The notorious John Henry “ Doc” Holliday of Dodge City, Kansas and Tombstone Arizona Territory will be coming to Fredericksburg and take the stage at the Texas Rangers Heritage Center Pavilion at Ft. Martin Scott on Friday evening of March 13th, at 6:30 pm, kicking off the Former Texas Rangers Foundation annual “Celebrate Texas “ weekend event.
Portrayed by non-other than Wyatt Earp, (namesake and Great Grandnephew of the real Wyatt Earp), this historical bio-drama is the story of the West’s most famous dentist and his journey “from one who heals to one who kills.” The setting is in a Denver Colorado jail cell, where Bat Masterson and Colorado Governor Frederick W. Pitkin have put Doc in protective custody for a few hours to keep him out of the hands of Sheriff Johnny Behan and his Tombstone posse. Behan wants to take Doc back to Tombstone to stand trial for the OK Corral shoot out. This is after Doc and the Earps have left Arizona for Colorado. To say the least, Doc is not very happy about this. Out of boredom and frustration, Doc begins bantering with the other prisoners. He is angry with the jailer who is ignoring his needs. The audience is the other prisoners.
Tickets are available for $30 at the FTRF office or call for advance ticketing at (830-990-1190). Seating begins at 6:45 pm and the show starts at 7:00 pm with a short intermission and heavy hors d’oeuvres.
According to FTRF President Joe B. Davis,” the play is based on the book, ‘Doc Holiday: A Family Portrait’ by Karen -Holiday Turner, who is the closest living relative of Doc Holiday”. Therefore what you will hear in this play is truly the real story”. The Gentleman Doc Holliday was researched and written by Terry Tafoya Earp who collaborated with Karen-Holliday Tanner. Mrs. Earp used Doc’s own language when possible in order to give audiences a clearer sense of who he really was. As Doc likes to put it, “from one who heals to one who kills”.
The Texas Rangers Heritage Center is dedicated to the preservation of Texas Ranger history for the education of youth. Nestled between the historic Ft. Martin Scott and Baron’s Creek on E. Main St., Fredericksburg, the TRHC Pavilion can easily accommodate more than 500 seated visitors with adequate parking. The Pavilion is fully equipped with a commercial-grade HVAC catering kitchen, restrooms, state of the art audio, visual components, courtyard and amphitheater and can be rented for family-friendly events and private receptions.
Please visit www.TRHC.org for the most up to date calendar of events, including “Celebrate Texas” and Pavilion rental information. To reserve your seat at “The Gentleman Doc Holliday”, call 830-990-1192.
