Production Staff

Experienced Director and theatre educator Karina Nelsen excitedly returns to the PLHS Stage where she assistant-directed and directed musicals, plays, and one-acts from 2006-2015, receiving Advisor of the Year in 2010. Passionate about helping students find and develop their own unique voice, Nelsen has served at PLHS as an English, Public Speaking, and Theatre teacher since 2006. She holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, licensed both in Communication Arts and Literature and Theatre Arts and Dance, where she studied Theatre Company Management from the celebrated Dr. Paul Hustoles. After stepping away from her theatre directing role, Nelsen helped develop and grow the successful Foundations of Business and Advanced Business Pathways in the MNCAPS program, in which she currently teaches concurrent enrollment English, coaches student projects with community business partners, and implements improvisational theatre techniques to teach entrepreneurial mindset, collaboration, and executive presence.   

Previous to entering teaching, Nelsen studied as a musician, dancer, actor, musical theatre artist, and classically trained singer, receiving her B.A. in theatre arts with a minor in vocal music from Concordia College, Moorhead. Leading roles on the college stage included The Witch in Into the Woods, Smitty in How to Succeed in Business, Lenny in Crimes of the Heart, and Mavis Turner in Stepping Out. She has worked at Straw Hat Summer stock theatre through Minnesota State, Moorhead, and Variety Theatre in Oxnard, California. She has served as stage manager, movement director, and choreographer in productions at Concordia; choreographed and artistic directed productions for Curtain Call Theatre in New Prague; and worked with theatre educators from the Perpich Arts High School, Stages Theatre Company, and FAIR (Fine Arts) Middle School. Inspired by the stories of her now-grown PLHS theatre alums from her earlier directing days, Nelsen is excited to join a new generation of dedicated, talented student theatre artists and staff at PLHS Theatre!   

Jenny is thrilled to be back in the PLHS Theatre Program!  She has directed PLHS musicals, spring plays and the competition one act play each year, starting with “Bye Bye Birdie” in the spring of 2006 and ending with the first PLHS dinner theatre performance, “Verdict” in 2014.

Jenny participated in theatre productions throughout high school, college and community shows, in roles such as “Bye Bye Birdie’s” Rosie Alvarez, and Grease’s “Rizzo.”  In 1996, she directed the Belle Plaine Players first musical production, “Oklahoma,” and worked with that troupe for several years.  She also directed theatre at Belle Plaine High School for several years before starting her School Counseling position at PLHS in the fall of 2002.

Jenny encourages students to play an active role in their theatre education, trying new things and taking risks on stage to create something meaningful with their talents while also building personal character and self-confidence!  Throughout the many years leading the PLHS program, Jenny’s most treasured memories are the ones shared in laughter on stage with countless students and staff! She is so grateful to create new memories with current PLHS students!

Jenny currently works at Twin Oaks Middle School a School Social Worker.  

Sheri studied theatre and secondary education at Concordia University Chicago and received her B.A. in Communications and Literature from Concordia University St. Paul. Before leaving the stage to direct, her favorite roles included Robin in Godspell, Myrtle Mae in Harvey and Martha in Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour for which she was honored with an “Artie” (Artists of Concordia Theatre) Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role. She also received an “Artie” for Best Comedic Performance by playing multiple roles in a Reader’s Theatre performance of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 

She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Prior Lake Players Community Theatre and has directed six shows for the Players, most recently The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Sheri has produced seven shows for PLP and has also been a part of establishing an annual Summer Theatre Camp. Since 2011 she has been a judge for MSHSL Speech competitions.

Sheri has directed one of the Prior Lake High School One Act productions since 2014. PLHS Theatre has a great tradition started over 25 years ago to not only perform a competition One Act play in the winter but a non-competition show and a student directed One Act as well. When choosing her One Act shows she tries to find a script with a large expandable cast to give as many students as possible a chance to be on the stage. She thoroughly enjoys working with the students and collaborating with the other directors during the winter One Acts.

In 2023 Sheri took on the added role of Production Manager for the Fall Musical and the Spring Play and she is excited to be working with such a talented production team. She truly appreciates the opportunity to share her love of theatre with the talented student actors and technical/backstage crew who are involved with the PLHS Theatre program.

This is Dave's 19th year with PLSAS and he serves as the Auditorium Supervisor for all events in the PLHS and TOMS Auditoriums.  He got his start in theater being on stage as a Freshman in high school and never left.  Dave built scenery for a community theater for many years, worked onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship as a Stage Staff and even built scenery for Chanhassen Dinner Theater one summer.  Dave enjoys being onstage as well as behind the scenes equally.  

Keith Koehlmoos is currently in his 29th year of teaching bands with the last 26 of those years at Prior Lake High School. Mr. Koehlmoos holds a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Koehlmoos has been named PLHS Outstanding Activities Advisor of the Year three times, PLHS Teacher of the Year, and the Prior Lake VFW Post 6208, Minnesota VFW District 2, and the State of Minnesota VFW Citizenship Educator Award recipient in 2021-22.  Bands under Mr. Koehlmoos have performed in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Beijing, Shanghai, and at Pearl Harbor.  Mr. Koehlmoos has directed the musical pit band in every PLHS musical production since South Pacific in 1999 and played the roles of Doody and Professor Harold Hill in his own high school theater productions.  Mr. Koehlmoos recently assumed the directorship of the Prior Lake Windjammers and plays euphonium and piano in the Grand Symphonic Winds based in St. Paul. 

Tim James is currently serving in his 14th year as Vocal Director- Fall Musical at Prior Lake High School.  Tim holds a Master of Music- Music Composition degree from the University of Minnesota- Mankato and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Northern State University.  Throughout his career he has been active as a music educator, music director, performer, church music director, and composer.  Additionally, he has directed numerous stage productions including Fiddler On the Roof and Beauty and the Beast.  Tim looks forward to each new production at Prior Lake and the promise of working with talented students, gifted directors, generous volunteer support, and of Mr. K laughing at his humor.  So far so good.  Lastly, all Tim really wants is world peace and a pony (but not the pony so much).

Josh Lentner (Lighting Designer), has a B.A. from Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota and received his M.F.A. in Lighting Design from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2015.  For the last 7 years he has worked for Gopher Stage Lighting in Minneapolis on the construction side of theatre and architectural lighting with projects ranging from the color-changing sails found in downtown Prior Lake to the new Raiders Football Stadium in Las Vegas.  Volunteering with Prior Lake High School's Theatre Department provides Josh with a creative outlet for his inner theatre soul.  He is very excited to be a part of this cast and crew for his 4th production at PLHS!