Erika Ritter

{{Short description|Canadian playwright and humorist}}

{{Infobox writer

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| name = Erika Ritter

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|4|26}}

| birth_place = Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

| occupation = Playwright, humorist, journalist

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Erika Ritter (born 26 April 1948) is a Canadian playwright, essayist, broadcaster and humorist.{{Cite web |title=Erika Ritter |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/erika-ritter |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}}

Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, she attended Sacred Heart Academy for High School, and studied drama at McGill University and the University of Toronto.

A Visitor from Charleston was Ritter's first play to be professionally mounted; it was performed at the Manitoba Theatre Workshop in 1976.{{Cite web |title=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia - Ritter, Erika |url=https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Ritter,%20Erika |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.canadiantheatre.com}}{{Cite web |title=Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library Ritter, Erika, 1948-. |url=https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/finding_aid/ritter-erika-1948 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library |language=en}} Ritter's most produced play is Automatic Pilot, which focuses on a self-deprecating female stand-up comic and her relationships with men.{{Cite news |last=Richards |first=David |date=1985-09-08 |title=Theater: Continuing Evolutions And Radical Transformations |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1985/09/08/theater-continuing-evolutions-and-radical-transformations/69bbbaae-8dcd-4008-8869-756b001b3e2f/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} The play won the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 1981. Automatic Pilot was also adapted for the radio in 1981, for which Ritter won Best Writer, Radio Drama at the ACTRA Awards.{{Cite web |title=Erika Ritter: UPEI Writer in Residence |url=https://www.upei.ca/communications/news/2013/10/erika-ritter-upei-writer-residence |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=UPEI |date=7 October 2013 |language=en}} Two of Ritter's plays, The Passing Scene and Murder at McQueen, have been produced at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre.[http://www.tarragontheatre.com/about_production.php Tarragon Theatre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228045555/http://www.tarragontheatre.com/about_production.php |date=2007-12-28 }}

In addition to her work as a playwright, Ritter has written and hosted programming for CBC Radio. Ritter was host of Saturday Stereo Theatre (1983–1984), Dayshift (1985–88), Air Craft (1988–1990) and Ontario Morning (2000–2005). She has also served as guest host on numerous programs, including As It Happens, The Sunday Edition, The Arts Tonight, Here and NowPeter Goddard, "Benoit to host Here & Now". Toronto Star, August 5, 1999. and Fresh Air, all on CBC Radio One.{{Cite web |url=http://erikaritter.com/bio.htm |title=Erika Ritter – writer – biography |access-date=2008-01-20 |archive-date=2017-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221110225/http://erikaritter.com/bio.htm |url-status=dead }}

Ritter has also served as a writer-in-residence at the University of Toronto,{{Cite web |title=The Jack McClelland Writer-in-Residence {{!}} Department of English |url=https://www.english.utoronto.ca/people/information-and-lectures/jack-mcclelland-writer-residence#-writer-in-residence-tab-2 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.english.utoronto.ca}} and the University of Prince Edward Island.