2026 company
ANNIE BARBOUR
MS: Helena / Flute;
PR: Dionyza / Lychorida
Annie is a former SYA student and GRSF apprentice who is absolutely thrilled to be joining the acting company this season. She is a Denver-based actor whose work has taken her to Greater Boston Stage Company (We Had a Girl Before You, U.S. premier), The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Emma; The 39 Steps; Theatre of the Mind, world premier), The Arvada Center (Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really; Small Mouth Sounds; The Mousetrap; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Moors; Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express), Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (Brooklyn Laundry, regional premier), Theatreworks ENT Center (Measure for Measure; The Taming of the Shrew; The Turn of the Screw; The Importance of Being Earnest), and Satori in St. Louis (The Verge). Annie holds a B.F.A from Webster’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts.
BENJAMIN BOUCVALT
MS: Oberon / Lysander
PR: Cleon / Lysimachus;
Fight Choreographer
This is Benjamin’s 13th season with Great River Shakespeare Festival. Notable performances include As You Like It/Orlando, The Winter's Tale/Leontes, Midsummer/Oberon, and Romeo and Juliet/Romeo. Other theaters include the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Curtain Theatre, St. Petersburg Shakespeare Company, and the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre where he performed Vanya, Sonya, Masha, and Spike/Spike. As an active martial artist, he is often choreographing fights for both film and theatre. Benjamin's latest book, “The Name Hennessy," was released last year. Benjamin voices one of the main characters in the audiobook, which also features Christopher Gerson. Sign up for the newsletter at BenjaminBoucvalt.com and get all the latest info! MFA, SAG-AFTRA/AEA
DIANA COATES
PS: Demetrius / Snout;
PR: Thaisa, Leonine
Diana Coates counts it a great privilege to be back with GRSF for her second summer. She currently resides in New York and spent the last 6 months on a national tour with The Acting Company taking the works of August Wilson and Shakespeare to 23 cities all over the country. Recent credits include Macbeth (Chenango River Theatre), The Nacirema Society (Goodman Theatre), and Murder on the Orient Express (Drury Lane). Other favorites include work with Milwaukee Rep, Asolo Rep, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, and the African Continuum Theatre Co. Television credits: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med (NBC); Deli Boys (hulu); and Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+). She is represented by DDO Artists Agency. Always for mom.
LIzzie Coy-Bjork
Green Show Company / Understudy Company
Lizzie Coy-Bjork is currently a student at Carleton College majoring in both Theater and English. Some of her favorite Carleton roles include Olivia (Twelfth Night), Antigone (Antigone), Schwarzy (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Mrs. Van Buren (Intimate Apparel) and #8 (The Wolves). She has previously worked for GRSF as a teaching assistant for Shakespeare for Young Actors and is excited to be back!
Michael fitzpatrick
MS: Puck / Egeus;
PR: Antiochus / Simonides
Michael Fitzpatrick is an actor and designer whose career spans regional theater, off-Broadway, national Broadway tours, concerts, cabaret, film, and television. Selected theater credits include: First National Broadway tour of 42nd St., roles at Utah Shakespeare Festival, St. Louis repertory, Kansas City repertory, the Denver Center theater, Ensemble Shakespeare Company NYC, Musicals Tonight NYC, A.C.T. In San Francisco, and a company member at the Great River Shakespeare festival in Minnesota.
Tarah Flanagan
MS: Peter Quince / Bottom;
PR: Thailard, Cerimon
Tarah Flanagan is delighted to be returning to beautiful Winona MN and GRSF for her 17th season. A few favorite GRSF credits: the Poet (an Iliad), Viola (Twelfth Night), and Portia (Julius Caesar). Most recently Tarah appeared as the Chief Elder (The Giver) at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Other credits include: The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Pioneer Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Tarah would like to dedicate her work this season to her first Shakespeare teachers: Gale Childs Daly and Bruce Longworth. Thank you for your inspiration, guidance and for giving me the keys to the castle.
Kevin gill
Green Show Company / Understudy Company
Kevin Michael Gill is an actor from New York City. Kevin is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. During his time at NYU, Kevin studied at the Stella Adler Studio where he had the opportunity to study under fellow company member, Melissa Maxwell. This is his first season at Great River Shakespeare Festival. He's excited to understudy for the first time! Recent credits include The Arden of Faversham, Salt in a Wound, and Resonance.
