Meet the Talent of Act4Mystery
Act4Mystery is lucky to have an amazing and talented troupe of actors, some who have been with us since day one - March 15, 2003! Read about them below. And if you're local to Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Pensacola, Navarre, etc. etc. and are interested in joining the troupe, please call, email or message and we'll go from there! We're always looking for new talent!
Cynthia Bergquist - Actress
Cynthia is a mother of two who lives and works in Ft. Walton Beach. She appeared in the Stage Crafter's presentation of Sylvia, has worked backstage for the Performing Arts Center, and has been performing with Act4Mystery since 2004.
Heidi Best-Swift - Actress
Heidi is a mother of two who lives and works in Navarre. She came to an Act4Mystery presentation in 2008 and decided she wanted to be a part of it. A hard-charging real estate agent by day, she is a natural performer and always "sells" her character to our guests!
Joe Chase - Actor
Joe is retired from the Air Force and teaches the GED program at Northwest Florida State College. Joe's theater experience began in college with parts in Lil Abner and Becket. During his two tours at Eglin AFB, Joe played roles in The Boyfriend, Arsenic and Old Lace, Damn Yankees, and Bell, Book and Candle. In addition to his work with Act4Mystery, Joe is also a major performer for the drama team at his church.
Jim Downum - Actor
Jim is a versatile and talented actor who, since 2003, has been a real asset to Act4Mystery. He has wowed us in BEDLAM IN CABIN B, MURDER BY MERLOT, PEACE, LOVE AND MURDER... well, the list goes on and on!
Bill Hembree - Actor
Bill is a loving husband and father of two adult daughters. He is new to Act4Mystery, but no stranger to acting. He hails from Michigan where he was active in community theater, playing Harry Bright in Mamma Mia, Bamatabois in Le Miz, and The Black Knight in Spamalot, just to name a few. He is elated to have been given another opportunity to take the "stage" and entertain people here in Northwest Florida!
Paula Hilton - Founder, Director, Producer, Writer, Actress &
Stage Manager
Paula is the founder of Act4Mystery. She has written 38 plays for Act4Mystery to date, directs and produces all plays, and acts in several of them. In her spare time (hahahahaha!!!!) she loves to bedazzle things, sing, paint, and garden, and is a Do-It-Yourselfer with great intentions!
Jessika Kelsh - Actress & Stage Manager
Jessika graduated from Northwest Florida with her nursing degree, and immediately accepted a position as an RN in a nursing home in Niceville. Her tough schedule on the front line prevents her from performing, but she still helps out founder Paula (her Mom!) every chance she can.
Rochelle Kimball - Choreographer
Rochelle is a fantastic dancer who also happens to exeel as a Business Development Manager. She lives in Fort Walton Beach with her husband and three children. Rochelle is the choreographer for Act4Mystery and has choreographed dance routines for all shows needing that "special something" to bring the death scene to life! And she really brings it, because as it turns out, all the actors are actually afraid of her (even her mother, founder Paula Hilton!).
Chris Manson - Ninja, Actor, Stage Manager
During his youth, Christopher performed stand-up comedy, published his own humor magazine, won several "Addy" awards for print and radio advertising, and had his tender mind warped by MAD Magazine, NATIONAL LAMPOON, and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, among others. He is an award-winning journalist, cartoonist and actor who has written for MAD, ROCK & RAP CONFIDENTIAL, WEEKLY HUMORIST, Humoroutcasts.com, THE THIRTY-A REVIEW, and DESTIN LIFE. For 12 years, he served as Editor of the Northwest Florida-based tabloid THE BEACHCOMBER. Christopher's greatest claims to fame are making Jerry Lewis laugh, meeting Stephen King, and blocking Jim Carrey's eyeline during the filming of THE TRUMAN SHOW in Seaside, Florida.
Missy Rogers - Actress
Missy has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is the CEO of a local non-profit. She participated behind the scenes in several Act4Mystery fundraisers before joining the troupe several years ago. She's taken on several fun roles since then and is an essential part of the troupe!
Mary Ann Troiano - Actress
Mary Ann remembers role-playing in front of her mirror at home and directing her friends in imaginary stories and shows at the ripe old age of 2. She eventually turned her dream into reality, beginning with the role of Steffy in I Ought to be in Pictures at OWC, moving on to Mariette in The Dinner Party and the Duchess of York at OWC, and has been with Act4Mystery since 2007.
Matt Williams - Actor
Matt is a registered nurse by day and an aspiring actor by night. He lives in Niceville with his wife and children. He was raised around a real cast of characters growing up on the Mississippi coast. He draws his acting inspiration from the classic physical comedy actors. In his spare time he is a Cub Scout Leader.
Kay Yarbrough - Actress
As a theater major at Auburn University, Kay was involved in several productions onstage and behind the scenes including Celebration, Picnic and A Man for All Seasons. She has performed in community theater in Georgia and Florida in productions of The Miracle Worker, Death Trap and No Sex Please, We're British, as well as several television commercials. Her performances are dedicated to her late father who said she would never make a dime acting. Kay was in Act4Mystery's first production in 2003 and has performed every year since!