PRT’s ‘boys of summer’ return to BVHS stage
Brandon Valley High School alums Jacob Hegland (from left), Isaiah Dietz and Braden Paulsen,have spent their summer in the spotlight as members of Prairie Repertory Theatre. PRT's summer run in Brandon contiues through Sunday, July 30. For tickets or to learn more about upcoming shows, call the Brandon box office at (605) 582-8039. Photo by Jamie Hult/BV Journal
They’ve been classmates, castmates and even roommates. Now Braden Paulsen, Jacob Hegland and Isaiah Dietz are finishing their first season together as rep mates in the Prairie Repertory Theatre troupe.
After co-starring in productions at Brandon Valley High School together, the trio graduated in 2016 and headed to South Dakota State University in Brookings. They filled their freshman year at SDSU with plays and, in June, all joined SDSU’s summer theatre company, ran by J.D. Ackman.
“Both Melanie Sittig and Kevin Brick are wonderful at preparing students at Brandon Valley,” Ackman said. “Those students come to us really well prepared and we like it that way.”
Paulsen stripped everything away for his role as Jerry in “The Full Monty,” about a group of everyday guys who resort to stripping for fast cash.
On Thursday night Paulsen worked backstage for the company’s debut of “Sister Act.” Dietz and Hegland played altar boys.
The three have appeared in a variety of productions throughout their first summer as rep mates. Hegland plays Nick, the lead, in “Over the River and Through the Woods,” which takes the stage next week. Dietz was Marty in “The Full Monty,” and Paulsen, who also had a lead role in “The Full Monty,” was one of only four characters in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” in which each actor played 16 roles.
Paulsen said he leans more toward musicals, while Hegland prefers the dramatic aspect of theatre.
So what advice would they offer budding young actors and actresses?
Go for it.
“I was always afraid to join theatre when I was younger,” Paulsen admitted. “Then I finally did it my sophomore year and it was one of the best decisions of my life. You just have to take the leap.”
Hegland agreed. “I had stage fright for years. Then I joined theater and soon I was addicted.”
Paulsen is majoring in music education at SDSU. Hegland is concentrating on engineering and Dietz is majoring in computer science.
Prairie Repertory Theatre’s three-show run of “Sister Act” will be presented tonight and Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Brandon Valley High School, followed by “Over the River and Through the Woods” July 26-28, also 7:30 p.m. shows. They’ll end the 2017 season with “The Full Monty” on Saturday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 30, which is a 2 p.m. matinee. Tickets for all of the shows are available at the Brandon box office or call (605) 582-8039.
