Theatre

Blake is a Twin Cities-based actor and director with nearly two decades of experience teaching, directing, and performing plays and musical productions. His career began in 2009 when he played the title role in Yankton Children’s Theatre Company’s (Yankton, SD) production of Stuart Little. Blake continued acting throughout middle and high school, playing notable roles as Louis in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, Grimsby in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Crutchie in Disney’s NEWSIES. He is often described as a “talented and expressive storyteller” whose commanding stage presence brings the stories and characters he plays to life. His recent work includes playing LeFou in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Neleus in Disney and Cameron MacIntosh's Mary Poppins with Rosetown Playhouse (Roseville, MN) and the understudy for Mark Cohen in RENT with Minneapolis Community Education (Minneapolis, MN).

In addition to performing, Blake is an avid theatre educator who has worked with children and adults for over a decade.  Blake founded RSVP Youth Theatre, a community-based youth theatre company, in 2021, which operated until its closure in early 2023. The company provided pre-professional training in the theatrical arts to children in southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. He served as Director, Choreographer, and Musical Director for several productions between 2021 and 2022. He also served as the instructor for the City of Yankton Parks and Recreation Department’s “Creative Drama” classes from 2015 to 2023, which introduced children ages 5+ to elements of the theatrical arts and encouraged self- and artistic exploration and expression.  Additionally, his work has been performed regularly at Yankton Riverboat Days since 2017.