Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre (BDACT) held its annual membership meeting on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023 in Encore Hall. As the patrons assembled for a delicious brunch, Beaver Dam High School students performed several vocal selections from their musical last fall – Beauty and the Beast.
As the meeting came to order, Jim Flynn reminded patrons that some seats remained in the Kamps Auditorium that did not have name tags yet. Board President Emily Shier guided the group through the agenda, which included recognition for board members retiring from service – Kristie Lunde and Mark Lefeber. New board members John Dobbratz and Rick Ramirez were elected. A vote was also approved to update the bylaws with inclusive language and to accommodate new meeting technologies such as Zoom.
Board Secretary Mike Derr led the discussion about the theatre’s financial performance.
Managing Director David Alan Smith presented highlights of the upcoming year before a video recapping the 2022 season played.
Welcome New Board Members
John Dobbratz
John is in his seventh year teaching choir at Mayville High School where he is also the director of competitive show choir: the Cardinal Singers, pop a cappella group: Incognito, and the musicals. He is a graduate of Mayville High School and holds a degree in Musical Theatre from Viterbo University. He will be co-choreographing his third BDACT musical this summer and has performed on the BDACT stage a handful of times from The Sound of Music in 2001 to Welcome Home in 2021. Being someone who grew up in the area and returned after spending many years performing in repertory theaters, John was grateful to be part of the summer shows with BDACT. With a unique backstory and rich experiences directing and teaching, John is interested in bringing new faces, perspectives, and talent to this area.
Ricardo Ramirez
Rick was introduced to the BDACT in 1997 with the original Musical – Any Color You Like So Long as it’s Black. Annette Kamps was the playwright and that experience got him hooked on BDACT and the community. He has been an actor in many plays and musicals as well as director, stage manager, producer and writer. He loves the opportunities BDACT gives to our community and all who enter these doors. Rick wishes to help BDACT remain a strong participant in the community by being as active as possible in any way that gives back to the community.