A Glance Into Upcoming Play directed by Hendrix Alum William Ragsdale

Returning to our wonderful Cabe Theatre for his debut of his direction of The Hope Hypothesis is Hendrix’s very own, spectacular William Ragsdale. A Hendrix graduate of ’83, Ragsdale is an actor and has starred in several movies, TV shows and plays such as Herman’s Head, Fright Night, and Justified, even appearing for episodes in shows like NCIS, Shake It Up, Madam Secretary, and many more.

Ragsdale started his career in children’s theatre at 11 years old in El Dorado, Arkansas at the South Arkansas Arts Center. He performed in all the plays offered at this center including the four adult productions put on every year. He continued his career in theatre in high school as well as working as a disc jockey at his local radio station before going to college to perform at our very own Cabe Theatre. Both of Ragsdale’s older sisters went to Hendrix as well, graduates of ’72 and his younger sister attended for three years before finishing elsewhere. Afterwards he was encouraged by his parents to try out the professional world. “I just never stopped.” He talked about his acting career. He says that when he was younger, he played roles that portrayed the nice boy next door and now he says he plays more of the “perpetrator of the weak” roles. As a child, Ragsdale lived in a town with only one movie theatre which only showed specific movies, so he grew up being inspired by Woody Allen, Gene Wilder, Al Pacino, and Robert Dinero. Now as he’s raising his own three boys, he’s excited to see them grow into the young men they are and what they’re interested in whether that’s art, writing, or math. Ragsdale also has a movie coming out in April called Ren Field with Nicholas Cage and an episode of the Equalizer coming out. He says as an actor he’s always looking for new positions to open up for him.

Ragsdale has worked with many different big names like Robert Dinero, Lauren Hutton, Ryan O’Neill, Matthew Broderick, and he even auditioned with Brad Pitt. He spoke about his time living in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He went to the corner store after the storm settled and when he was trying to leave the store he was blocked from exiting. When he finally got out he saw the one and only King Charles and Camilla standing there, surveying the damage done by the storm.

Ragsdale also once presented at the Emmy awards.

DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

BY LINC LUKE

He spoke about how he wasn’t too nervous until he got on stage and looking out in the audience full of stars. He was often mistaken for Rob Morrow, the lead actor of Northern Exposure. That night a reporter from the same network his show was on came up and tried to speak with him thinking he was Rob Morrow.

He describes the Hope Hypothesis as a “comedic farce of misunderstandings”. It surrounds a women born in Syria during the time ISIS was in charge and having to go through hoops to get new documents but in return finds herself in a sticky situation with said government. He performed in this play himself in a small theatre in New York 4 years ago as FBI agent number one.

Ragsdale speaks about his advice for the next generation of actors. “I think it’s the greatest life there is, the only downside is that you don’t always make a lot of money so sometimes you have to live simply but it’s such a joy to even be a part of that community and put on a show. It’s thousands of years old this practice and I’m moved by that. My advice would be find something to pay the bills and study.” I think I can speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait to see your work on the stage and we wish you the best of luck on all your future endeavors.