Kevin Brustuen is dedicated to history and to the notion of storytelling, and thus is interested in the ways that theater conveys thought-provoking situations to its audience members.

Kevin has worked for several nonprofit organizations, taking him to Lithuania, Mali, Uganda, South Africa, and other countries. He has been involved in the International Council of Systems Engineers, U.S. Agency of International Development, USDA Soils Labs, and several political campaigns at local and national levels.

Joe has performed in the Bozeman theatre community for a number of years, principally with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Montana Theatreworks, Montana InSite Theatre, and Bozeman Actors Theatre. Based originally out of Chicago, Faifer has made Bozeman his permanent home and is eager to contribute to southwestern Montana’s theatre culture, especially with his contributions as artistic director for Bozeman Actors Theatre.

“It brings me extraordinary joy and excitement to be joining Bozeman Actor’s Theatre as Artistic Director. For the better half of a decade, I’ve been lucky to work alongside some of the most talented Montana artists and performers; witnessing first hand their passion. With the rich history behind Bozeman Actor’s Theatre and Montana’s many arts organizations, I believe together we can, and will, sustain a thriving arts community that is welcoming to all.”

Chris has lived and worked in Bozeman for more than two decades, bringing with him a great enjoyment of live theater and the arts. He also served as the President of the Library Foundation during its successful campaign to raise private funds for the City’s Public Library on East Main Street.

Mehl’s work has focused on public policy and community service, most recently as Mayor and City Commissioner for Bozeman for ten years. He has served as Policy Director at Headwaters Economics and as Communications Director for the Northern Rockies Office of The Wilderness Society. Earlier, he worked in Washington, D.C. as Press Secretary for Members of Congress. Mehl enjoys hiking, biking, and skiing every known trail in Montana.

Sara Jayne Steen is president emerita of Plymouth State University and was a professor of English and dean of the College of Letters and Science at Montana State University. At MSU she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Shakespeare and other early modern writers, led seminars in playwriting, and for four years co-hosted the Northwest Regional Playwriting Competition. She also enjoyed taking Shakespeare into local elementary schools. Her recent co-edited collection, Authorizing Early Modern European Women. From Biography to Biofiction (2022), treats current plays, films, novels, and biographies that re-create early modern women for contemporary audiences. Other interests include music and travel.

Gretchen Minton is a professor of English at MSU, with a specialization in Shakespeare and early modern drama, eco-criticism, textual editing, performance studies, and the English Reformation. She brings Shakespeare to life for all her students, inculcating them with a deep love for the performing arts. Her interests beyond theatre include backpacking, hiking, climbing, and music. She plays clarinet with Bozeman’s Second String Orchestra. She is also an award-winning author, having won the Montana Book of the Year award and the High Plains book award for her 2020 book, Shakespeare in Montana: Big Sky Country’s Love Affair with the World’s Most Famous Writer.

Minton also serves as dramaturg for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

Mercy Simpson was born, raised, and educated here in beautiful Bozeman Montana. Over the past ten years, she has collaborated with local non-profits and not-for-profit theatres in the Bozeman area. Her most recent work with BAT was as Prop Master, Costume Coordinator, and Assistant Stage Manager for their production of Born With Teeth. She is passionate about elucidating human issues through site-specific storytelling and aims to enrich the people of Bozeman one tale at a time.

Marc Beaudin has worked in theatre professionally for over 20 years as a director, scenic designer and technical director at venues ranging from unheated warehouses and art galleries to a 1000-seat, state-of-the-art theatre. He was a founding artistic director of The 303 Collective and the Caldera Theatre Company. Directing favorites include Macbeth, Amadeus, Fear & Misery of the Third Reich, Proof and No Exit. His poetry and other writings have been published in numerous journals and collected in the books Life List: Poems, Vagabond Song: Neo-haibun from the Peregrine Journals, and on the album From Coltrane to Coal Train: An Eco-Jazz Suite. Several original plays have been produced on stages in Michigan, Minneapolis and Montana. He lives in Livingston, where he is the co-owner of Elk River Books.