Chris Wiperrman was born and lived most of his life in Kansas City. He retired from law enforcement and married his wife, Angela in Kansas City. In 2019, he and Angela were ready for a change. Angela had family in the Tularosa/Alamogordo area so they came out west. They liked New Mexico and Roswell in particular. Since Tularosa and Alamogordo were only a morning’s drive away, they settled in Roswell.
Chris enjoyed theater from an early age. In high school he performed and worked backstage. Chris was so talented that he received a scholarship for dramatic arts college.
While he continued to study theater, Chris had his eyes on another prize. He wanted to be a police officer and stepped away from the dramatic arts to fulfill that dream. After retirement Chris was anxious to return to the theater. After moving to Roswell, Chris got a call from a Roswell Community Little Theatre’s, RCLT) own Tricia Hart (see https://www.bacoots.com/category/general/). Tricia asked Chris to audition for a role in Francine’s Will. Chris not only got a part in Francine’s Will but found a new second home at RCLT.
RCLT has made good use of Chris’ talents on and off stage. He has a thorough knowledge of set design and construction as well as lights and sound. In Francine’s Will, Dearly Beloved and Four Old Broads, Chris made the set come to life even while learning lines to perform.
Chris blushes a little when he admits that he most enjoys being the center of attention. Center of attention or not, he is a fabulous actor, filling in roles with perfect timing and garnering great laughs from the audience.
Chris is a bloodhound when sourcing props. From junkyards to second-hand stores to the Salvation Army, Chris will search high and low for the perfect item. For Four Old Broads, he secured a marvelous, fringed lampshade for use as a hat. Chris in and active member of RCLT and now a board member as well.
Come see Chris in Four Old Broads, which is in its second week of performances. Friday and Saturday March 4th and 5th at 7:30 pm and Sunday the final performance at 2:30 pm in Roswell Community Little Theatre.For more information go to:
Edrice Tozier was born in Carlsbad but has lived most of her life in Roswell. She attended Gateway High School and began her love of drama.
After high school Edrice took a year off before college. She enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus (ENMUR) and completed her degree. She rekindled her love of theater at ENMUR, mostly working on the stage crew and behind the scenes. She auditioned for one role while at ENMUR and performed in the play, Fairy Tale Christmas.
Edrice joined Roswell Community Little Theatre (RCLT) and was cast as the only female character in Dracula. It was in Dracula that Edrice earned her reputation as a dedicated student of character, and a capable actress.
After a short break, Edrice worked with the improv group at RCLT and then as understudy for the lead role of Clarissa in Spider’s Web. She was also cast in Spider’s Web in a supporting role. Recently Edrice starred in three major roles as Philodendron, Beauty, and Prune Danish in the comedy Mother Goose Gets Eaten by a Werewolf. She is currently cast as the much-maligned nurse, Ruby Sue, in the next RCLT production of Four Old Broads.
Edrice is an avid reader and a writer. She enjoys the process of bringing a character to life, both on the page and on the stage. She also studies well how authors and directors bring characters to life. Edrice also enjoys live performance and the active feedback from the audience. She really enjoyed her roles in Mother Goose Gets Eaten by a Werewolf. The roles were fun and the cast and crew worked well together. She said one of the cast members did a different dance every night of the live performance. Edrice says, with hint of laughter in her voice that she really enjoyed Prune Danish’s character. Prune was crafty and had a plan to kill her stepmother.
Edrice says that the creative part of drama is in how she portrays each role. A true professional , she learns her lines and only then fills in the character. By opening night, Edrice is well prepared and knows the script. At the onset of production and blocking, Edrice is knowledgeable and quick to help with props. The cast and crew enjoy and respect Edrice. She is fun on stage and off with a quick wit and sure smile.
Come see Edrice in Four Old Broads, which opens this Friday (Feb. 25th at 7:30 pm) in Roswell Community Little Theatre.
Four Old Broads opens Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the theatre. For more information go to:
Deona Anderson grew up in Lubbock, Texas and moved to the Pecos Valley when she was in eighth grade. Living in Hagerman, Deona began working in theatre at Hagerman High School. She studied there under Denise Dawson. After graduating she joined the Roswell Community Little Theatre (RCLT) as a freshman in college.
Prioritizing her family, Deona took a 10-year sabbatical from theatre to home schooled her four children, before returning to RCLT.
Deona enjoys the chance to portray others and fully climb into a different life. As the Gardener in Spider’s Web, she remained in character at home, delighting in her own garden tending her snapdragons and hollyhocks.
Deona’s favorite memories stem from working with her children in the theatre. At one point she had two children on stage with her and the time was precious.
Deona’s experience and delight pay off on stage. In her role of the gardener in Spider’s Web, Deona’s timing and understanding of the character made for a fabulous performance.
Deona also has a great understanding of set and props. Just as she gets her lines down well in advance, she also gets her blocking and props managed for the greatest effect.
Directors are pleased to cast Deona in their plays, not only because she auditions well but she also rehearses well. She easily lends a hand to more novice actors, assisting with lines and catching the odd misstep in a way that doesn’t mock her fellow actors, but is corrective rather than critical.
Deona’s next performance is in Four Old Broads. She is cast as Eaddy Mae Clayton a former nurse who is a “religious lady” and one of the four old broads. Deona, Tricia Hart, and Louise Montague are the stars of the show. Deona and Tricia probably have the most stage time with Louise fast on their heels. Their combined experience and hard work will pay off with a must see performance.
