Fledgling director and playwright Jim Mange took to heart the edict “write what you know.”

His debut play, a murder mystery called “Pushing Deadline,” which opens at Changing Scene Theatre Northwest Oct. 28, is set in a small town newspaper office, a setting he knows intimately.

Mange worked for a weekly newspaper outside of Lansing, Mich. for five years, first as a sports writer and then as an editor before moving to Kitsap County.

“I think the audience will find it pretty realistic,” he said.

Many of the nuances of newsroom life are present, from the petty bickering between staff members and the rivalry for stories, to the witty conversations and dumb jokes.

At one point a reporter, typing away, asks his colleagues how to spell “narcolepsy.” Someone tells him, there’s a pause and then, “Are you using that in a story?!”

They adjourn nightly to the local bar for their daily “debriefing.”

The staff of the Rosemont Register could be found in any small town newspaper, although Mange has set it a “skip and a hop” from Seattle. Hmmm.

Alan Travers plays the editor and publisher W.P. Granotta, who is carrying on the family tradition of newspaper ownership, without much enthusiasm. The staff calls him “Wimpy” behind his back.

Dray Young plays sports writer “Slash” N. Burns, who is pushing his own deadline — approaching 40 and still single.

Rachel Shelton plays Cassie Wilson, a young reporter eager to make her mark and see her name in print.

Steve Ford is Carmichael Jones, a road weary older reporter who complains of having “supermarket checker syndrome” — always saying “have a nice day” with a permanent grin.

Leslie Engelhard plays Donna Devonshire, a middle-aged reporter who passed up a position at a larger paper to stay in the small town with her husband, and drowns her bitterness with alcohol.

Rounding out the cast are Larry Paullin as Sheriff Wheeler and Stasia Sylvester as barmaid Toni.

“Pushing Deadline” is both a murder mystery and a romance. The mystery begins when a skeleton is found after a house fire, and it appears to be that of a former reporter, missing for several years.

The reporters speculate that it may be another victim of the “Rosemont Ripper,” responsible for three previous murders, both committed on Oct. 22 of three consecutive years.

The romance begins when Burns takes a liking to young Wilson, and thinks she might be “the one.”

Things really heat up in the newsroom when Wilson gets the scoop on the big story, and finds she may be the Ripper’s next target.

Mange said he learned how to write dialogue from trying to interview coaches, some of whom could supply good quotes, and some who could not.

“It made me appreciate good dialogue,” he said.

The dialogue is the best part of the play, with the veteran cast of local theater performers delivering their lines effortlessly and believably. The role of Devonshire marks the first non-musical role for Engelhard, who is a frequent performer in CSTOCK productions.

The characters do seem engagingly real, but the whodunnit plot is a little thin and slow to develop.

It could use a few more twists and turns on the path to the conclusion, and less talking about personal angst along the way.

Still, it’s a very good first effort, and a refreshing change from the tried and true theatrical fare Kitsap County theater-goers are used to. Changing Scene is dedicated to presenting new plays and supporting new directors. They have done well on both counts with this production.

“Pushing Deadline” opens Oct. 28 and plays weekends through Nov. 19, with shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $12 adults, $10 seniors, students and military, available by calling the theater at (360) 792-8601. Changing Scene is located at 5889 SR 303 NE, East Bremerton, just north of the Outback Steakhouse, behind the Oroweat Bakery outlet. wu