The Cast of Ripcord
The heart of any comedy production beats with the rhythm of the actors’ timing, energy, and wit. These fearless performers are the ones who take the script’s punchlines and turn them into laugh-out-loud moments, keeping the audience in stitches. Comedy demands sharp instincts, quick reactions, and the courage to take risks, and these actors deliver it all with a playful sparkle in their eyes. Their gift? Turning the absurd into belly laughs, night after night!
Nancy Heine (Abby Binder) is a long-time Napa resident who was seen as Mattie Fae Aiken in Valley Players’ productions of August: Osage County, and William Robert Hawkins in Men on Boats. Her previous work includes several independent films, including Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for Planned Parenthood and The Snake, a romantic comedy which aired on Netflix. While living in England she also did voice-overs.
Michael Hunter (Scotty) Michael is thrilled to return to Valley Players after previously appearing as Little Charles in August: Osage County and Spike in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Arty Award, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy). Michael’s favorite roles include Christopher in The Sound Inside (Upstage Napa Valley), Patsy in Spamalot (Novato Theater Comapny), Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (Raven Players), Rochefort in The Three Musketeers (Pegasus Theatre) and Renfield in Dracula (Silver Moon Theatre). Michael will next be seen in the Raven Players production of The Music Man next March.
Luis Marks (Derek / Zombie Butler / Masked Man) began acting in high school and quickly fell in love after being cast as Gregory in Romeo and Juliet. Shortly after he was cast in Dracula as Norbert Briggs and performed in a production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Luis has also done some voice acting, performing as Luke Skywalker in a radio show adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily A New Hope. He also worked on various student films before being cast in Small Mouth Sounds, his first production with Valley Players. Luis is extremely excited to be performing with Valley Players again and he hopes you enjoy the show.
Esmé Nicolson-Singh (Colleen / Woman in White) is honored to be spending another year with Valley Players! She fell in love with singing and acting at a young age, attending productions with her mother, a theatre critic/artist. She attended a performing and fine arts school where she sang as a solo performer and also wrote and performed plays, before moving to Napa to pursue a pastry arts degree. She has performed roles throughout the years in A Doll’s House, Once on This Island, Little Shop of Horrors, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds and most recently in Jaclyn Backhaus’ Men on Boats.
Patte Quinn (Marilyn Dunne) finds herself in another challenging role. The good news is she loves a challenge! That’s the fun theatre brings to an actor. As one of the founders of Valley Players (which is now in its 7th year of providing entertainment to our community), she would like to thank you for your continued support. She can’t even tell you her favorite role because each has unique characteristics. So please sit back and enjoy the ups and downs you are about to experience!
Craig Rekdahl (Benjamin / Lewis / Clown) was first inspired to hit the stage after seeing Grease on the big screen and soon enough he joined the Children’s Theatre Company in Napa. Since those earliest days, Craig continues to perform throughout the valley, where some of his favorite roles include Ty Wilburn in Farce of Habit, dancing the can-can in women’s undergarments, and Steve Heidebrecht in August: Osage County, playing a creeper a little too convincingly. No stranger to backstage, most recently serving as Stage Manager for Men on Boats, he’s thrilled to come out from behind the curtain for Ripcord and leap into the sky with his cast mates.