Theatrical Renaissance

In this fresh era of local theatre and entertainment, taste-making storytellers and creators are descending upon Sioux Falls — and they’re bringing multi-disciplinary talent to the function. We talked to four such game-changing performing artists for our second Renaissance Issue, tapping into how the performing arts are exponentially increasing their impact in our fair city.

Pictured: Rachel Smith, local performing artist and choreographer with a degree from University of South Dakota; performer and choreographer with the Premiere Playhouse in productions such as Cabaret, Oklahoma and Freaky Friday; performer with the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival; one-time development officer of the Premiere Playhouse; and 2024 Stage Award winner for Best Choreography for the Premiere Playhouse’s Oklahoma (Credit: Peter Chapman)

What’s the value in versatility as a performing arts professional?

Rachel Smith: The value in it for me is being able to stay involved in the theatre scene after having a kid. It’s a lot harder to be at nightly rehearsals and long, late rehearsals once you have a baby. But if you can adapt and try other things, then there are a lot more opportunities out there for you to stay involved. That’s kind of what pushed me into becoming a choreographer. And now that's primarily what I love doing. So that alongside just having the opportunity and the flexibility within these local theatre organizations where I can bring my kid with me. The last show I did, Freaky Friday, he was on my hip the entire time I was teaching choreography. And I think with other theatre communities, that wouldn't be as much of an opportunity or would maybe be viewed as unprofessional, but I think Sioux Falls is really special in the way that it's family-oriented and flexible with its artists.

Jesse Jensen: A similar experience. I was a stay-at-home dad for a long time, so when I was teaching theatre in Chicago, I used to put my oldest, who's now graduated and going on to college in the fall, in the Baby Bjorn with me while I taught third and fourth graders. He became sort of the mascot for the program. So I am just glad Sioux Falls is that sort of space that I could continue to work on that while I was taking care of three kids — being accommodating to that. There’s value in continuing the tradition of what theatre is in terms of education. It's a safe place, it's an inclusive place. I know a lot of people think it's just the extroverted kids who want to do theatre, but a lot of really interesting actors are kids who are introverted. They're inside their own head the whole time and they get to spill it out. That's when you get to see some really fun, interesting things.

My wife is a physician — a pediatric specialist over at the Sanford Castle. So when we moved here in 2013, she kept busy. But there were opportunities for me to take care of the kids and go teach after school at the Washington Pavilion or at the Playhouse. I was really happy with the educational offerings, but the artistic offerings I'd want to level up were maybe shows that are just for adults. But now you've got theatre companies that have popped up with their own little niche and their own perspective, their own point of view, and telling the stories that they think a community like this should hear. And I don't think a lot of communities this size necessarily have that.

Matt Morrison: I would agree. I think that the thing that makes it so fun to be multidisciplinary is that there are so many interesting things happening. Regardless of what angle you're coming at it from, there is a place to create. And for someone like me, it's really been great because I've been able to work with so many different people in so many different arenas, in so many different capacities. To make these meaningful connections and really feel like a part of a community. And again, I think that oftentimes in the arts there is that competitive aspect to it, and yet I really see that melting here quite a bit because there's so much crossover and so much collaboration creating opportunity for us to champion the art that everyone else is creating. So it's a great community for that kind of diversification.

JJ: Absolutely. I remember reading and practicing some of what was called “vibrancy theory” 15 years ago. And a concept that I became enamored with was “coopetition.” And we have a lot of that coopetition culture here that’s sort of sprung up naturally. I think we all like to wear a lot of hats. We like what that company's doing and that company's doing, and we just want to make it all work. And so in the community, there's a lot of crossover. I mean a lot of us have worked on different projects for different companies and I think there's even more room for growth, more room for talent, more room for people to come in and share their talents.

Whitney Rappana: I think it's because even though there's so much going on, there's still such a need for people. There's a need for the support, there's a need for the problem-solving. Every company, the new ones and the ones that have been around for a decade or more, are still trying to level up. And so I think having a large skillset is always valuable in helping companies achieve that.

How do you feel the appetite for performing arts has evolved over the past decade or more?

JJ: I did have the opportunity to direct God of Carnage (in 2014) at Sioux Empire Community Theatre. And I think with those kinds of shows, a lot of it has to do with the venue. I think people do want to see those shows, but there's no sense in renting out a facility that is 686 seats like the Orpheum or even 300 seats at the Belbas when you know that your audience is probably 90 to 100 a night. To make the economics of that work, it's just very hard to take that financial risk, even if your goal is to just break even. Where can you do that kind of show and then feel like you're giving a good theatrical experience to an older audience that is looking to quench the appetite for that type of show? A theater with arena seating, 100-150 flexible seating somewhere downtown or close to downtown — that would be the perfect place. It’s what we don't have right now, and that would be a great solution.