Deona confesses to feeling “butterflies” in her stomach on opening night just before she steps on stage, but they don’t stop her and soon her characters shine for the audience to enjoy.
Catch Deona’s next performance in Four Old Broads which opens on Feb. 25 at 7:30p.m. in the Roswell Community Little Theatre.
For more information go to: https://roswelltheatre.com/events/four-old-broads/
Tricia Hart wears many hats. She is married with one adopted son. She is a REALTOR® for Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services Enchanted Lands REALTORS®. She is also a Chaves County Representative and Field Deputy Medical Investigator for the Office of the Medical Investigator.
Tricia Hart is also an actress, board member, Improv cast member and organizer of the Immersive Dinner program at the Roswell Community Little Theatre (RCLT).
Tricia’s love of Theatre began in high school. She not only performed in the school productions but joined RCLT. She had to quit RCLT to get her degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration for medicolegal death investigation. After graduating she did autopsies in Lubbock before returning to Roswell and the Little Theatre.
With a mischievous smile she tells people that she met her husband at three in the morning over a dead body. Her characteristic wit and dedication shine through in her performances. Her joy and mischievousness displayed at the Theatre makes her and easy choice for casting directors.
Tricia starred in Del Valle Divas and, in her words, a “slew of other plays”. She usually lands major roles requiring concentration and true professionalism. When asked how she manages to put so much into her acting, she replied, “Theatre is my happy place.” It clearly shows if you’ve had the opportunity to catch any of her performances.
Tricia Hart and Denise Samuels
In Del Valle Divas, Tricia and co-star Denise Samuels had to “look alike” for their roles. Tricia recalls her excitement when both she and Denise appeared on stage at the same time. Tricia said there was an audible gasp from the audience, which let her know that she and Denise had pulled off the “look alike” part of the script.
Tricia recalls her scariest and most vulnerable role as playing Clarissa in Spider’s Web. She had to really delve into the character. It was one of her first major roles, requiring more stage time than anything she had done previously. Until opening night Tricia wasn’t certain she could get the performance right. After a successful opening night, she had every reason for confidence in her talent.
Catch Tricia Hart in her next performance on improv night, Mission Improvable, at RCLT.
The performance date is Jan. 28, 2022, at 7:30 pm MST. For more information go to: https://roswelltheatre.com/events/improv-night/
Tricia is also starring as the very ornery and slightly bawdy Beatrice Shelton in Four Old Broads. The play is a fun mystery set in a nursing home. Needless to say, Tricia is cast as one of the four old broads. For more information go to https://roswelltheatre.com/events/four-old-broads/
Graphics by Squirrel Graphics
We hope to see you at Roswell Community Little Theatre, one of the oldest and best community Theatres in New Mexico.
Her beautiful smile grows even bigger when Denise Samuels speaks of the Roswell Community Little Theater, (RCLT).
Denise describes herself as someone who loves to make people happy. She is someone who spreads joy and shares love with the people around her. She’s been doing exactly that since she was a youngster performing on a makeshift stage otherwise known as the front porch of her family’s home in Tennessee.
Denise is married to Chris Samuels who is also active in RCLT. Her children, Keith Lucero and Alice Samuels have both acted in RCLT productions. Her family is an integral part of the theater in Roswell. Denise works for Roswell Independent School District in the special education division but makes time for community theater to serve on the board and on the play selection committee. She is also an actress and director for RCLT. Denise is the directing RCLT’s next play, Four Old Broads.
Last spring, Denise directed the play, Dearly Beloved starring several seasoned actors and a few brand-new performers. It was the first play she directed, and she really enjoyed it. The performance shined with Denise’s characteristic joy, and the cast fairly glows when speaking of working with Denise. Roswell can expect some of the same qualities in the next performance. It is funny and light and even a bit bawdy. The characters are endearing, and the plot ends with a twist that will keep the audience guessing.
When speaking of her years in the theater, Denise describes performing and directing with family members in the production. These “family affairs” have formed lasting memories. In Dearly Beloved, both her daughter and her husband had major roles that enlivened the performance and unified the cast.
Denise tells of her early years as a script writer in grade school. She and a friend created a puppet skit that detailed the need for, and effect of, baptism. They performed it in their local church with the permission and oversight of the pastor. Later in high school, Denise not only sang in the choir but participated in the high school theater ensemble. Her interest and dedication to live performance culminated in her participation and leadership in RCLT. In 2012 Denise was in the premier performance of Small Talk in the new theater at Union and Hobbs.
Not long after Denise began at RCLT she experienced an impromptu adventure in a play. The play called for Denise and another actress to be embroiled in a heated argument. Performing live one evening, Denise had just gotten to the argument when one of the pictures on the stage wall crashed to the floor. Adlibbing, Denise said, “Now see what you’ve done?” and walked off stage to collect herself and laugh. Remaining in character, Denise returned immediately to the stage and her partner said, “Are you through?” She answered, “Yes.” They finished the scene according to the script.
From this on stage set-failure-adventure, Denise learned that she could rise to the occasion and make things better using her own creativity. She learned also that the cast was a team who held each other up as they worked towards the best outcome for the live performance.
Despite her wealth of experience in the theater, Denise admits to butterflies on opening night and wishes for greater confidence. However, her cast members have shared that she is a great listener who is judicious in making changes. Denise can certainly trust her decisions.
I am a mother, author, engineer, farmer, occasional actress, and incurable dog-sap. I think things and write things and embarrass myself often.