About the Creators

Joel Kopischke (playwright & lyricist)

Joel wrote the story & lyrics & co-wrote the book for Dairy Heirs, which premiered in 2018 at Northern Sky Theatre. Joel has been performing professionally for over 40 years, singing loudly and having fun on stage, TV, radio, and film. Starting in 1987, he has performed in over two dozen mainstage and cabaret shows at Skylight Music Theatre. Additionally, he has performed with the MSO, First Stage, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Mad Rogues, Combat Theatre, TAP, Northern Sky, Musical Mainstage at Sunset Playhouse, Forte Theatre, In Tandem, Melody Top, and Off-Broadway. Joel has written one act plays Role Perversal, seen at Cooperative Performance & Madison’s Stage Q, and Monkey/Cat (with Don Russell) seen at Cooperative Performance. As a lyricist & performer, Joel has released humorous holiday CDs I Got Yule, Babe and Ground Control to Santa Claus, heard on XM Radio, DirecTV, and Doctor Demento. JoelVoice.com

Alissa Rhode (composer & orchestrator)

Alissa always enjoys playing in the woods. Past Northern Sky productions include Dairy Heirs, Naked Radio, Lumberjacks in Love, Victory Farm, Home for the Holidays, When Butter Churns to Gold, No Bones About It, Life on the Mississippi, Bone Dance, Cheeseheads, and Muskie Love. Other Wisconsin credits include Door Shakespeare, Third Avenue Playhouse, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage, Children’s Theater of Madison, and Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua. She is a proud member of ASCAP. As the composer of Dairy Heirs, she encourages you to take home the live soundtrack CD now available online!

Click here to read an interview with Alissa about the creation of the show!

Eva Nimmer (playwright)

Eva Nimmer is an actor, writer, and musician whose work has been featured on stages across Wisconsin. Acting credits include Next Act Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Third Avenue Playhouse, Children’s Theater of Madison, and Northern Sky Theater. Eva’s original monologue To the Young in Heart was produced by Forward Theater Company in 2020, and she is the co-author of musical Dairy Heirs with Joel Kopischke and Alissa Rhode, which was produced in 2018 & 2019 at Northern Sky Theater. www.evanimmer.com

Original Northern Sky Theatre Cast

Above, left to right: Chase Stoeger as TJ Blatschke, Molly Rhode* as Linda Gustafsson, Eva Nimmer as Elsie Fredericks, Doug Clemons as Gabe Frederiks, Lachrisa Grandberry as Rita Spicer, and Alex Campea as JT Blatschke. Northern Sky Theatre, 2018.

At right: Corrie Beula Kovacs performed the role of Elsie Fredericks for the 2019 season.


*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

All photos on this website are from the Northern Sky Theatre's 2018 and 2019 productions.