DEVELYN JAYAN
Joining GRSF 7/9/2026
MS: Hermia/Starveling;
PER: Marina
Develyn is beyond thrilled to be returning to the Great River Shakespeare family! Last summer, She played Julia in GRSF's 2025 touring production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. She recently graduated with an MFA in Acting from the University of Tennessee and is relocating to New York. Develyn is also an Indian classical dancer and a yogi with a strong passion for movement and choreography. Previous roles include: Marianne in Sense & Sensibility, Eurydice in Eurydice, Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol, Rachel in Inherit the Wind and Lina in Cry it Out.
LEAH Schattenmann
Green Show Company / Understudy Company
Leah Schattenmann is a German-American actor based in New York City. Originally from Ballston Lake, New York, Leah has lived in 6 U.S. states as well as in Germany. Leah grew up engaged in visual and performing arts, developing a passion for dance, especially ballet. During the summer before her senior year of high school, she participated in a 6-week drama program at Carnegie Mellon and decided to pursue acting as a full-time career. She received a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Spelman College and is a graduate of Stella Adler Studio's 3-year Conservatory Program. At Stella Adler, she played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Norma Jean Harris in Decision Height, Paulina in Winter's Tale, and just finished as Marcy in Ravenscroft. Leah is also a singer-songwriter with her original music available on all streaming platforms under her stage name, Leah Sinclair. She also loves playing her omnichord and writing poetry in her free time. She can speak German, English, Spanish, and a bit of Japanese.
william sturdivant
MS: Theseus / Peter Quince / Bottom;
PR: Pericles
Will Sturdivant enters his 7th season with GRSF, and Pericles will mark his 43rd professional Shakespeare production. He is also the recipient of this year's McKnight Theater Fellow award for the 2026/2027 season. He received a BFA from the University of MN/ Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program and has performed off Broadway and regionally for the past 20 years. He will be performing this September in Waiting For Godot at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, as well as Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None in December. He has written two books: HELLO WORD! and Interpreting Classical Language.
dharma wyatt
Green Show Company / Understudy Company
Dharma Wyatt is an actor based in NYC!
boyu chen
Green Show Company / Understudy Company
Boyu Chen is a Chinese actor now based in New York. While studying in China, he appeared at the prestigious Wuxi Grand Theater, playing Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. A recent graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, his recent work includes M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure (Duke Vincentio), A Very Expensive Poison (Dmitry Kovton), and And Then There Were None (Anthony Marston).
melissa maxwell
MS: Titania / Hippolyta;
PR: Helicanus
Melissa Maxwell is GRSF’s Co-Associate Artistic Director. Past GRSF productions include Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, The Tempest, No Child, Cymbeline, Shakespeare in Love, All's Well that Ends Well, Richard III, Comedy of Errors. Other acting credits include The Guthrie, Mint Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Public Theatre of Maine, Capital Rep, Pearl Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, Kennedy Center. Film and TV credits include FBI: Most Wanted, MANIFEST, Mrs. Fletcher, Madam Secretary, HOSTAGES, Law & Order, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Sopranos. Directing Credits: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Rep, George Street Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Kitchen Theatre/Civic Ensemble, Pearl Theatre Company, Soho Playhouse. Playwriting Credits: IMBROGLIO (GRSF world premiere), SALT IN A WOUND (Stella Adler Studio NYC, ETA Creative Arts Center); UNREQUITED LOVE (New Perspectives Theater); FETUS ENVY (manhattantheatre). TEDx Talks: TEDxMosesBrownSchool: Taking Ownership and TEDxBarnardCollegeWomen: On Courage. Melissa is the Director of Professional Development at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, NYC. www.melissamaxwell.com.
Lonnie Alcaraz
Resident Lighting Designer;
Per: Lighting Designer;
MS: Assistant Lighting Designer
Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz is a professional lighting designer and a professor of lighting design at the University of California, Irvine. He has designed for numerous regional theatres around the country. Recent designs include A Raisin in the Sun at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, You Are Not My Perfect Mexican Daughter at the Denver Center, Cinderella at Syracuse Stage. Upcoming shows are Into the Woods at South Coast Repertory, Fireflies at the REP, and A Raisin in the Sun at Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. He has been designing here at GRSF since 2008. He is the Resident Lighting Designer for Ballet Repertory Theatre and the Resident and Tech Advisor for INTUIT ARTSHIP Ballet. He is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829/International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. His complete design portfolio can be found at www.lradesigns.com.