MM: I do think that we're seeing probably a broader palette for the community in terms of what art they're interested in taking in. And a lot of that has to do with the quality of the productions that are happening. I brought my in-laws to (Monstrous Little Theatre Company and the Good Night Theatre Collective’s) The Vibrator Play. I was already a Good Night fan. And everything that Monstrous has ever done has been incredibly thought-provoking and you do not leave with a sense of resolution. It sits with you for some time. And talking to my mother-in-law a few days after having seen the show, that was exactly her experience. I know that someone like her is much more likely now to check out more of that type of theatre because there's that trust that you develop over time with the creators that you take a chance on.

RS: I definitely think there is a growing appetite for alternative styles of theatre and performance that has grown even just since I've been here, about four years. Even in that time, I've been really impressed with the audiences in Sioux Falls and what they come to and what they're interested in. I mean, even having events at Club David or things at Icon, people get really excited about the idea of these events that are in transitional spaces and think, “Oh, I can get a beer and see some theatre.” People love that kind of thing. There’s definitely this kind of punk-rock underbelly in Sioux Falls that I think includes a hunger for things that push the boundaries. So it's a combination of trusting that people will come and being able to sell that to the people who are deciding the season and just not being afraid to take that risk. Even in a town that leans toward maybe not being as welcoming to that. But it's coming. You definitely feel it percolating, and I think that it's only going to grow and grow.

WR: But I also think, while the audiences have more of a hunger, I think the artists do, too. The artists want to try new things. They want to stretch and keep growing, where even just a few years ago when I moved here, I think it's evolved into being more passion projects and more stories that people need to tell versus it being just a hobby to hang out with friends. Both have value, but I really see an evolution in the reason why people are doing the art, which is fun.

Pictured: Jesse Jensen, local performer, director, writer and theatre educator; production director for Mighty Corson Art Players, including [title of show]; production director with the Premiere Playhouse, including Lombardi and Young Frankenstein; production director with Theatre Lab, including Other Desert Cities and Love Letters; practiced stage combat choreographer, improv instructor and production manager; past theatre educator with Raven Theatre Chicago; and 2022 Stage Award winner for Best Director for the Premiere Playhouse’s Lombardi (Credit: Peter Chapman)

What recent local projects you’ve worked on most fulfilled you?

RS: For me, probably (the Premiere Playhouse’s) Young Frankenstein. It was the first show that I was the sole choreographer for — the first in my career. It’s a huge dance show, and there are all these different styles of dance in it, but it's also known for its really big Broadway numbers. So it was really terrifying for me. But I was so proud of it. It was something so new for me and something that I'd wanted to try for such a long time. I think in a lot of other places I probably wouldn't have gotten that opportunity. I didn't have a résumé for it. I had friends who knew I was a dancer who kind of had seen some of the choreography projects I've worked on in college, but they trusted me to do a big show, which was probably a really risky choice on their end. Jesse (Jensen) was the director for that one and it was great having someone really gracious to navigate that with. I'm really proud of how that one came together and that tap number will live in my head forever. No one in the show had ever put on taps before — maybe two of them had ever even worn tap shoes — and they knocked it out of the park. That show was really special.

JJ: I love bringing an idea that's in someone's brain all the way to fruition, so I still love writing in that respect. One of my most satisfying projects was forming a company with Chris Andrews and Patrick Pope back in 2013-ish. We did some shows to raise some money and eventually our goal was to go on to the Minnesota Fringe Festival. We started out with a call to writers, created a writer's room, selected some of the best ideas based off of a concept mix and match and ended up being kind of a sketch comedy show with a true storytelling arc. And we got selected for the fringe festival, so then it started a ticking clock where we knew we had to produce something. It was just the most satisfying thing once it was on stage and we got those first few laughs. And then of course we were exhausted afterwards and that led to a bit of a hiatus, but we're still always thinking of ideas, whether it's Patrick or Chris or other folks who were involved with this.

WR: I'm really proud of the work that I've done with Good Night, the two productions that I've been fortunate enough to direct. I did Miracle on 34th Street and then The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee this past year. And I think both times the actors come in thinking that this will be just a little play and it kind of turns into something more than they expected. I've just really been fortunate and grateful to kind of flex that muscle. I've worked in such small theatre and I’m told that rough-and-ready theatre is my niche. And so to be able to do bigger things with Good Night has been a lot of fun.

