Although Ritter’s education and much of her writing is as a playwright, she is becoming increasingly known as a humorist. Her recent collection of short writings “Ritter in Residence†was a commercial success and her short stories have earned her a reputation as one of Canada’s funniest women writers. Born in Regina, Ritter attended McGill University for her degree in English literature and then attended the University of Toronto’s Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama. Starting in 1970 she taught drama at Loyola College in Montreal but turned her attention to writing in 1973. Her first play, A Visitor from Charleston, received poor reviews, but two of her later efforts, The Splits and Automatic Pilot, were commended for their witty dialogue and vibrant characters: the latter play won the Chalmers Award in 1980. Ritter has also written for television and radio, and has published many short stories in magazines.