andrew carlson
Voice and Text Coach; Co-Director of the Green Show; Education Director
Andrew Carlson is an actor, dramaturg, teaching artist and director. Andrew has worked regionally with the Playwright’s Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, First Folio Theatre, ZACH Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, American Records Company, and several others. Andrew has worked at GRSF since 2006, where he has played roles such as Hamlet (Hamlet), Edmund (King Lear), Jim O’Connor (The Glass Menagerie), Macbeth (Macbeth), and the Poet (An Iliad). Andrew is co-author of the 11th edition of The Essential Theatre textbook and has published essays in Theatre History Studies, American Theatre Magazine and the Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy. An award-winning educator, Carlson received the 2016 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Texas. Andrew teaches at Carleton College where he chairs the Department of Theater and Dance.
annie enneking
Intimacy Director
Annie Enneking is an intimacy and fight director and has collaborated with almost every theater in the Twin Cities in these fields. She teaches the art of stage violence at the University of Minnesota. She founded and fronts the rock band Annie and the Bang Bang.
karl gfall
Scenic Designer; Props Designer
Karl is delighted to be returning to Winona once again as Properties Designer and as Scenic Designer. Winona has become a cherished summer home. In the remainder of the year Karl is a Union Stagehand with the Paramount Theatre of Aurora, Illinois, as well as an occasional playwright, voice actor, and otherwise flexible itinerant professional.
john merritt
Costume Designer
John is a freelance Costume Designer and stylist. You can see John's film & TV credits on streaming platforms such as Netflix (Dog Gone, Sweet Magnolias-Season 4) , Hulu (Class of 09) , Amazon Prime (Bullitt County) and Peacock (Found-Season 1). Previous GRSF Costume Design credits include Romeo & Juliet, Comedy of Errors (‘25), Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing (‘24) Imbroglio, As You Like It ('23) Every Brilliant Thing (‘21) and All the Town’s a Stage: A Winona Story (‘22). John received his Masters of Fine Arts in Costume Design at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (‘21) and his Bachelors of Arts at University of Southern Indiana (‘18). Atlanta design credits include: Laughs in Spanish (Horizon Theatre) Macbeth (Kennesaw State University) Lysistrata, The Other Shore, Blood Wedding (Emory University), Dido & Aeneas (Atlanta Baroque Orchestra), Cry it Out, Native Gardens (Stagedoor Theatre), A Third Way (Actors Express). See further examples of John's work at johnmerrittdesigns.com
avery reagan
MS: Lighting Designer;
Per: Assistant Lighting Designer
Avery Reagan is a lighting designer currently based in the Los Angeles area. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia (a proud and enthusiastic Braves fan), Avery discovered her passion for lighting through school and community theatre productions. As she specified and matured her craft, she found how mesmerizing and impactful light can be within a production. Now she has designed and assisted from coast-to-coast with companies such as Center Theatre Group, Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Repertory, Great River Shakespeare Festival, City Springs Theatre Company, Hale Center Theatre, Ballet Repertory Theater, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Opera, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. She received her M.F.A. from the University of California Irvine, her B.S. from the University of Evansville, and was the 2020-2022 Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Intern. She is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829.
thomas rowe
Assistant Costume Designer
This is Thomas's first year with GRSF. They are working on two bachelor's degrees in theatre and psychology and are going into their final year of undergraduate study at the University of Nebraska Omaha. They have held many roles in costume designing shows, such as Co-Designing Urinetown, Costume Design for One-Sided in the Omaha Fringe Festival, Costume Designer for Brigit Saint Brigit’s The Tenth Man, and The Diary of Anne Frank at UNO. Thomas would like to thank their friends and family for their continued support.
doug scholz-carlson
Director: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Doug works nationally as a director, fight choreographer, actor and intimacy director. In 23 seasons at GRSF, Doug played roles including Henry in Henry V, Stephen Price in African Company Presents Richard III and Thomas in Venus in Fur. He directed productions including Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Winter's Tale, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Cymbeline and Shakespeare in Love. Doug was the first intimacy director at the Metropolitan Opera with productions including Grounded, Dead Man Walking and Fire Shut Up in my Bones. Other intimacy direction credits include Guthrie Theatre, San Diego Opera and Minnesota Opera. Directing credits include Minnesota Opera, Austin Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Madison Opera and Pittsburgh Opera. He choreographed fights for the world premier of Silent Night at Minnesota Opera (which won a Pulitzer Prize for music) as well as productions for companies including Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Kansas City Opera, Children's Theater Company and the Seattle Police Department. Doug is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the University of Washington.
