2018 South Dakota Shakespeare Festival Acting Company
Alyssa Anderson, Lady Anne
Alyssa Anderson is thrilled to be making her SDSF debut! She hails from California and was most recently seen as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. She is a proud alumni of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (2014.) Alyssa would like to thank her family & friends, Quinn Mattfeld, Cameron Rose, Jean Bruce Scott, and Randy Reinholz for their support!
Mimsi Janis, Buckingham
Mimsi Janis is an actor, playwright and teaching artist in the DC area. She has worked with Washington Stage Guild, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, NextStop Theatre Company, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Maryland Shakespeare Festival, and Vpstart Crow Productions. Mimsi holds an MFA in Acting from Catholic University.
Anaseini Katoa, Duchess of York, Lord Mayor
Anaseini Katoa is thrilled to be making her debut with the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival. Originally from California she is now based in NYC. Select past roles include Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice. She would like to thank her friends and family for all of their love and support, especially JT!
Mike Lee, Clarence, Dorset, Ratcliffe
Mike Lee is a professional actor living in New York City. He received his MFA from The University of Houston’s Professional Actor Training Program in 2015. Recent credits include Zeno in Romulus the Great for Empirical Theatre, Feste in Twelfth Night & Rivers in Richard III at Houston Shakespeare Festival, and Antipholus of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors at South Dakota Shakespeare Festival.
Jordan Mitchell, King Edward IV, Brakenbury, Archbishop
Jordan Mitchell is thrilled to be joining SDSF for his second summer! Last summer he was seen in A Comedy of Errors as Egeon and Pinch. Jordan received his education at the University of South Dakota Musical Theatre program. Other credits include The Toxic Avenger with Minneapolis Musical Theatre and To Kill a Mockingbird at the Black Hills Playhouse.
Shekendra Morgan, Catesby, 2nd Murderer
Shekendra Morgan is a Senior Acting major with a minor in sociology at USD. She was recently seen in Green Violin as Rivka and Yetta in Lives of Great Waitresses. This is her second summer with SDSF and she is so glad to be playing Catesby and 2nd Murderer with this amazing company.
Matt Nesmith, Lord Stanley, 1st Murderer, Music Director
Matt Nesmith is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the B.F.A. Musical Theatre program at USD. Recent roles include Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher, Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, Tito Morelli in Lend Me a Tenor, and Bert in Mary Poppins. Thanks to Jo, Holly, Teddy, and Margaret for their endless love and support!
Caleb Olson, Rivers, Sir James Blunt
Caleb Olson has been a resident of Vermillion since 2011, and is currently pursuing his BFA in Acting at the University of South Dakota. Stage roles include Vershinin in The Three Sisters, Dwight in Dead Man's Cellphone, Tartaglia and Puclinella in The Servant of Two Masters, and the Tutor in Medea. This is his first production with South Dakota Shakespeare Festival as well as his first experience performing in a Shakespeare play.
Jeff Raab, Richard
Jeff Raab is a New York City-based actor, musician, and theatre educator. He is thrilled to return to the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival after last year’s The Comedy of Errors. He has performed across the country with the Texas Shakespeare Festival, New Stage Theatre, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Arc Stages, White Plains Performing Arts Center, and Westchester Broadway Theater. Jeff is also an award-winning songwriter (NYIT Award, 12th Night), an internationally working teaching artist, and a professional origami artist. Training: NYU Steinhardt, Dell’Arte International, Circus Warehouse.
Henry Ellen Sansone, Hastings
Henry Ellen Sansone is delighted to be joining the SDSF! Henry recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Theatre Arts - Performance Creation. Favorite credits include Geryon (Autobiography of Red), Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Leo (In the Next Room, or the vibrator play). In August, he will be performing in the Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Rachel Smith, Queen Elizabeth
Rachel Smith just finished her Junior year at the University of South Dakota in the BFA musical theatre program. She is a Minneapolis native and is thrilled to be spending her first South Dakota summer with SDSF! She'd like to thank everyone at SDSF for this opportunity and her high school English teacher, Mrs. Merila, for her love of Shakespeare.
Katherine Tuminelly, Queen Margaret, Richmond
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Katherine Tuminelly is an actor, maker, and writer who recently returned to Minnesota after 18 years in New York. She could have been caught on stage anywhere from The New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park to the off-off Broadway theaters on St. Mark's Place. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Jackson Whitaker, Grey, Tyrrell
Jackson Whitaker is from the rainy city of the northwest, Seattle, Washington and is a current junior at University of South Dakota (USD) pursuing a B.F.A in Musical Theatre. Jackson would like to thank his amazing parents, Brian and Sonja, for always supporting and believing in him. Past performances: Kit Kat Boy, Cabaret; Kulygin, Three Sisters, and Laurie Laurence, Little Women, all at USD.
Young Company
Bella Drissell, Richard Duke of York
Bella Drissell is 15 years old and has been in many performances, including Ash Girl and Our Town, as well as working several seasons with Orange City Stages. This is her Shakespeare debut! She enjoyed attending SDSF’s last three shows, so the chance to be part of one is truly wonderful! Bella lives in Sioux Center, Iowa, with her parents, brother and sister.
Natalee Drissell, Edward Prince of Wales
Natalee Drissell is excited to perform with the SDSF for the first time. Natalee is from Sioux Center, IA, and has performed in a handful of theater productions including several with Missoula Children’s Theater and Orange City Stages. This is her first role in a Shakespeare production. She would like to thank her family for their support.
Elliza Mollman, Clarence's Daugher, Costume Shop Volunteer
Elliza Mollman is enjoying her 6th summer as a SDSF costume shop volunteer, and first summer onstage. She has performed in many productions, including USD's Pippin, The Pillow Man, and Six Characters in Search of an Author. Elliza lives on the prairie with her family, and likes reading, being outdoors with her brother, and talking to her chickens
Henry Mollman, Clarence's Son
Henry Mollman is 10 years old and a black belt in TaeKwonDo. He has two dogs, a cat, and eight chickens. He previously appeared as Mamillius in SDSF's production of The Winter’s Tale, and in USD productions of Seussical, Assassins, and Six Characters in Search of an Author. Henry would like to thank his sister for being his inspiration.