Board of Directors

Alice Court, President

Alice hails from Canada and started her career as the host and writer of a children’s television show but ended up taking her MBA and working in business for most of her career.  She came to Boca for the first time in 2005 but for some reason waited 10 years to try out for a Royal Palm Players show.   She had so much fun she has been involved in some production almost every year since then.   Alice helps with the Kid’s Drama Club, enjoys playing mediocre golf and bridge, walking the beach and of course….sunsets!  This is Alice’s first year on the RPP board and she is looking forward to working with this great group of people!

Erica Ress Martin, Vice President

Erica is widely credited with revitalizing Royal Palm Players in 2013 with a strategy based on FUN! With fun as her mantra, she rebooted the Kids’ Drama Club, produced 14 shows and starred in California Suite, Lend Me a Tenor, Oklahoma, Boca Girls and Guys & Dolls. Before retiring to Boca Grande, Erica was New York’s only award-winning copywriter/creative director who was also a member of the New York State Bar. To keep the joy in her life now, Erica serves on the Friends’ board, is the founder of Grande Glee and Spark Boca Grande. Her husband, Gary, is amazed at her passion for RPP and only wishes she was as passionate about fly fishing.

Peter Powell, Treasurer

Peter has enjoyed being a part of RPP’s Hello, Dolly!, Guys & Dolls, and My Fair Lady. Performing onstage, singing in glee club, and theater management were treasured parts of growing up. After graduating from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, he returned to his hometown of Kansas City to build a business in, of all things, salt and sand. He is thrilled to return to his youth by joining the great team at RPP. He and his wife Cappy are residents in Boca Grande, enjoying golfing, beaching, and time with family.

Carol Beauchamp Forrester, Secretary

Carol is a Florida native and graduate of Florida State University. She has been connected to Boca Grade since the early 1980’s. Community involvements include: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; Barrier Island Park Society; Boca Grande Woman’s Club; Boca Grande Garden Club.   She has volunteered in many other aspects of RPP: Stage Manager, Gala Chair, Set Design and Props. You have seen her on RPP stage in Godspell, Red Hot & Cole, Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly!, Guys & Dolls, Mame and Twelve Angry Jurors. Carol and Nathan along with their two Jack Russells, Trevor and Ivy, enjoy year-round residency in Boca Grande, when they are not traveling the US in their Airstream.

Elaine Skypala, Education Commitee & Workshops

Elaine was lucky enough to land a job at a major Philadelphia TV station right after college. She produced several live TV shows and appeared on the children’s show. Eventually her love of animals lured her away to work for the Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for 30 years. When she moved to Boca Grande she saw that the animals here were in paradise. She returned to having fun entertaining people. She has appeared in many RPP productions, and her husband Ed always tells her she is good, because he is a wise husband. This is her first year on the Board.

Randy Bell, Director

Randy joined RPP board in 2015. In his early years he had some involvement with theatre. His reintroduction was as Stage Manager for RPP’s successful productions of Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, Hello Dolly! and Don’t Drink the Water and was Producer for Present Laughter. He is a past member of the board of Boca Grande Art Center and is involved with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Before retirement, Randy operated his family business enterprises in Newfoundland.  He made Boca Grande his winter home from Hilton Head, SC. He also serves as Play Reading Committee Chair.

Priscilla Masselink, Director

Priscilla and her husband Mark moved in 2012 to Boca Grande after raising three sons in Darien, CT.  Impressed with with the talent and opportunities on this special island, she quickly became involved with Royal Palm Players.  She has enjoyed several roles in both the fall readings, comedies, and other special productions.  She will appear this season in Present Laughter. She also has tried her hand at directing both Arm Chair Theater, and one of the three acts in last season’s Duets.  Priscilla is active with Kids Drama Club at the Island School with other RPP volunteers.  When not learning lines, she can be found, golfing, playing tennis, painting, and enjoying Boca life.

Linda Rollyson, Director

Linda has recently rejoined the RPP board (for a third time!) and is happy to be involved again with this organization that is near and dear to her heart.  Over the years she has acted as VP of RPP and as co-chair of ArmChair Theater and the RPP workshop program.  On stage, Linda has performed in many RPP productions since first stepping on the RPP stage in 2002. Outside the theater she enjoys singing with Grande Glee, reading, playing social bridge, taking spin classes and especially, boating with Mike.

Robbie Stanley, Director

Robbie became involved with the Royal Palm Players in 2015 and has been busy backstage since then.  Following careers in engineering and editing her small town’s newspaper, her interests include volunteer commitments with Vermont arts and music organizations.  Family, friends, travel and golf take up the rest of her time.

Bill Whitney, Director

Bill and his wife Nancy have been coming to Boca Grande since 2009 after they retired from jobs in financial services in the Boston area. Bill served on the RPP finance committee before joining the Board in 2019. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and has been involved in a wide range of banking activities. Bill has enjoyed being involved with RPP because of his love of musical theater and playing drums/percussion. Bill has helped to produce the last five RPP musicals and also played “in the pit” for each one of them. He is very pleased to be part of the RPP and Boca Grande communities.  

Scott Wise, Director

Scott and his wife Linden, both displaced New York lawyers, discovered Boca Grande and Royal Palm Players in 2017.  Reliving his high school musical theater experience, Scott soon joined RPP as an assistant stage manager and since has appeared in My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, and Nunsense.  He’s even (unexpectedly) taken up tap dancing!  Scott joined the RPP Board in 2020 and couldn’t be more pleased to be part of such a vibrant, creative and fun-loving community.

Jasmine Deal, Production Manager

Jasmine comes to Boca Grande after an extensive residency at surrounding Sarasota theatres serving as a technical theatre generalist, sound designer, and stage manager. Some of her favorite production credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Venice Theatre), Children of Eden (Out-of-door Academy), Blood Brothers (Venice Theatre), and Annie Get Your Gun (Sarasota Players). While her career has taken her by way of the technical side, she has also appeared in many productions singing and dancing at Venice Theatre since she was 12 years old.

Kathleen Kelleher, Contract Book Keeper