Festival Management

Sara Bruner is the Producing Artistic Director of Idaho Shakespeare Festival. A long-time company member, she spent more than 20 years with ISF as an actor and now leads the organization with a deep commitment to the Treasure Valley and its cultural life.

In addition to her work at Idaho Shakespeare Festival, she serves as Producing Artistic Director of Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and Great Lakes Theater, leading a unique three-theater consortium across the country. Her career spans regional theaters nationwide, including Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Kennedy Center, Great Lakes Theater, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Arizona Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Baltimore Center Stage, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where she was a company member for five years. While at OSF, she originated roles in four world premieres and made her directing debut in 2019.

She holds an Executive MBA from Boise State University, where she also serves as an adjunct professor of presentation strategies, and is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award for directing. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, clarity of vision, and a strong belief in the role of theater as a vital, shared civic experience.

In his 34th year with the Festival, Mark continues to appreciate Idaho’s proud, neighborly and generous way of life. Mark’s career began at The Old Globe under Jack O’Brien, Tom Hall and Craig Noel, where he worked with August Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, Liz McCann, Joan Micklin Silver, Julianne Boyd, John Houseman, Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Richard Wilbur, to name a few; and edited his mentor Alan Schneider’s memoir Entrances published by Viking. Joining colleague Charles Fee to build the ISF Amphitheater and Reserve, Mark’s work with public and non-profit institutions enhances and protects the historic Barber Pool Conservation Area, home to the Festival since 1998. Mark’s broader service supports the arts statewide, including the Festival’s Access Program, School of Theater, and 50^th summer of Great Theater in the Great Outdoors under the leadership of Sara Bruner.  Mark has addressed the Shakespeare Theatre Association, Institute of Outdoor Theatre (receiving the Mark R. Sumner Award), and testified before committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and Idaho Legislature. He served a presidential appointment to the National Council on the Arts (receiving the Chairman’s Medal from Dana Gioia), filled board positions for the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, and National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, chaired the Idaho Commission on the Arts under Governors Kempthorne, Risch, and Otter, and received the Governor’s Award in the Arts from Governor Little. Mayor Lauren McLean recently bestowed her award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, and some time ago he received degrees from Princeton and UCSD.

Fifteen seasons in, and trying to find where the time goes! A proud Idaho native, Dale earned her undergraduate degree from The College of Idaho and a master’s certificate from Boise State University. She’s honored to champion the arts in the very community that shaped her. When she’s not making theater dreams happen, Dale is busy embracing the beautiful chaos of life with Troy, Braiden, June, and the pups, who continue to be her greatest adventure. You can also find her exploring Idaho’s mountains, soaking up sunshine in her garden, or diving headfirst into her latest creative project. She cannot wait to see what the rest of 2026 has in store! She sends endless gratitude to her family for their love, support, and (now) helping chase down the always moving Junebug. She could not do any of it without the family. xoxo

Davey has been “Lent a heart replete with Happiness” being here at Idaho Shakespeare Festival. As an alum of Idaho Shakespeare Festival School of Theater, himself, he is humbled at the opportunity to carry the torch forward and help support a program so near and dear to his heart. Credits include:  Direction- Idaho Theater for Youth The Legend of Finn McCoy, The Keepers of the Wood; Shakespearience Twelfth Night. Co-Puppet Design- GLT/ISF/LTSF Peter and the Starcatcher; ITY The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Performance- ITY Stuart Little, The Magician’s Nephew; BCT The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Migration Theory: Small Matters. A big advocate of the multi hyphenate artist, and enthusiastic imbiber of theater in general, Davey is looking forward to another summer with the Festival.

Joining ISF for her first season in 2025, Aleea is ecstatic to be a part of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival team for her second season. A born and raised Idahoan, Aleea was a first-generation student who received her Bachelors of Science in public relations from University of Idaho. It was during her time there that she felt most compelled to find a career in the nonprofit world with a strong urge to make an impact in the Treasure Valley, and what better way to do so than here at ISF. Aleea currently resides in Caldwell, Idaho, where she enjoys spending as much time as she can with her family and friends. When Aleea is not in the office you can find her going on walks with her fur pal Chona, reading, building Lego, watching reality TV, and crafting up your favorite beverage at Starbucks.

Returning with joy for the new season, Taylor is happy to be found hard at work onsite throughout the year. An Idaho native, Taylor studied locally, focusing on horticulture and agriculture. Taylor hails from a large family consisting of five boys and two girls. In his free time, Taylor can be found adventuring with his two boys Jaydon and Gracyn. Taylor enjoys fishing, camping, hiking and exploring the wild places of Idaho. Even with all the new challenges of the past year and new challenges moving forward, Taylor is excited and looking ahead for the new experiences 2026 will bring.

Tamara is thrilled to be in her second season at Idaho Shakespeare Festival. She brings a wealth of experience in theater, hospitality, and property management to this role. With a passion for storytelling and collaboration, Tamara is eager to support the theater’s mission while fostering meaningful connections with its talented team. Acting: Titus Andronicus, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, A Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theater, Doubt, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, Ragtime. Lifetime’s 12 Desperate Hours and Amazon Prime’s American Rust. Tamara earned her BA in communications and theater from Baldwin Wallace University and is currently pursuing a second degree at Boise State University. Tamara also is in her eighth season with Great Lakes Theater and her fourth season with Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.

