The story behind the story
Growing Old was a finalist in a national playwright competition, produced by Valley Players, a longstanding local theater group that set out to empower women over 40 through theater arts. Because of the pandemic, it would be three years before the winning plays were produced by Valley Players and performed at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa. "Ladies Briefs," as the production was called, featured 10 plays written and performed by women, for women. The show was embraced by the Napa community to such a degree, a full-length version of the play was created, because we believe there aren't enough stories that celebrate women of a certain age! This is our step toward changing that.
Christina Julian
Writer/Producer/Actor
Role of Bea
Never content to being pigeonholed into any one art form, Christina, has committed to many as an author, actor, playwright, and food critic. Growing Old was written as a love letter to women, friendship, and art imitating life.
Her written words have appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Bohemian, North Bay Biz magazine, and within the pages of her novel, The Dating Bender. She also covers the Napa Valley food scene for The Infatuation.
Christina has performed in productions throughout the valley including, God of Carnage, Sylvia, August: Osage County, Black Tie, the Dining Room, Farce of Habit and Women in Jeopardy. She studied and performed in New York City and Los Angeles where she was part of the Knightsbridge Theater Company.
310-795-4293 | tinajulian@yahoo.com
Esmé Nicolson-Singh
Actress
Role of Sigh
Esmé Nicolson-Singh fell in love with singing and acting at a young age, attending plays and musicals with her mother, a theatre critic and 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 baking and pastry arts degree. She continued to perform small 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 with Valley Players. She is very excited to join the cast of Growing Old WithOUT Grace as Sigh!
(916) 213-6395
Craig Rekdahl
Actor
Role of Viagra Vic
Craig was first inspired to hit the stage after seeing Grease on the big screen as a kid. He actualized the dream when he joined the Children's Theatre Company in the role of Vince Fontane in Grease.
Life would take different turns and acting fell to the wayside until Craig reignited his passion a decade ago when he began performing throughout the valley, in productions with Lucky Penny in Napa, and more recently with Valley Players in August: Osage County and Farce of Habit, where he may or may not have danced the can-can in women’s undergarments.
707-363-0451
Ramona Fillman
Actress
Role of Maxine
Mona is a retired Physical Therapist/Orthopedic Researcher who enjoys the Napa Valley life with her husband, Orvin and delightful grandson. She has lived in various states from East to West Coast, including Hawaii, where she became a certified producer of Olelo Community Television in Honolulu. She participated in local theater with Pastiche Players, and with Waukesha Civic Theater in Wisconsin. Off stage she enjoys gardening, golfing, piano, writing and gossiping (ha!). Her semi-biographical novel, Pan Am Unbuckled, and other books can be found on Amazon; and her orthopedic articles on PubMed.gov.
(707) 483-0015
Loma Henry
Actress
Role of Beth
Loma has always loved singing and theater for years, with her most recent performance in Oklahoma, at St. Helena High School and with the Young Actors' Theatre Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. When she's not acting she loves singing and cross country. This summer she had a life-defining experience at a Taylor Swift concert.
Dakota Dwyer
Actor
Role of Dylan
Dakota has been hamming it up ever since he took his first steps, and his love of performing took off from there with an appearance at the St. Helena Hometown Harvest Pet Parade as Michael Jackson, during a Thriller flash mob.
Dakota made his theatrical debut at in a Napa Valley Christmas Carol at Lucky Penny in Napa and reprised the role a year later. Favorite roles include Winthrop in The Music Man at Spreckles Performing Arts Center and most recently in Napa Valley College's production of the Wizard of Oz.
When he's not on stage Dakota can be found on the dribbling down the court!
Cindy Dwyer
Actress
Role of Annie
Cindy also got first bite with the acting bug as Alice in Wonderland at the St. Helena Hometown Harvest Pet Parade and as a zombie, during a Thriller flash mob.
Cindy made her stage debut at Lucky Penny theater in a Napa Valley Christmas Carol and will next be seen there in the musical The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! Most recently she was seen in the Wizard of Oz, at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center and as a dancer with Legacy Dance Collective where she has performed since she was 5. When she's not on stage she can be found horseback riding in the hills of Calistoga.