MM: I have two — one is Midtown Coffee Radio Hour. It is such a unique setting, essentially based on the same kind of premise as A Prairie Home Companion or Live from Here. And it's a ride. I mean, you're not only dealing with the multidisciplinary side of playing an instrument and singing, but we include sketches. Especially these last few shows, we're beginning to have just a little more stage banter, just a little more of that unprompted interaction that really is very much about the relationship that we've developed as a crew. I always love a good challenge. Usually I'm playing bass and I'm singing third-part harmony, but occasionally I'll wind up on trumpet or I'll wind up on bells or I'll wind up with a harmonium, because it's just the color that that song needs. My other one, I have to say, would be (Good Night’s) Company, because that was the first and last time that Amy (Morrison) and I ever got to play opposite each other. And she was just brilliant in that show and it was such a special cast to be able to create that with as well. So that one will always live in a very special place.

Pictured: Matt Morrison, local vocalist, instrumentalist and actor with degrees in music education, trumpet performance and divinity; collective member with the Good Night Theatre Collective, including productions of Company and Salem; one half of instrumental duo Common Ground; performer with Midtown Coffee Radio Hour; pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church; and 2024 Stage Award winner for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Good Night’s Miracle on 34th Street (Credit: Peter Chapman)

What has been a recent arts project you weren’t a part of that really resonated with you?

RS: Headlights Theater. Oh my gosh. When they performed at the Sioux Falls Stage Awards, I was just blown away by that. I had no idea that kind of dance talent was in Sioux Falls — incredible, professional dancers that just blow your socks off. That was one that just completely took me by surprise. Brilliant and absolutely beautiful. As someone who used to dance, but doesn't dance anymore outside of the capacity of choreography, that excited me. I thought, “Oh, maybe there's this space for adults to come back to dancing,” with LiRa (Dance Theatre Company) providing that, as well. Really exciting opportunities for people who either used to dance or have maybe always wanted to dance. There's a place for it, and that's not something that many communities have.

WR: I agree. I think the dance community here is really amazing. It's growing, but also the talent and the passion for it here is something I did not expect, and it's really been beautiful to watch.

JJ: For me, it was God of Carnage when Good Night did it. I was like, “Oh gosh, I missed those auditions! That is the show I've always wanted to do, always.” Good Night has great actors, so you didn't need me. I loved that show, so that would probably be my answer.

MM: For me, I point to (Good Night’s) Spring Awakening — just such an impactful show, beautifully performed, incredibly staged, beautifully lit. There just was no aspect of that show that wasn't completely captivating and just heartbreaking. I mean, it was such a powerful show across the board. And again, one of those shows you would never think to bring to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. But it was definitely a show that had a message that people needed to hear, and it was done just beautifully.

JJ: I’d love to shout out Improv Falls, too. I just missed improv, and I love them. Do they have a name for their fans? They should have one. “Fallsheads?”

[Laughter]

RS: Along similar lines of Spring Awakening, (Premiere Playhouse’s) Hair comes to mind, too. It was bold, and that takes some guts to put on something like that. And at least from the outside when you watched it, it just seemed like there was no fear at any step of the way with the actors, with the director. Yeah, just brave. Exciting.

WR: I think what the Premiere Playhouse is doing with The Premiere Premieres is really cool. And I love watching those shows, because I'm not a writer. That's one thing that I just have never really branched out to do. And I think that when I watch those shows, I admire the people who had the guts and were brave enough to put something on paper that is really, super vulnerable. And also for the playhouse to produce it and bring it to life is really cool.

JJ: That is definitely an investment worth supporting. It is an absolute luxury to get basically a version of the playwright’s vision of their words. You see a lot of staged readings, maybe half-produced, but to get your work fully produced, that is a trick. I'd like to see those shows not just have their moment here, but continue to develop and maybe even move on elsewhere.

Pictured: Whitney Rappana, local actor, vocalist, director, choreographer and producer with an undergraduate degree in theatre and music and master’s in acting with a directing emphasis; producing coordinator and board member with Monstrous Little Theatre Company; collective member with the Good Night Theatre Collective, including productions of Little Women, Sense & Sensibility and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; pursuing her intimacy choreographer diploma, having consulted on productions such as In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play; and 2024 Stage Award winner for Best Direction of a Musical for Good Night’s Miracle on 34th Street (Credit: Peter Chapman)

As multi-disciplinary artists, what’s the discipline you don’t particularly excel at but most admire in others?

MM: Well, I will start with dancing, because I am one of the more awkward dancers that you could ask for. And I'm always happy to be put in a corner with bad lighting when I have to do choreography. But it is one of those things that I've always had a huge appreciation for. Not only the discipline that it takes to condition yourself to be able to do that, but the artistry of motion is something that's just captivating in a way that very few other mediums can convey.