caroline stanton
Co-Director of the Green Show; Assistant Director for MS and Per
A director, actor, and writer, Caroline serves as the co-director and developer of the Green Shows this year at the Great River Shakespeare Festival as well as the assistant director on both mainstage productions. Upcoming and recent projects include Antigone (co-director), Romeo and Juliet (director), Twelfth Night (associate director), Carleton College New Works Festival (producer), an adaptation of Sophocles' Philoctetes (Neoptolemus, ongoing), and Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play (assistant director, upcoming). She is also one of the education coordinators for the summer programs at the festival, serving as a teaching artist for Shakespeare for Young Actors and Will's Power players.
matthew tibbs
Sound Designer
Matthew Tibbs (he/him) is a sound designer and Associate Professor of Sound Design at University of Cincinnati CCM. Previous work includes sound designs of No. 6 and The Cay at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare in Love, As You Like It, and Romeo and Juliet at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Three Sisters, Violet, and Of Mice and Men at the Clarence Brown Theatre, and 7 summers and 18 productions with Great River Shakespeare Festival. Matthew is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA). Matthew holds a BA from George Fox University and an MFA from University of Cincinnati CCM. To learn more, please visit matthewtibbs.com
Shaun Patrick Tubbs
Director: Pericles
Shaun Patrick Tubbs is a New York-based director and actor. Selected directing credits include Salt In A Wound (Stella Alder), The Rocky Horror Show (UAlbany), the world premiere of American Apollo (Des Moines Metro Opera), The Glass Menagerie (UAlbany), RAGTIME (Union Avenue Opera), the world premiere of Defacing Michael Jackson (Miami New Drama), The Tempest (Powerhouse Theatre), Troilus and Cressida (Juilliard), Sweat (Wright State), Life Is A Dream (Juilliard), In The Blood (Juilliard), BLACK DICK (NYTW), Lost In the Stars (Union Avenue Opera), the world premiere of Independence Eve (Signature Theatre DC), hop tha A (Ars Nova), Artney Jackson (The Lark/New Black Festival), Don Giovanni (The Tank), and Disgraced (Asolo Repertory Theatre). His international credits include assisting on The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Royal Opera House, London), and Here I Go (La MaMa Spoleto, Italy). Selected acting credits include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged Revised (Human Race Theatre Company), Terminus (NYTW), My Mañana Comes (Marin Theatre Company), The Tempest (Eureka Suitcase), The Book of Grace (Zach Scott Theatre), Crossing America (Kirk Douglas Theatre), Lobby Hero (Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara), and Jitney (Human Race Theatre Company). He has various film, television, and regional/national commercial credits. Shaun has received numerous awards and fellowships including being a Finalist for the 2018 National Directors Fellowship, The Drama League of New York's Fall Directing Fellowship, Asolo Repertory Theatre's Directing Fellowship, 2015 Kurt Weill Fellowship in Opera Direction, the SDC Observers Program, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Fair Directing Fellowship. He holds an MFA (UT Austin) and a BFA (Wright State University). Member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and an Associate Member of SDC. www.shaunpatricktubbs.com
katie cunningham
Voice and Text Coach
AISHA BADER-ORTEGA
Jr. Draper / First Hand
Aisha Bader-Ortega is a current UCF student in the BFA Design and Technology program. She is pursuing her career in Costume Design and she is a freelance seamstress. Find her @aishadesignss.
Noah Butcher
Props Apprentice
Noah Butcher is a student at Ball State University, going into my senior year! I am working on getting my BFA in Design and Technology in Theatre with a focus in Props Management along with a minor in Classical Cultures. In my time in theatre I have been the Props Manager for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, The Nutcracker, and most recently, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Alyssa cahan
Carpenter / Crew Supervisor
Alyssa Cahan is a designer and technician from Boone, North Carolina. I am currently studying Production Design at the UNC School of the Arts.
shannon daly
Scenic Apprentice
Shannon Daly is starting her first season with Great River Shakespeare Festival as a Scenic Apprentice. She previously comes from UCF. She’s worked on the paint team for Legally Blonde and as the assistant Scenic Designer on One Man Two Guvnors. In her free time, she likes to bake and make art. She is graduating with a BFA in design and technology from University of Central Florida!
Jackson Hainer
Lighting Apprentice
This is Jackson's first year as a Lighting Apprentice at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. He is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a rising sophomore studying Lighting Design at Ball State University.
collin hall
Head Electrician
Collin Hall is a lighting designer and technician from Memphis, Tennessee. Currently earning her MFA in theatrical design at Texas State University, she received her bachelor's in theatre from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Previous work includes seasons at the Clarence Brown Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol.
abigail hess
Production Stage Manager;
Stage Manager: Pericles
Grateful to be back for the 6th year with the GRSF company and as the PSM! Abbi spends the other part of the year in Madison, Wisconsin at Forward Theater. Abbi is super thankful for family, friends, and teams/companies that allow her to live this great magical, theatrical life.
