Mission and Vision
Festival Theatre’s mission is to make the arts welcoming to all people as an essential part of their well being and for the vitality of the community.
Festival Theatre is the artistic and social hub for professional theatre and the arts for the extended Central St. Croix Valley and an economic anchor for St. Croix Falls and the surrounding business community
Festival Theatre is the artistic and social hub for professional theatre and the arts for the extended Central St. Croix Valley and an economic anchor for St. Croix Falls and the surrounding business community
Our Staff
From Left to Right: Rachel Kuhnle, DeeAnn Naegelen, Jason Richards, Peter Weber, Jen Seeley, and Josiah Laubenstein
Jason Richards - Executive and Artistic Director
Jason is honored to be returning to Festival Theatre as the new Executive and Artistic Director. He was here as an actor in the 2004 season playing roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Importance of Being Earnest, and There Shall be no Night. Jason spent 15 years with the Texas Shakespeare Festival as an actor, director, Company Manager, Production Manager, Education Director, Festival Associate, and playwright. Past TSF acting credits include: Dogberry in Much ado About Nothing, Rick Steadman in The Nerd, Garry/Roger in Noises Off, Banquo in Macbeth, and Charlie in The Foreigner. He was also in The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged, which he also directed. Other acting credits include: Henry Harry in Brilliant Traces, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and George in All My Sons. TSF has produced several of his plays (which he also directed) including: Quest for the Lost Chalice, The Enchanted Forest, The Lost Prince, The Princess and the Players, Spirit of the Sea, and The Witch of Pickle Patch. Other directing credits include: The Sound of Music, The Water Engine, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Mockingbird, Noises Off, A Lie of the Mind, and All My Sons. Jason was also the Artistic Director and General Manager at ArtsView Children’s Theatre for three years. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Directing from Baylor University and his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Nebraska. He is an avid reader, trail runner, and baseball fan (Red Sox!!). Thank you for supporting Festival Theatre and for supporting the Arts in our community. Enjoy the shows!
Jaclyn Johnson - Artistic Director
Jaclyn Johnson is an actor, director and theatre artist, currently serving as one of Festival's Co-Artistic Directors. She holds a BA from Cornell College and credits across the country, including Riverside Theatre (IA) and Creede Rep (CO). Jaclyn came to Festival Theatre as an actor in 2008, has provided administrative support, leadership, artistry and is now in her tenth season at Festival Theatre.
Peter Weber - Technical Director & Facilities Manager
Peter Weber is a St. Croix Falls native who graduated from Northland College in Ashland, WI with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts. Peter has explored photography, printmaking, and ceramics.
Hired as a stage hand in 2007 Peter was rehired as Festival’s summer stage manager in 2008 and each subsequent summer there after. Peter quickly attained the status of a much loved and much respected member of the production team. Since 2011 Peter has been a member of the management team at Festival Theatre where he is excited to help cultivate space for the theatre arts to flourish.
Hired as a stage hand in 2007 Peter was rehired as Festival’s summer stage manager in 2008 and each subsequent summer there after. Peter quickly attained the status of a much loved and much respected member of the production team. Since 2011 Peter has been a member of the management team at Festival Theatre where he is excited to help cultivate space for the theatre arts to flourish.
Jennifer Seeley - Finance Director
Jennifer Seeley joined our team as a bookkeeper in June of 2014, today she is our Finance Department! Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Accounting from UW River Falls. Jennifer is a local resident, residing here in St. Croix Falls since 2005, with her roots deepening in 2013 with a major remodel of her in town home. You may see her around town, at the school with her youngest son or at the library with her grandson that she and her adoring fiancé are raising. She is passionate about the success of all four of her boys, her community and St. Croix Festival Theatre!
Rachel Kuhnle - Arts Education Director and Artistic Associate
Rachel Kuhnle is an actor, director and the Arts Education Director at Festival Theatre. Rachel has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of South Carolina. She most recently appeared on the Festival Theatre stage as Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors and as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire and directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged and last season's The SantaLand Diaries. Rachel has also performed with The Commonweal Theatre Company (MN), Savage Umbrella (MN), Theatre South Carolina (SC), 3P/East (SC), and is a former company member of Trustus Theatre (SC). When not in the rehearsal room or teaching, Rachel can be heard complaining about how badly she needs a hobby.
Deeann Naegelen - Box Office Associate
DeeAnn Naegelen grew up near Cottage Grove Minnesota in a family of 5. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Crown College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Northwestern in Roseville. She met her husband Jeff during this time and married before her senior year in college. They have 3 children and currently live in Dresser, WI. Her daughters love acting and the Theatre, which propelled her to Festival Theatre's Box Office in 2015.
She loves attending the plays and seeing all the talented actors and actresses display their gifts on stage. She's an avid reader, loves to travel, (especially to warmer climates), enjoys hiking on local trails and bike rides with family, watching old movies, spending time in the flower gardens, cooking healthy meals on occasion, volunteering at her church, and cheering on her family in their various endeavors. And according to her co-workers, she is nice, helpful, and smiles with her eyes when greeting people....
She loves attending the plays and seeing all the talented actors and actresses display their gifts on stage. She's an avid reader, loves to travel, (especially to warmer climates), enjoys hiking on local trails and bike rides with family, watching old movies, spending time in the flower gardens, cooking healthy meals on occasion, volunteering at her church, and cheering on her family in their various endeavors. And according to her co-workers, she is nice, helpful, and smiles with her eyes when greeting people....
Josiah Laubenstein - Marketing Director and Artistic Associate
Josiah Laubenstein is happy to join Festival Theatre's Artistic Staff. He has enjoyed his time in St. Croix Falls, WI, onstage and off. He received his MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina. He has most recently appeared on Festival's stage in the 2017 season as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, Biff in Death of a Salesman, Joseph Cardin in The Children's Hour, Lenny in Rumors, and Birdboot in The Real Inspector Hound. He was a Resident Actor at The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in their Emerging Professional Residency, where he was onstage in A Christmas Carol, RepLab, and Peter and the Starcatchers as well as understudying Elwood in Harvey, and Stevie in Good People.
Other roles include: Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire at Festival Theatre, Ross in Macbeth at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Philario in Cymbeline at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Tusenbach in GlassBox Theatre's production of Hamlet and Tusenbach in Purgatory, Robert in Boeing Boeing at Theatre South Carolina, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps at Theatre South Carolina, Tusenbach in Three Sisters at Theatre South Carolina, Edgar in King Lear at Theatre South Carolina, Stephen in Line at the 13th Street Repertory, and Polyphemus and a member of the Ensemble at Park Square Theatre's Production of The Odyssey.
Other roles include: Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire at Festival Theatre, Ross in Macbeth at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Philario in Cymbeline at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Tusenbach in GlassBox Theatre's production of Hamlet and Tusenbach in Purgatory, Robert in Boeing Boeing at Theatre South Carolina, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps at Theatre South Carolina, Tusenbach in Three Sisters at Theatre South Carolina, Edgar in King Lear at Theatre South Carolina, Stephen in Line at the 13th Street Repertory, and Polyphemus and a member of the Ensemble at Park Square Theatre's Production of The Odyssey.
Seth Kaltwasser - Development Director
Seth Kaltwasser is an actor, playwright, teaching artist, and arts administrator, currently serving as Festival's Development Director. The world premiere of Seth’s play, This Untoward Generation!, was staged at Festival Theatre in August 2013. Seth holds a BA in Theatre from St. Ambrose University and has been involved with Festival Theatre since 2010.
