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 Board of Directors
Sydney Paredes (Board Chair), Therese Durkin, Carol Lenhart, Meg Luhrs, Melanie Nelson, Cherie Ollman, Don Anderson, Mark Baer, Sue Mathews, and Al Scheideler. Click HERE for Board Member page.
Our Staff
Seth Kaltwasser and Jaclyn Johnson- Co-Artistic Directors
Seth Kaltwasser is an actor, playwright, teaching artist, and arts administrator, and has returned as Festival's Co-Artistic Direcors! The world premiere of Seth’s new play, This Untoward Generation!, was staged at Festival Theatre in August 2013. When you can’t find Seth in the St. Croix Valley, he’s likely revisiting his stomping grounds around the Quad Cities, where he recently became a company member at The Curtainbox Theatre Company. Seth holds a B.A. in Theatre from St. Ambrose University.
Jaclyn Johnson is a theatre and visual artist, and Festival Theatre's Co-Artistic Director. 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, and in addition to her administration leadership, Jaclyn shares her talents on stage, acting, directing and improvising, now in her seventh season at Festival. Originally from Minneapolis, MN, Jaclyn now resides in Dresser, WI, where she lives with her two lovely cats and her equally lovely fiancé. When she is not in rehearsal or working at the theatre, which is rare, Jaclyn enjoys taking in the beauty of the St. Croix River Valley, painting, drawing and writing. Jaclyn wishes to send thanks to her lovely family, friends, colleagues, teammates and to you for your support and attention to the arts.
Jaclyn Johnson is a theatre and visual artist, and Festival Theatre's Co-Artistic Director. 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, and in addition to her administration leadership, Jaclyn shares her talents on stage, acting, directing and improvising, now in her seventh season at Festival. Originally from Minneapolis, MN, Jaclyn now resides in Dresser, WI, where she lives with her two lovely cats and her equally lovely fiancé. When she is not in rehearsal or working at the theatre, which is rare, Jaclyn enjoys taking in the beauty of the St. Croix River Valley, painting, drawing and writing. Jaclyn wishes to send thanks to her lovely family, friends, colleagues, teammates and to you for your support and attention to the arts.
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.
Abi Leveille- Marketing Assistant
Since starting her work with Festival last year as both a Marketing Assistant and Guest Artist, Abi has appeared as a member of the Sew Good Improv troupe, as Eunice Hubbel in A Streetcar Named Desire, and has stage managed for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] and A Christmas Carol.
She graduated from Lawrence University in 2014, where she studied theatre and neuroscience. There, she was a founding member of Greyfell Theatre Company, where she directed Sitting with Strangers and Jonah while serving on the marketing and social media teams. She appeared onstage as Rosalind in As You Like It, Mrs Fiorentino in Street Scene and was a member of The Optimistic Feral Children, a comedy improv troupe. When not at Festival she is a member of Black Dirt Improv in Hastings, MN and continues her work with youth at Northwest Passage.
She graduated from Lawrence University in 2014, where she studied theatre and neuroscience. There, she was a founding member of Greyfell Theatre Company, where she directed Sitting with Strangers and Jonah while serving on the marketing and social media teams. She appeared onstage as Rosalind in As You Like It, Mrs Fiorentino in Street Scene and was a member of The Optimistic Feral Children, a comedy improv troupe. When not at Festival she is a member of Black Dirt Improv in Hastings, MN and continues her work with youth at Northwest Passage.
Elizabeth Albers- Arts Education Coordinator
Elizabeth Albers is a recent graduate from Illinois Wesleyan University with her BFA in Acting and Festival Theatre's Arts Education Coordinator. While at Illinois Wesleyan she appeared in The Memory of Water, Treasure, The Drowsy Chaperone and Where in the World is Frank Sparrow. While at Festival Theatre, she has played Poppy in Noises Off, Christmas Past/Caroline/Laundress in A Christmas Carol, and was in the ensemble of A Streetcar Named Desire.