Heather Hirvela
Costume Shop Supervisor / Draper
lili ducy
Costume Apprentice
This is Lili's first year working at GRSF, and she couldn't be more excited. In the fall she will be a senior at Otterbein University studying to get a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology with a focus on costuming.
kara eggers
Production Manager
Kara Eggers (they/them) is a queer intimacy theatre maker based in Southeast Minnesota. With a passion for creating inclusive theatre experiences, Kara's work focuses on fostering supportive and empowering environments on stage. A strong advocate for consent-based and trauma-informed practices, Kara's approach to theatre-making is heavily influenced by their training with the Advocacy Center of Winona. This training has deeply informed their work, emphasizing the importance of support, respect, and mutual understanding throughout the creative processes. Kara is dedicated to making space for all collaborators, whether performers or technicians behind the scenes, to feel supported and empowered, both in the rehearsal room and throughout the production process.
bailey fenn
Sound Supervisor
Bailey is a freelance Sound Designer/Technician based in the Twin Cities. Her recent Sound Designs include The Little Mermaid at Cretin-Derham Hall, STRANGE HEART: The Dream Songs of John Berryman at Open Eye Theatre, Kiss Me Kate at Artistry, A Nice Family Christmas at Lyric Arts, Quinceañera and Burn & Dash with Exposed Brick Theatre at Open Eye Theatre. Log Kya Kahenge, a collaboration with Lyric Arts, Exposed Brick Theatre, and SAATH, and Twelfth Night at Children's Theatre Company. Bailey holds an MFA in Design and Technology from the University of Minnesota, a BFA in Theatre Production from Auburn University, and an AA in Technical Production from Chipola College. Her upcoming Sound Design is Hadestown: Teen edition at Children’s Theatre Company. She is thrilled to be back for her 3rd season with Great River Shakespeare Festival.
samantha Greene
Stage Manager: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Samantha Greene is happily based in NYC (and is always grateful for a reason to leave the city). She has done a show in a convention center in Wuzhen, China; a one actor/one audience member show inside a roadbox in Connecticut; and two shows simultaneously on the opposite sides of a turntable that never stops moving. Selected theatre credits include Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific (Lincoln Center Theatre); Twelfth Night (The Old Globe); A Christmas Carol (A.C.T); Sleeping Beauty Wakes (La Jolla Playhouse); Pippin (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); and Travesties (McCarter Theatre). In 10 years with New York City Opera, she stage managed 30 productions including Anna Nicole, Turn of the Screw, Dead Man Walking, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and The Little Prince. She has also worked with Los Angeles Opera, Austin Opera, Opera Omaha, The Atlanta Opera, Detroit Opera, and Opera de Monte-Carlo.
patrick lanczki
Rehearsal Stage Manager: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Patrick is thrilled to be joining GRSF for the 2026 season. For the last 10 years he has been the Production Stage Manager at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. His regional stage management credits include five years as resident stage manager at Asolo Repertory Theater, as well as multiple seasons at Arkansas Repertory Theater, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Northern Stage, and several Off-Broadway productions. As an actor, starting at age 16, he has appeared in numerous national and international tours, including seven tours of Jesus Christ Superstar, television, movies, and voiceovers. Patrick has been a proud member of the Actors Equity Association since 1984 and dedicates his work on this production to his family. AHFOL to Katie, my best friend, favorite actress, and wife, and the newest member of our family: our son Paddy.
gamma lister
Scenic Charge Artist
I'm Gamma. I'm a sculptor and a scenic, and props artist. I'm also an ex-Winona resident, although these days I reside in North Carolina where I am studying for my MFA in Scenic Art. I'm incredibly excited to be with the GRSF team this year!
roan milkie
Assistant Stage Manager: Pericles
Roan Milkie is a 3rd year stage management BFA at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is excited to serve as a Stage Management Apprentice at Great River Shakespeare Festival! Most recently, they served as the assistant stage manager on Lyric Theatre’s Little Women and Illinois Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong. Recent stage managing credits include Hadestown with After School Matters in Chicago, POTUS (Or, Behind‚ Alive) at the Station Theatre in Urbana, and Studio Dance 2025 with Dance at Illinois.
lee nixon
Jr. Draper / First Hand
Lee Nixon is an interdisciplinary artist who holds a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology from the University of Texas at El Paso. They have designed costumes for Metamorphoses, Taming of the Shrew, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and hair and makeup for Los Empenos de una Casa, to name a few. Throughout their research and education, they dove into performance, management, properties, and lighting design as they strive to learn new skills across all disciplines. They are so pleased to join the great team for this season at GRSF. When the opportunity arises back home, they can be found debuting at local runways, performing at the El Paso Playhouse, or chasing after their dog.
morgan ryals
Costume Apprentice
Morgan is a current student at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Pursuing a BFA in Costume Design! This is her first year at GRSF!
