What do you do in your day-to-day life?
I work full time at Hersruds of Belle Fourche as a Sales Consultant and stay busy with my two awesome kids, Brayden (18) and Raya (13), who definitely keep life entertaining. Raya and I do Community Theater together, which has been a blast. I’m also slightly addicted to karaoke—I love to sing and get my fix by KJ’ing a couple times a month.
How long have you been involved in a community theater, How long at BFACT?
My first experience with community theater was in 2000 with The Green Earth Players, performing The Sound of Music, where I played both a Nazi soldier and a ballroom dancer. A year later, I appeared in a mystery dinner theater in Watertown as the best man at a 1950s/1960s wedding reception. After that, I took a 20-year break from theater. I returned to the stage in late summer of 2023 when I became involved with BFACT’s production of Rock of Ages, where I played the Venus Club DJ.
What has been your favorite role to play?
My favorite role to date was definitely Bastien André in Is He Dead?. It was a blast getting to play a villain, which was the complete opposite of most roles I’ve played before. He was wonderfully sinister, and I took great pride in doing my job well enough that the audience really didn’t like me.
What keeps you coming back to BFACT?
When I first got involved in theater, I was just looking for something to get me out of the house and meet new people. Rock of Ages definitely delivered. I met incredible new friends and found a group that gave me a real sense of belonging—turns out singing, acting, and a little stage chaos is great for making connections.
What is your favorite BFACT memory?
My favorite theater memory has to be the Karaoke Fundraiser for Rock of Ages. At one point, a random person queued up “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, and everyone in the cast jumped in from our tables, singing in harmony. In that moment, our cast truly meshed—we became our characters, we clicked, we were one. That’s when I knew, and everyone else did too, that we were part of something really special.
What is your favorite part of BFACT?
My favorite part of BFACT is definitely being part of a group that truly accepts everyone. They’re always finding ways to bring the community together through activities and social gatherings, and they really live up to their motto: there’s a stage for everyone.
Why did you join BFACT?
I originally joined BFACT to get out of the house and meet new people—and they definitely over-delivered. Since then, I’ve been honored to be voted onto the board, made countless friends I look forward to seeing at every show and event, and learned more skills while stepping out of my comfort zone time and time again. I hope to give back to BFACT even more than I’ve received, sharing the knowledge, friendships, and sense of community that have truly uplifted me, and hopefully inspiring others to join and experience the same.
