The Library’s Script-in-Hand series hits the dusty trail as members of the Western Writers of America perform Stagecoach, reading from the Dudley Nichols screenplay that became the 1939 film starring John Wayne.

The piece follows a group of strangers riding on a stagecoach through dangerous Apache territory. Emmy-winning screenwriter Kirk Ellis, who is president of Western Writers of America, directs the performance. Award-winning author Thadd Turner stars as Ringo (Wayne’s role in the movie), and author and screenwriter Chris Enss ¬ born and raised in Norborne, Missouri ¬ is Dallas (portrayed in the film by Claire Trevor).

Founded in 1953, Western Writers of America boasts more than 650 members who write everything from mainstream western fiction to local history.