DIRECTOR
CHRIS BERG
Chris Berg is a director with nearly twenty years of experience in theatre
and a long-standing commitment to ensemble-driven, emotionally resonant
storytelling. He currently serves as Artistic Director of the Empty
State Theatre in Grand Forks, where his recent work includes Ride the
Cyclone, Sweeney Todd, Matilda and the regional premiere of I’m Gonna
Marry You, Tobey Maguire. He previously founded and led the Empire
Theatre Company for nine seasons, directing productions such as Company,
A Bright New Boise, The Moors, Legally Blonde, Hairspray, and
Falsettos. Additional recent directing credits include Into the Woods
and Cabaret at the FireHall Theatre. After working on Come From Away,
you can check out his next show 'Mean Girls' performing this August, in
Grand Forks at the Empire Arts CenterChris remembers being in science class on 9/11. He is particularly drawn to Come From Away because it reminds us of the extraordinary humanity that emerges when communities come together in times of crisis.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Allyse Dunnigan
Allyse Dunnigan is a musician and educator that is thrilled to join the Frost Fire team for the first time! She grew up in the small community of Aneta, North Dakota and attended North Dakota State University for both her bachelors and masters in music education. Allyse finished her PhD in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis in Teacher Education in 2025 where her research centered around culturally responsive pedagogies in secondary vocal music classrooms. She started her teaching career in Hatton and Northwood schools doing 5-12 band and choir, then narrowed her focus to middle school at Schroeder Middle School where she spent eleven years. She is now a Parent Educator with NDSU Extension serving Grand Forks and the surrounding region. She stays involved in music through music directing theater productions in the region and serving as the President of the North Dakota American Choral Directors Association.
INVASION TOUR MANAGER & ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
ALEX WATTS
Alex Watts is thrilled to be part of this production! Recent credits include Into the Woods, The Passion of Dracula, and Cabaret (Fire Hall Theatre), as well as Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, Ride the Cyclone, and Matilda the Musical (Empty State Theatre). She has worked in a variety of backstage roles including stage management, assistant stage management, and stagehand support.
Originally from Georgia, Alex moved to North Dakota in 2020 and quickly found a home in the local theatre community. She brings over a decade of public service experience and is grateful to be part of such a passionate and collaborative artistic space. Outside of theatre, she enjoys spending time at home with her boyfriend, Andy, and their three dogs, Leonard, Layla, and Austin.
Thank you!!
STAGE MANAGER
ALEX RICE
AlexRice (she/they) is excited to be making their Frost Fire Theatre’s debut! After
graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2022, Alex moved to Vermont,
where she worked with Northern Stage’s BridgeUP: Shakespeare in the Schools
Program, traveling to underfunded schools in Vermont and New Hampshire to
provide a theatrical experience for students. She now works in the public
schools and is the resident stage manager at the Fire Hall Theatre. Past
favorite shows include I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire (the EmptyState Theatre), Cabaret (The Fire Hall Theatre), and SomethingRotten (Black Hills Summer Theatre).
I was just a toddler when 9/11 happened. I was still asleep while my mom was getting ready for work that morning. Later, when we talked about it, she told me that her mom, my grandma, had called totell her what was happening. At first, they thought it must have been a horrible accident. It wasn’t long before the second tower was hit, and they
realized it was something much worse. My mom was pregnant with my sister at the time. She has told me how afraid she felt, not just in that moment, but for the future. She was scared of the world my sister and I would grow up in, a world that suddenly felt uncertain and unsafe. Even though I was too young to remember the day itself, that fear and that shift in the world became part of the story I inherited.
PIT ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR
RYAN NORDHAGEN
Ryan Nordhagen is a musician, creator and educator from the Greater GrandForks region and is excited to take on the role of pit conductor. Nordhagen is
a classically trained musician and is earning his bachelor of music degree
at Concordia College at Moorhead, where he serves as principal bass of the
American Prize and Emmy award winning Concordia Orchestra. Ryan also serves as
a bass singer in the Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists. Nordhagen currently works as a privateeducator for music students in the Fargo-Moorhead area, his education
philosophy is creating an open environment toexplore music as culture and recreation; finding ways to achieve understanding
for music in our society, and adequately meeting students according to their
aspirations. Ryan is happy to be working for Frost Fire again and is ready to
help make this show come to life!
As someone born post-9/11 I have grown up being taught
about the impact 9/11 had on the American people. I think what sticks out to me
the most is noticing how united people seemed to be following the attacks.