JJ: I am so bad at costumes. I am bad with fabric. My wife makes fun of me when I need to fold something or put a pillow inside a pillow cover — I cannot, there is something wrong with my brain in terms of fabric that makes it uncontrollable for me. And so when I get a costumer who comes in and I give my director's presentation, it's the category where I feel like I have the least to give. So working with Brittney (Lewis) on Young Frankenstein, seeing these sketches that are exactly what I was thinking, it’s beautiful. Watching them come to realization, watching them get built — it’s so satisfying.

RS: Stage management. I don't want to touch it with a 10-foot pole and it scares the crap out of me. I don't have the organizational skills, I don't have the communication skills. There is so much that goes into being a good stage manager that I don't think is in my toolbox of things that I know how to do. So I always have the utmost respect for stage managers. They just seem to have it all on lock at every moment and know every answer to every question. And they save shows every day.

WR: Mine is writing. I have so many ideas and I just don't have the brain power or the courage or the willpower to even try to put it on paper. And so writers I admire so much. To get feelings and thoughts and characters on paper is so impressive to me. It's something I'll never do.

What’s missing in the Sioux Falls performing arts scene?

JJ: I do feel like there's a bottleneck in venues — not just venues that make economic sense, or venues that would cater to a smaller audience and to lower financial risk. But there’s also the idea of a theater-going experience, where you might have to sacrifice amenities and experience alongside that.

RS: This is kind of an abstract answer, but I feel like what's really lacking in Sioux Falls is trust from the community. My job at the Premiere Playhouse was in development and fundraising, and it was so challenging to convince a lot of the people in the community that this is something worthwhile and something worth doing — something that changes lives. And I think that that's the other bottleneck in Sioux Falls. The understanding that what makes a healthy, vibrant community is having a healthy, vibrant arts community. Everyone talks about how they want professional theatre opportunities. They want to be paid. Every theatre company wants to be able to pay our actors and our designers. And I think that when things are really going to explode in Sioux Falls is when we can start getting the trust from the important people in our community and the legislature, the people who are making decisions behind the scenes. We need their trust that this is something worth investing in. And right now I feel like it's trending the opposite way. I feel like we're losing a lot of support and a lot of support in diversity, equity and inclusion. We're losing a lot of that. And that's the stuff that makes communities vibrant and makes communities livable and exciting for the people inside of it.

(Credit: Peter Chapman)

JJ: I've mentioned this on Dave Holly's podcast how it would be really great to just explore the economics of theatre in Sioux Falls. I think it would really help people realize a lot of how theatre projects require so many stakeholders to be invested, because labor will always increase in cost. And theatre can only sell so many tickets. So there's just something to be said about exploring, honestly as a community, the economics of it. So we understand why actors aren’t always getting paid for this. I think it would be very revealing.

WR: One thing that's been on my mind a lot is accessibility. And this comes to venues, because when we're looking for spaces, we're looking for spaces that all people can access. And I love that the Premiere Playhouse usually has one performance letting people know that they can step out if they need to. Or sometimes performances that have subtitles. And I love that. Sensory-friendly. For the collab that Monstrous and Good Night just did, we had sign-language interpreters, which was huge. I would love to always have that. And it comes back to funding and locating the money. And so I feel like that's the next big thing that's been on my mind. I want theatre to be for everyone. And that's really, really hard for these smaller companies that are still every season just trying to get our feet under us. It’s the beauty of art. It’s the struggle that you kind of sign up for as an artist. And, at the same time, that's just a hurdle that I feel like we need to all kind of get over somehow.

MM: I'll come at accessibility from a little different angle, just from an education standpoint. I love the fact that we have very strong programs in town. I love seeing what TPP is doing. I love seeing what Spotlight (Theatre Company) is doing, and we show up to pretty much everything that we possibly can. And yet there's also the recognition that not every kid has access to that kind of education. And that comes back to the funding and the donor support to a high degree. How do we provide on-ramps for kids to be able to investigate things that they're interested in and begin to get an experience of, not only whether they’d enjoy doing this, but also the community aspects that result from it. So that that's certainly an area I see. And of course, I think there's also a lack of available educators in certain arenas. That's the main reason that Amy opened Effervescent Voice Academy — because she was turning down students every single week. She knew the only way to multiply her impact was to multiply herself, by investing in other teachers and creating a space that we could collaborate in. So even once we have the teachers, there still has to be the financial availability for those that may lack it.

WR: And that's a really difficult conversation to navigate sometimes, because we're trying to treat this like a profession. Our goal, our dream is that people could possibly make a living here being an artist. And at the same time, to make it accessible for everyone, you have to donate a lot of your resources and your time. And it's kind of a double-edged sword.

MM: At Effervescent, we're actually in conversation with our partners at TPP and at Spotlight to where, if they have a student that they see has an ability, but they know that financially the family may not be able to support taking that next step and getting them more specialized training, we have a conversation, we figure out a way. And it’s a drop in the bucket, but it’s something.