Emmett Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

"Bauta"
Sarah Ridinger

Sarah has always had a love for acting and the theater arts. She is an active member of the Emmett Community Playhouse and serves as the Secretary for the Emmett Community Playhouse Board of Directors. Her most recent theater experiences have been The Christmas Carol, Mystery At Whimboly Manor, The Wacky Horror Cyber Show, and Atypical Boy. Sarah is so excited to be part of this group as we provide dinner theater to the Emmett Community.

"Morreta"
Lizzy Moore

Lizzy is excited to be a part of the fun and games of the dinner theater! She has been doing theater for 12 years, and some of her favorite roles have been Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors, and Christine Penmark in Bad Seed. She is currently an intern sign language interpreter, graduating with her bachelor's degree in May. She also has a side hustle working as a party princess, and she is currently friends with the Brave princess Merida.

"Colombina"
Natasha DePuy

Natasha decided to try to hand at acting during her freshman year of high school in her home school group's production of Little Women. After that, she was hooked and appeared in Jane Eyre during her sophomore year. The Beverly Hillbillies her junior year, and Anne of Avonlea her senior year. She took a fifteen-year hiatus after high school before joining Emmett Community Playhouse for the 2021 production of A Christmas Carol. She has since co-directed her first play, Mystery at Whimbowly Manor, and independently wrote and directed the first Emmett Dinner Theater performance "A Murder Masquerade". In her spare time, Natasha enjoys spending time with her husband and friends, traveling, writing, and reading. She is also a published playwright and author.

"Doctor"
Joe Fuller

Joe is a parent to his 6 wonderful kids and a grandparent to his 3 beautiful grandchildren. He spent most of his adult life in the military, corrections, and various types of security assignments. He joined theater in 2022 when coworkers convinced him to be in a local play. His first role was as Fred in the ECP production of Mystery at Whimbowly Manor and immediately fell in love with performing and the creative process behind putting on shows. Alongside his newfound love of theater, he has also found valuable friendships with the amazing people of the Emmett Community Playhouse. He played a member of the ensemble in Atypical Boy, an ECP competition production that was one of the winners in the 2022 I-ACT Festival.

"Scaramouche"
Stephanie Kelley

Stephanie found her love for acting in her middle school drama class. She then joined the Emmett Community Playhouse when she was 16 years old, with her first role as Rebecca Gibbs in Our Town. From there, she has performed in many Playhouse productions, including The Canterville Ghost, Who Killed Aunt Caroline?, A Christmas Carol and Myster of Whimbowly Manor, to name a few. She was a member of the ensemble in the 2022 I-ACT-winning production, Atypical Boy, which she fell in love with and the meaning behind the play's story.

"Harlequin"
Gonzalo Valdez

A natural-born mover, Gonzalo brings this passion for performing in every production he's in. He was a professional dancer for 15 years and performed in Idaho Dance Theater, as well as around the world with Viking Ocean Cruises. Gonzalo was trained in all styles of dance, ranging from tap to Latin ballroom, but his professional focus was on ballet and contemporary. His dance career includes performing, choreography, teaching, and directing. His love for the stage led to an easy transition into the Emmett Community Playhouse, where he is discovering and exploring the art of drama. Currently, Gonzalo teaches as an ELA teacher for the Emmett School District.

"Masked Man"/"Chef"
Colton DePuy

Colton's love for sound design stems from his passion for music and movies. He pursued a Certification in Audio Production at Fall Sail University. He served as the Audio Visual Coordinator at his church for 6 years and has worked in the Smart Home Industry as a lead Programmer for over 4 years. His involvement with theater began in 2021 as the Sound Designer for the Emmett Community Playhouse production of A Christmas Carol, followed by Mystery at Whimbowly Manor. Colton also was the Audio & Lighting Technician for Atypical Boy, which won Outstanding Sound Design at the I-ACT Festival. The Emmett Dinner Theater's production of A Murder Masquerade is Colton's first onstage appearance as an actor.

"Magnifico"
Payton Sam Mitchell

Payton has been involved in theater for 14 years and got his start with the Emmett Community Playhouse in 2009 at the age of 12. He has performed in 11 plays with the Playhouse, in high school and in college. He started directing in 2018 at age 21 with a youth production of Shakespear's A Midsummer Night's Dream, where he also played King Oberon. His solo directorial debut came in 2019 with Romeo and Juliet designed to take place following the American Civil War, He directed A Christmas Carol in 2021, followed by co-directing Mysery at Whimbowly Manor with playwright Natasha DePuy. In October of 2022, he directed The Wacky Horror Cyber Show and followed that up with the I-ACT award-winning production of Atypical Boy. Payton is currently a film student at Northwest Nazarene University, has directed 3 short films, and has published 5 books on Amazon. He plans to direct a feature film in the summer of 2024.