Our Core Design Team:
Elliott Schwab - Artistic Director, Deb Belquist - Managing Director, Erin Greiner - Assistant Managing Director
Elliott Schwab - Artistic Director
Elliott grew up in West Fargo, ND where he discovered his love for singing in his sixth-grade Music class, under the tutelage of Sandy Wohlfeil. Having performed in choirs throughout junior high and high school, Schwab continued his musical education at North Dakota State University – from which he received both a Bachelor’s degree in Music and a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance. Elliott joined the DPRCA Actors’ Stable as the villainous Caldwell B. Cladwell in the 2012 summer production of Urinetown. He entered the fold full-time in the summer of2014 when he became Artistic Director. As AD, he directs all – and acts in most – of the DPRCA’s various productions. Typically, the Christmas shows are his favorites, though he holds a soft spot for 2019’s Oklahoma! (and anything in which he gets to wear a dress!). Mr. Schwab resides in residential New Rockford, where he watches movies, plays video games, and pursues numerous unfinished creative endeavors. He fancies himself a screenwriter and is an avid lover of other peoples’ cats – though maybe, one day, he’ll have his own. For show information or to chat about auditioning for future productions, please feel free to contact him at: elliott.r.schwab@gmail.com.
Deb Belquist - Managing Director
Deb has been passionately organizing and directing community theatre since 1979 as a part of the community's big annual 4th of July event organized by Celebration Inc. Through Deb’s inspiring direction, they added other productions throughout the year, such as Holiday Fantasy, plays, concerts, and musicals. In the late 1980s, Deb served as the first Economic Development Director for the city of New Rockford. During the state centennial in 1988, Deb was recognized for her remarkable contribution to the state of North Dakota by the North Dakota Commission on the Status of Women. In 1991, she used her economic development experience to organize a group of community members to form Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts (DPRCA), a 501 C 3 non-profit organization. What began as a small group of volunteers producing and creating summer theatre productions has grown into a renowned arts organization under Deb’s extraordinary leadership. Deb returned to NDSU in the 1990s and attained her degree in theatre and music. She has dedicated 34 incredible years to DPRCA, growing it into an organization that employs dozens of full and part-time employees and serves tens of thousands of audience members. Deb has directed over 100 productions and has touched the lives of countless students, actors, visual artists, and thousands of patrons in New Rockford and the surrounding communities. She is immensely grateful for the positive impact her arts lifestyle has had on her community and her family. Her husband Bob, after years of performing on stage, has volunteered for many building projects and has provided much input, advice, and support. Their three children, Dr. Shelby Terstriep, Elliott, and Alex Belquist, have all assisted the organization in various capacities, both on and off the stage, and have utilized their art experiences and creativity in their own professions. Deb's remarkable legacy continues with her nine grandchildren, who are all involved in the arts and can often be seen sitting in the front row of each production.
Erin Greiner - Assistant Managing Director
The fall of 2025 will mark 15 years at DPRCA for Erin! Born in the Chicago area, Erin spent much of her childhood moving due to her father’s job. In high school, Erin found her way into the Thespians Club, and fell in love with all things theatre. Erin went to college at Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, MN where she earned a BA in Worship Arts and Bible. Through her time in college, she was able to pursue all things music, music theory, and music performance. Erin met and married her husband, Joe, while in college. In 2010, Erin and Joe moved to New Rockford as Joe received his first pastoral position at the New Rockford Evangelical Free Church. The couple fell in love with the community of New Rockford, and decided to commit to the area long term. In the fall of 2010, Erin was hired to work in the coffee shop of the theatre, and shortly there afterward began to help manage the coffee shop. In 2013, she was given the opportunity by Deb Belquist to take a role onstage. She fell in love with the theatre again. Since 2013, Erin’s role at DPRCA has only grown. She was promoted to Assistant Managing Director in 2018. In this role, Erin is involved with almost every aspect of the theatre. She stage manages every production, takes lead on marketing, assists in all music rehearsals for shows, as well as many other odds and ends jobs. A mother of five, Erin is now enjoying the phase of watching her own children come to love all things performing arts. Her three sons still at home are involved in all of the music and theatre opportunities they are provided. When not at work, Erin loves nothing more than to be home with her husband and children. To contact Erin send an email to ering.dprca@gmail.com.
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