Ryan is originally from Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he began doing theatre at a young age and eventually graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Theatre. Since graduating, he has worked as a stage manager, director and production assistant for Northern State University, Northern Fort Playhouse and Aberdeen Community Theatre in Northeastern South Dakota and for Egads! Theatre Company, Spinning Tree Theatre, Kansas City Fringe Festival, St. Peters Players and The Monocle in Kansas City, MO. Ryan was the Box Office Manager for La Crosse Community Theatre in La Crosse, Wisconsin for 3 seasons, where he was also a teaching artist, actor, stage manager, and director. Highlights of his time in La Crosse include Assistant Directing the national community theatre premiere of Billy Elliot, stage managing Wit and appearing in touring productions of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Stuart Little.
Since arriving in the Black Hills in 2017, Ryan has appeared onstage in Black Hills Community Theatre's mainstage productions of Annie (Ensemble), Macbeth (Lennox), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble) and Sister Act (Joey) and in the staged readings of The Laramie Project (Moises Kaufman), The Thanksgiving Play (Jaxton), Stop Kiss (George) and The Lifespan of a Fact (Jim Fingal). For BHCT, he has also Stage Managed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gypsy, The Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, The Full Monty, The Who’s Tommy and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (2021), Assistant Directed Urinetown and directed Lend Me a Tenor, Matilda (2022), and Shrek and play readings of Angels in America, Silent Sky and Quattuor Equites. Ryan also directed Dead Man’s Cell Phone and Ordinary Days for Firehouse Brewing Theatre, as well as 2 years of Black Hills Goes to Broadway, a joint cabaret fundraiser with Music Adds Up.
Since arriving in the Black Hills in 2017, Ryan has appeared onstage in Black Hills Community Theatre's mainstage productions of Annie (Ensemble), Macbeth (Lennox), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble) and Sister Act (Joey) and in the staged readings of The Laramie Project (Moises Kaufman), The Thanksgiving Play (Jaxton), Stop Kiss (George) and The Lifespan of a Fact (Jim Fingal). For BHCT, he has also Stage Managed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gypsy, The Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, The Full Monty, The Who’s Tommy and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (2021), Assistant Directed Urinetown and directed Lend Me a Tenor, Matilda (2022), and Shrek and play readings of Angels in America, Silent Sky and Quattuor Equites. Ryan also directed Dead Man’s Cell Phone and Ordinary Days for Firehouse Brewing Theatre, as well as 2 years of Black Hills Goes to Broadway, a joint cabaret fundraiser with Music Adds Up.