Jake Hill is in his fourth year with Idaho Shakespeare Festival. He also serves on the Great Lakes and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare’s business management team. He is a graduate of The University of New Mexico (Go Lobos!). He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience working with small and not-for-profit businesses. When not in a sea of spreadsheets, Jake loves exploring and fishing with his wife and dog in the back streams of wild Idaho. He can’t wait to celebrate this special 50th season with this amazing community. Let’s all raise a glass to Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Cheers!

Samantha graduated cum laude in 2013 from Boise State University with a BA in theater arts with a performance emphasis. The very model of a modern major theater nerd, she has worked in many capacities throughout her years of theater involvement. This is Samantha’s twelfth season with Idaho Shakespeare Festival, her seventh summer leading the box office, front of house, and volunteer coordination teams. Samantha spends as much of her free time as possible gardening, crafting, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and getting lost in a good book. More often than not, though, she’s fitting these in around playing fetch with her dog Artemis. Samantha is incredibly grateful for the love and support of her friends and family. Extra love and gratitude to her husband, Kyle, for all of the adventures shared and the ones to come.

More than nine seasons.  Previous ISF credits include: Peter and the Starcatcher, Sense and Sensibility, The 39 Steps, Into the Woods, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Little Shop of Horrors, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado about Nothing, The Tempest, The Music Man, Julius Caesar, Mamma Mia!, The Taming of the Shrew, Pride and Prejudice, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Idaho Theater for Youth: Around the World in 80 Days. In thirteen seasons with Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Much Ado about Nothing, Alice in Wonderland, Hairspray, Roe (world premiere), Book of Will, Shakespeare in Love (U.S. premiere), Twelfth Night, Yeoman of Guard, Fingersmith (world premiere), My Fair Lady, The Taming of the Shrew; Arizona Theater Company: Cabaret, The Music Man; Guthrie Theatre: The Cocoanuts; Baltimore Center Stage: Fun Home. Additionally, Jaclyn has worked extensively as an associate director and/or choreographer around the country at theaters including Portland Opera, Kirk Douglas Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Parker Playhouse, Colony Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

Hannah’s journey with ISF began as a high school volunteer, and she is pleasantly astonished to realize she has been part of the Festival for more than half of its 50 seasons. She also enjoys serving on Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s marketing team. With a career spanning countless roles in the performing arts, she was honored as one of Idaho Business Review’s Women of the Year in 2011. Hannah treasures working alongside ISF’s hard-working administrative staff, generous sponsors, and inspiring company members in this extraordinary tri-city theater alliance. She is deeply grateful for this community’s unwavering enthusiasm for the arts. Beyond ISF, she and her captivatingly quirky hacker husband delight in raising their two imaginative children. She also savors fiber arts with fierce-hearted kindred spirits, serves on the board of her children’s school, and relishes family time. Hannah is overwhelmingly grateful to Shane, her exquisite parents (miss you so), family, and friends for their boundless love and support. For Mom.

This is the 12th season with Idaho Shakespeare Festival for Chelle. Her role as Director of Operations and Finance allows her to assist Festival management with the continued growth of the beautiful amphitheater grounds and awe-inspiring productions. She manages the finance staff, oversight of internal controls, and coordinates the external audit. Chelle received a Bachelor of Science in finance from Westminster College. She owns her own Boise-based business focusing on financial management for many businesses across Idaho. She enjoys the mission-based work of not-for-profit organizations, which strive to link passions with purpose. These organizations make Boise the amazing community we all love. In her free time, she, along with her husband Erik, loves the many outdoor activities that Idaho has to offer, including skiing, hiking and cycling.

This will be Ryan’s sixth summer with ISF, and third as Director of Education. After graduating from Boise State University with a degree in theater arts and education, he spends his time working as an actor, stage manager, and teaching artist around the Treasure Valley. Recent credits include stage managing ISF’s educational touring productions of The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (co-writing it with Davey Collins), Twelfth Night, and The Tempest, Alley Repertory Theater’s The Normal Heart, Merrily We Roll Along, performing as Brian in Grand Horizons, and production assisting on ISF’s Peter and the Starcatcher. He is passionate about sharing the joys of theater arts with younger generations, watching flowers grow, collecting seashells, and playing mermaids. As a Roman philosopher once said, “As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” Ryan is excited for another summer filled with stories, students, and Shakespeare.

They say there’s no business like show business – and for Ciera, there really isn’t. She has a BFA in musical theater from College of Santa Fe, and has worked in many roles both on and off stage. Before moving to Idaho, Ciera spent seven years in LA working in TV and film production – coordinating, designing, and researching for art departments. Ciera is grateful for all the pathways and opportunities that brought her to ISF, but most of all she’s thrilled to be back home in the theater. This summer, she’s proud to announce her new title and biggest role to date – Mama! Favorites include: lists, baking, black coffee, literally any cat, and her incredibly supportive husband, Robert. Huge thanks to her circle of friends, family, and Mama for always being there. If you’re ever in Homedale, stop by Murray’s Ice Cream & Treats for a scoop or two, as she happens to own the joint!

Christine is the Festival grant writer in her 26th season with ISF and holds a BFA in art history from Boise State University. In her free time, she enjoys a near-obsessive amount of knitting, crochet, and all things fiber-crafty. Christine also enjoys baking, listening to a lot of audiobooks, and puttering around her yard halfheartedly growing tomatoes and cucumbers, while planting zinnias in every pot she can find. This year, she plans to play the role of “mother whose first born is graduating high school” with as little drama as she can muster and hopes to fulfill her contract without having to pull in an emergency understudy.  Large loves to her “little family that could”—Tully, Fox and Sevy. “Every fallen leaf is a tiny kite with a string too small to see held by the part of you in charge of making beauty out of grief.” -Andrea Gibson