Bill Beyer, Performance Director
Bill Beyer began his theatre career at the University of Wisconsin Center System- Marinette at the age of 14. The community theatre attached to the University was called Theatre on the Bay. TOB performed three shows of summer stock every summer and various shows throughout the year.
Bill first got involved in theatre in the summer of 1979 when he had a small chorus role in Music Man. Coming into the production late as "kid #4" Bill was soon hooked on theatre. The following summer Herb Williams, who was the Theatre Director offered Bill the job of Props Master for the summer's production of My Fair Lady. For the summers of 1980-1984 Bill worked every show. From this experience Bill developed a strong connection with My Fair Lady.
Over the years, Bill worked with Mr. Williams and learned from him varied aspects of theatre management and production. Over the summers, Bill learned set design and construction, lighting and sound, staging, stage managing and producing. He also assisted his sister who was working the Box Office for those summers. Through the summers, Bill drank up every aspect of theatre he could learn from the people both in front of the house and in back.
During the school year he was involved in high school productions. Working with the director, Jeanne LaFave, Bill was able to continue learning all he could about theatre and the production arts. When Bill began his college career he took theatre management and production courses with Mr. Williams as his professor. Bill wishes to dedicate his work on the production of My Fair Lady to Herb Williams his mentor and teacher.
Over the years, Bill had not only worked the back of the stage, but also worked on stage. He served several roles that have given him some good experience in all aspects of theatre. With the welcome instruction of Herb Williams, Bill has given theatre a special place not only in his life, but his ministry as well.
While Bill was in seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, he also produced and directed their production of God's Favorite by Neil Simon. While Bill was the Executive Director of a bible camp in Northern Illinois, he ran the theatre camp for two summers. During that camp, he taught the youth the finer arts of improvisation, Commedia Dell'arte, stand up comedy and performance theatre.
One of the highlights of Bill's performance "career" was while he attended Carthage College, he was given the opportunity to perform improvisation with Jim Belushi.