Executive Board

Leslie Magnusson Hildyard, President

Leslie Magnusson Hildyard began her brief acting career as Eliza in My Fair Lady, while performing for Central High School in the Historic Theater.  A Rapid City native, she attended the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for undergraduate work and the University of Colorado for her Masters in Business Administration.  She spent 30 years in Phoenix raising a family and working for Procter & Gamble.  Since retiring to Rapid City, she is the Past Board President of the Hope Center and American Association of University Women, and she currently serves on the South Dakota Public Broadcasting Board.  She comes from a very musical family, plays the piano, and sings for the joy of it.  She is absolutely delighted to be able to contribute to Rapid City's impressive Black Hills Community Theatre.  ​

Kara Flynn, Vice President

Kara Flynn was born and raised in Sioux Falls and moved to Rapid City in 2004.  She and her husband Leo have two sons, Leo and Nathaniel, who are active in local music programs. She holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree in Geography from South Dakota State University. A former planner, she is currently the Executive Director of the Rapid City Public School Foundation.  Kara was the Education Co-Chair for the City of Rapid City’s Cultural Plan in 2016 and has been involved in funding and promoting the arts in Rapid City ever since.  Kara is a former member of the local singing group TRASH and believes a thriving arts scene provides area citizens the opportunity to participate in the arts as both performer and consumer. 

Katelyn Woten, Treasurer

Kate Woten is a CPA at the local accounting firm, Casey Peterson, LTD. She has been on the BHCT Board of Directors since 2019 and is currently acting as Treasurer and Chair of the Development Committee for the organization. Theater is one of Kate’s long-time passions as, “Arts, especially theater, provide the means to express the emotions that are so often suppressed in daily life and activity.” She feels it has been inspiring to meet and interact with the Black Hills Community Theater community. From the actors and actresses, to the technical designers and producers, the staff, and the patrons, the strong supportive and creative environment has been a refreshing atmosphere to participate in. Kate hopes to be able to volunteer more with productions for the upcoming season.

Alicia Garcia, Secretary

Alicia anchors KOTA Territory News at 10pm. She also produces Consumer Reports®. Alicia has been part of the KOTA Territory News team for 25 years. She splits her time between working as a part of the KOTA News Team and representing clients in her law practice focusing on protecting the rights of consumers.  Alicia is also the Director of the KOTA Care and Share Food Drive which raises tens of thousands of dollars each year to help feed the hungry in the Black Hills. She participates in theater with the Black Hills Community Theater as often as she can. ​

Peggy Vidal, Past President

Peggy Vidal is honored to be on her second term as a Black Hills Community Theatre board member.  A true theatre enthusiast and sometimes actor, Peggy enjoys all aspects of the creative process, from auditions (maybe not), to opening night, and being behind the scenes with her other dedicated board members. In addition to enjoying theatre, Peggy likes attending concerts, traveling, kayaking, and spending time with her family. She is a communications manager at Black Hills Energy and is proud to work for a company that supports the arts!
​

Board Members

John Dorsey

John Dorsey is a Managing Partner of  Whiting, Hagg & Dorsey, LLP and he and his wife of 29 years are the proud parents of two children.  John's exposure to theater was very limited until he had the opportunity to play Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins in 2015.  The experience he had was truly one of a community of people who supported one another—and those that had much to learn were received with open arms and given guidance and encouragement. Since that positive experience, he has been a fervent supporter of BHCT. Outside of theater, John has also coached various sports teams and loves to sing whenever he gets the chance.

Carolyn Linn

Photo and Bio Coming Soon!

Teresa McDevitt

Born outside of Philadelphia, Teresa has had the amazing experience of living multiple places thanks to her husband who served in the Navy. She received her BA in Business from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as well as her Master’s in Education.  After retiring from teaching in 2022 and moving to the beautiful Black Hills, the 24-Hour Play Festival reignited an earlier passion to be involved with all aspects of theater. Since then, Teresa has helped BHCT with costuming, administrative tasks, and is a proud member of the Well Done Players.  She still enjoys working with children in the area schools as a substitute teacher, volunteers with the Teammates program and also with organizations at her church.  Teresa is excited to assist the board in their mission to bring the joy of live theater to everyone in the community. 

Bernie McFarling

Bernie is a military brat, so "home" has been many different places, to include Germany, Guam and the Philippines. She is also an Air Force veteran and her husband, Dave, is an Air Force retiree. Since moving to Rapid City 7 years ago, Bernie has been the Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Director for Ellsworth AFB. She has a BA in Sociology from St Edward's University and earned her Master's degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. As a member of BHCT's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, she has enjoyed the collaborative efforts with her fellow committee members as they work to make local theater more accessible to everyone in our community. Bernie loves the theater and is excited to support BHCT and honored to serve on the Board.  ​

Kandyce Meinhardt

Kandyce joined the board in 2020, after being a part of the BHCT family as a Cherry Street parent the past 4 years. Her love a theatre started with One Act plays at Montgomery High School (TX). Having been born and spending childhood summers in the Black Hills she knew that is where she wanted to raise a family. Kandyce has two spirited daughters (Lydoux and Onora) with her husband, Walt. She is a financial advisor with Edward Jones. Kandyce enjoys volunteering (school, church, theatre and The Boys Club), coaching (softball), socializing and being reminded just how blessed she is through spending time with family. 
​
​

Kim Rensch

Kim Rensch is a theatre lover and advocate. She has resided in Rapid City for 30 years is an avid reader and gardener. She and her loving husband raised 4 sons in Rapid City and is proud of the community that supported them all. Kim has worn many hats over the years, most recently as an Independent Cabi Stylist. Working with and for the BHCT Board is rewarding and enlightening for her.

Shannon Truax

Born in New Jersey and raised in Chamberlain, SD, Shannon has called Rapid City home since 1999. As the mother of five children, she has dabbled in supporting various sports, arts, and entertainment organizations over the years. Now that her children are all grown, she is excited to have the freedom to try new things.

Her first foray into BHCT at an Actors Boot Camp sparked a previously undiscovered interest in Community Theater. To foster her new found passion, Shannon is excited to participate in productions, as well as serve on the Board of Directors. In her free time she can be found reading, camping, playing board games, cooking, watching football, or toodling around on her motorcycle.

Jan Woodruff

As a child of an Air Force service member, Jan grew up moving around to different bases throughout the world, ending up in Minot, ND.  She attended Minot State University and transferred to NDSU in Fargo, ND, where she earned her degree in Interior Design.  Jan met her husband, Rob, while working as a designer in Minneapolis, MN. They spent time in Louisville, KY, and Houston, TX, before settling in Rapid City. Together they have two daughters, Isla and Emilia. Jan currently manages their busy family and volunteers with their schools and activities. She thoroughly enjoys supporting their involvement with Cherry Street Players and other BHCT productions and events. In recent years, she has helped BHCT with fundraising efforts and the Holiday Dinner Theater Committee. Jan looks forward to working with the BHCT board and talented community of artists here in the beautiful Black Hills. ​