Brittany staudacher
Costumes Crafts Artisan
Brittany Staudacher (she/her) originates from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa and her MFA from Indiana University. Past theatres include Penobscot Theatre Co., Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and Florida Repertory Theatre. Favorite design credits include Carrie the Musical, The Threepenny Opera, and Woody Guthrie's American Song. Brittany is thrilled to be returning to the GRSF family this summer!
eli summers
Wardrobe Supervisor
Eli is a theatre-maker based in Boston, Massachusetts. Eli is the wardrobe supervisor and costume stock manager at Tufts University and an affiliated faculty member at Emerson College. Outside of Boston, Eli has worked at Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, and Creede Repertory Theatre (where he spent the last two summers as their wig-wardrobe supervisor). Born and raised in the Natural State, Eli graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Arkansas in May of 2024. Eli enjoys sewing and patternmaking and hopes to earn an MFA in costume technology. Eli is excited to be making theatre in Winona this summer.
david rudi utter
Technical Director
David Rudi Utter is honored to be participating in his seventh season with GRSF. His involvement has run the gamut from acting apprentice, to acting company, to technical director and most recently to serving as a teaching artist for the Shakespeare for Young Actors program. As a performer he has appeared regionally at the Guthrie and Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and with numerous companies in the New York City area. He enjoys engaging with nearly all areas of theater creation from technical construction to directing to text coaching to teaching.
elijah warrington
Lighting / Sound Technician
Elijah Warrington (he/him) is a lighting and sound designer, composer, and technician based in New York. This spring he graduated from Fordham University with a degree in theatre design and production. He is delighted to return to Great River for a second year! Selected NYC: Constellations (Lighting & Sound Designer, Caveat NYC), ZAGŁADA (LD/SD, American Theatre of Actors), MUD (LD, ATA), reasons to be pretty (LD, Chain Theatre) See (and hear) samples of his work at elijahwarrington.com!
rachel winenger
Assistant Stage Manager: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Rachel Winenger is thrilled to be a part of her second season at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. She recently completed a B.A. in Theatre at the University of Tennessee after completing an Associates of Arts degree at Pellissippi State. Some of her favorite shows she's been a part of are recent productions at the Clarence Brown Theatre, including Sense and Sensibility (SM), Play That Goes Wrong (ASM), Knoxville (ASM), and Kinky Boots (props). Upcoming works include props designing the Clarence Brown's production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. She is so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful theatrical community.
jennifer oswald
Overhire Stitcher
Jenn is a teacher & stitcher based in Chicago. She has worked with GRSF as a company member for 11 seasons, having started with the festival as a Costume Intern in 2013. She later served as the GRSF Education Director from 2018-2023 and is thrilled to have the opportunity to (briefly) return to the costume shop this season. Back home, Jenn is a 7th grade ELA/Social Studies teacher with Chicago Public Schools. She is an alum of the Apprentice Program at Actors Theatre of Louisville (Education/Teaching Artist). Jenn holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from DePaul University.
Mackenzie Smith
Stage Manager: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mackenzie Smith is appreciative and excited to be a part of A Midsummer Night's Dream for their first production with Great River Shakespeare Festival. Select favorite credits include: Gutenberg! The Musical!, Forward Theater Company; The Barber and the Unnamed Prince, American Players Theatre; Life Doesn't Frighten Me, The Lightning Thief, Peter Pan; Children's Theater of Madison. They would like to thank everyone around them for their support, and GRSF for bringing them onto the team!
lonnie alcaraz
Co-Associate Artistic Director
Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz is a professional lighting designer and a professor of lighting design at the University of California, Irvine. He has designed for numerous regional theatres around the country. Recent designs include A Raisin in the Sun at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, You Are Not My Perfect Mexican Daughter at the Denver Center, Cinderella at Syracuse Stage. Upcoming shows are Into the Woods at South Coast Repertory, Fireflies at the REP, and A Raisin in the Sun at Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. He has been designing here at GRSF since 2008. He is the Resident Lighting Designer for Ballet Repertory Theatre and the Resident and Tech Advisor for INTUIT ARTSHIP Ballet. He is a member of the United Scenic Artists, Local 829/International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. His complete design portfolio can be found at www.lradesigns.com.
