ages. (Tickets available at the door; no advance sale.) For further information call Diane Thorne 843-6445 or email her at musikalmaster@gmail.com .

The mission of The Oxford Civic Theatre is to promote and produce theatrical and musical programs for the education and enjoyment of the community. Visit the OCT web site at www.oxfordcivictheatre.com.