Actor/Director Joel Kipper Gets the Holiday Spirit in 'White Christmas'

Joel Kipper, the co-founder of Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), stars in the theater's new production of "White Christmas."

Kipper plays Phil Davis, who has a successful song and dance act with his friend Bob Wallace (Nate Suggs). With romance in mind, the two men set off after a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander.

Based on the classic film, this musical adaptation features songs from legendary composer Irving Berlin.

Kipper previously appeared at OSTC in "Rounding Third" and "Lombardi," and directed the company's productions of "The Last Five Years" and "1776."

"I had an absolute phenomenal time (directing '1776')," Kipper said. "I was blessed with a tremendous cast of local actors mixed in with a couple people from New York and California."

Kipper enjoys working with actors as a director and hopes to do more in the future.

"(Directing) is something that very much fulfills me, similarly to when I act but in a completely different way," Kipper said.

Kipper grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and was a competitive clogger for many years. He performed in many high school productions and later attended Southwest Missouri State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theater Performance.

"There's nothing quite like it," Kipper says of theater. "The energy that an audience gives you really does aid and further your performance."

Kipper and OSTC Producing Artistic Director Amiee Turner have been working together for nearly a decade. They met while performing in "A Chorus Line" in Florida and formed OSTC in 2007. Before the move into OSTC's facility in 2013, the duo had produced several shows for Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck.

"Amiee and I both have an aesthetic for live theater that complements each other," Kipper said. "Especially when we first started producing together, she certainly had a wealth of experience on a level of theater I had not had previously. She had done seven Broadway shows over a 15-year period so it was a great learning opportunity for me to learn from her in that aspect."

Kipper said working on "White Christmas" has been challenging due to his extended break from performing.

"It has been over a year since I've been on stage (in 'Rounding Third') and five years since I've done a musical," Kipper noted. "(My character) does a significant amount of dancing and it took four or five days (of rehearsing) before I really felt like I had my feet back under me. I really enjoy being back, dancing again."

"White Christmas" runs through December 24 at Ocean State Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. Tickets are available online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.