The zombie butler (left, played by Donovan Rawlings) checks on Abby (center, played by Nina Tyler) as she and Marilyn (right, played by Deb Jensen) go through a haunted house.
Rivalry, friendship, comedic shenanigans and touching relationships will all come together in "Ripcord," the 77th production by Actors' Mission and the last show in the company's 20th season.
"It's a story with heart," Director Roy Ole Hansen Jr. said. "It's a journey towards friendship. It doesn't seem like that at first, but at the end of it, it shows that you can find friends in the most unusual places."
The story focuses on two women, Abby and Marilyn, who become roommates at the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility. Abby, who is reserved and cantankerous, has been a long-term resident in the room. Marilyn, who is outgoing and chipper, soon becomes an annoyance to Abby.
"They're polar opposite people," Hansen explained. "They're like oil and water."
The two characters end up fighting over who gets the bed by the window, and they decide to make a bet. Abby has to try to make Marilyn angry and Marilyn has to make Abby scared.
"Everything they do to each other just gets progressively worse," Hansen said.
Abby and Marilyn are played by two familiar Actors' Mission faces, with Nina Tyler playing Abby and Deb Jensen playing Marilyn. Hansen, an original founding member of the Actors' Mission who has worked on several productions and is directing his eighth show with "Ripcord," has especially enjoyed the dynamic of the two leading ladies.
"For me it's been kind of like directing Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball on stage," he said. "They're amazing."
Watching the lead actresses play off of each other has been one of the funnest and most rewarding parts of this production for Hansen. But it's not just the leads. Seeing the progress of the entire cast has been special for him.
"Watching the cast come together and seeing everybody grow in their characters has been probably the best part for me," Hansen said. He noted that everyone has been brilliant and has put in a tremendous amount of effort.
Putting in hard work has been important for both the cast and crew since the show requires not only diverse roles but a number of diverse scenes and set changes.
"I had to figure out how to get people able to skydive on stage," Hansen noted.
Despite the unique challenges, Hansen is grateful everything has come together in time and the cast and crew have worked to make it all happen.
"I'm really excited for the community to come in and benefit from all their hard work," he said.
Hansen is also grateful for the opportunity to close out the 20th season, especially since he's been part of Actors' Mission from the beginning.
"It's been a wonderful 20 years," he said.
To end the season, Hansen has looked for ways to not only appreciate how far the Actors' Mission has come but to also go back to the roots of the group. One of the ways he decided to do this was by making the complimentary meal before the show a simple soup kitchen. This goes back to the very first Actors' Mission production, which was a play set in the 1930s. The group decided to have a soup kitchen to fit with the theme of the show, which set off the tradition of offering a free meal before every performance. Offering a soup kitchen before this show will be "an homage to our beginning," according to Hansen.
"I'm excited to close it with this," Hansen said of the 20th anniversary season and the "Ripcord" production. "I think this is a really good close. It's funny, it's got a little bit of drama, but overall it's just a really good comedy."
"Ripcord" will open at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs on Friday, May 12, with a performance at 7 p.m. and dinner served at 6 p.m. Additional performances will be at 7 p.m. on May 13, 18, 19 and 20, with a matinee at 2 p.m. on May 14. A free meal will be served one hour before each performance. Admission is free, with donations welcome.
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