kristine hipps
Finance Director
In addition to her finance role at GRSF, Kris is an artist, photographer, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her films have screened in festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada.
willa krase
Box Office Manager
Willa is returning for her fifth year with the festival and her second as box office manager. She was introduced to Shakespeare her freshman year of high school and was instantly captivated. Her love for Shakespeare’s language is at the heart of the work she does in the box office. Willa was in the Winona Youth Shakespeare League shows at the bandshell where she played Juliet, Titania, and Beatrice. She also participated in SYA, her favorite roles being Rosalind, and Puck. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is her favorite Shakespeare play, so she is thrilled that it is one of the inaugural shows at The ARC. A Winona native, Willa loves returning home in the summers to spend time with her family and reconnect with long-time friends. She also enjoys reading, being outside, listening to music (her favorites are Fleetwood Mac and Jack Johnson), and writing poetry. Fun fact: Willa collects tiny owl figurines from the places she visits!
melissa maxwell
Co-Associate Artistic Director
Melissa Maxwell is GRSF’s Co-Associate Artistic Director. Past GRSF productions include Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, The Tempest, No Child, Cymbeline, Shakespeare in Love, All's Well that Ends Well, Richard III, Comedy of Errors. Other acting credits include The Guthrie, Mint Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Public Theatre of Maine, Capital Rep, Pearl Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, Kennedy Center. Film and TV credits include FBI: Most Wanted, MANIFEST, Mrs. Fletcher, Madam Secretary, HOSTAGES, Law & Order, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Sopranos. Directing Credits: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Rep, George Street Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Kitchen Theatre/Civic Ensemble, Pearl Theatre Company, Soho Playhouse. Playwriting Credits: IMBROGLIO (GRSF world premiere), SALT IN A WOUND (Stella Adler Studio NYC, ETA Creative Arts Center); UNREQUITED LOVE (New Perspectives Theater); FETUS ENVY (manhattantheatre). TEDx Talks: TEDxMosesBrownSchool: Taking Ownership and TEDxBarnardCollegeWomen: On Courage. Melissa is the Director of Professional Development at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, NYC. www.melissamaxwell.com.
eileen moeller
Director of Operations
Eileen likes to be home with spouse, dog, cats, chickens and fish whenever possible. She spends her limited free time in the garden, knitting or repainting her house.
rae peter
Company Manager
I am a visual artist currently working on a series of paintings of the Mississippi River. I have been an actor my whole life and serve as chair of the board of Theatre Du Mississippi. I was a company member at GRSF in 2007 and 2016.
augustus ringlien
Box Office Associate
August is a Winona native and the newest addition to the ARC's year-round staff. This is their 9th year with the festival; former student with GRSF's Shakespeare for Young Designers from 2017 to 2021, and GRSF Box Office Associate from 2021 to present. Recently graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with BAs in Biology and Theatre, August served as the Dramaturg (and wardrobe crew) for UMD's spring 2026 production of The SpongeBob Musical. Fun fact: they share a birthday with William Shakespeare himself! (Technically, we don't know the exact date of his birth, but it's our best guess!)
john ringlien
Video / Photography Apprentice
John is a former student of GRSF's Shakespeare for Young Filmmakers (2021 and 2022) and Shakespeare for Young Actors (2023). This is his first year working professionally with the company and is excited to work alongside such talented people. Afterwards, come fall, he’ll be pursuing a degree in Cinema and Media Culture at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities; come visit!
doug scholz-carlson
Artistic Director
Doug works nationally as a director, fight choreographer, actor and intimacy director. In 23 seasons at GRSF, Doug played roles including Henry in Henry V, Stephen Price in African Company Presents Richard III and Thomas in Venus in Fur. He directed productions including Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Winter's Tale, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Cymbeline and Shakespeare in Love. Doug was the first intimacy director at the Metropolitan Opera with productions including Grounded, Dead Man Walking and Fire Shut Up in my Bones. Other intimacy direction credits include Guthrie Theatre, San Diego Opera and Minnesota Opera. Directing credits include Minnesota Opera, Austin Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Madison Opera and Pittsburgh Opera. He choreographed fights for the world premier of Silent Night at Minnesota Opera (which won a Pulitzer Prize for music) as well as productions for companies including Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Kansas City Opera, Children's Theater Company and the Seattle Police Department. Doug is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the University of Washington.
aaron young
Managing Director
Aaron A. Young joined the leadership team of Great River Shakespeare Festival in 2017. Prior to moving to Winona, he spent 13 years as managing director of the Fulton Theatre Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He has also led the theatre program of Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and served as marketing manager for the Sundance Film Festival and as general manager of Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Aaron is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and along with his wife Kristen, a clawhammer banjo player, has raised three lovely and very tall daughters. He is happy to devote his career to connecting artists and audiences, making sure artists have meaningful dialogues with their communities, and seeing they earn living wages.
laurie ziliak
House Manager
Laurie is excited to be back for her third year with this amazing company. She is honored to work with the many volunteers who are so crucial to the work of GRSF and is thrilled to welcome the audience to the ARC. In addition to her work with GRSF, Laurie works for Saint Mary's Press as a member of the Content Team. Laurie also serves as a music minister in Winona parishes, sings with the Choral Arts Ensemble, and serves on the WIFA Board. Prior roles include teaching theology, volunteer coordinator, and parish musician. Above all, Laurie's favorite roles include wife to a wonderful husband, proud mother of their six adult children, and ‚ "Grandma LuLu" to their two grandchildren.
claire gannon
Teacher for Shakespeare for Young Actors
Claire Gannon is a sophomore theater arts major at Carleton College who is also pursuing minors in English creative writing and French. She is an aspiring writer and actor from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Some of her recent productions at Carleton include The Seagull, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, MADWOMAN (a new play workshop), and the Wolves.
sophia jazaeri
Dramaturg, Teacher for Shakespeare for Young Actors
Sophia Jazaeri works as a dramaturg and Green Show performer at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. With education as her passion, Sophia also works with the Shakespeare for Young Actors program, and hopes to pursue an PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies. Sophia is currently a student at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where her recent work includes Twelfth Night (Toby Belch) and Antigone (Co-Director), and upcoming work includes A Passion Play (Mary) and Romeo & Juliet (Romeo).
jordyn richter
Teacher for Shakespeare for Young Actors
Jordyn Richter is a junior at Carleton College interested in production and stage management. She has been a stage manager for two Carleton Players' Productions, "Twelfth Night" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," and two independent student productions, "Horse Girls" and "Antigone." She will be a stage manager and the associate production manager for "Passion Play" in the fall and will pursue an independent study in production management. In addition, she works in Carleton's scene shop during the academic year. After not starting to work in technical theater until college, she is so excited for opportunities to learn!
andrew carlson
Voice and Text Coach; Co-Director of the Green Show; Education Director
Andrew Carlson is an actor, dramaturg, teaching artist and director. Andrew has worked regionally with the Playwright’s Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, First Folio Theatre, ZACH Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, American Records Company, and several others. Andrew has worked at GRSF since 2006, where he has played roles such as Hamlet (Hamlet), Edmund (King Lear), Jim O’Connor (The Glass Menagerie), Macbeth (Macbeth), and the Poet (An Iliad). Andrew is co-author of the 11th edition of The Essential Theatre textbook and has published essays in Theatre History Studies, American Theatre Magazine and the Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy. An award-winning educator, Carlson received the 2016 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Texas. Andrew teaches at Carleton College where he chairs the Department of Theater and Dance.
kaelyn rothe
Teacher for Shakespeare for Young Actors
Kaelyn just graduated from Carleton College with degrees in English and Theater Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. From the Twin Cities, she is primarily an actor, playwright, designer, and educator with a love for all things theater. This is her third consecutive year working with the Shakespeare for Young Actors program at Great River, and she couldn't be more excited to be back!
david rudi utter
Director of Shakespeare for Young Actors
David Rudi Utter is honored to be participating in his seventh season with GRSF. His involvement has run the gamut from acting apprentice, to acting company, to technical director and most recently to serving as a teaching artist for the Shakespeare for Young Actors program. As a performer he has appeared regionally at the Guthrie and Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and with numerous companies in the New York City area. He enjoys in engaging with nearly all areas of theater creation from technical construction, to directing, to text coaching, to teaching.
Jack Bartlett
Teacher for Shakespeare for Young Actors
Jack is a Washington, D.C. native and a rising senior studying Theater and Cognitive Science at Carleton College. An experienced actor, director, and designer, this is his second year at Great River's Shakespeare for Young Actors program. He couldn't be happier to be back, building a welcoming environment and giving these kids the opportunity to thrive!