From Cannon Falls to center stage: an interview with SJU alum Dean Holt

When Dean Holt first arrived at St John’s University, he had no plans of becoming a professional actor. In fact, theater had only recently entered the picture.

Holt grew up in Cannon Falls, Minn., in a family with no artistic background. He originally attended St. Cloud State with plans to become a pilot, but when that path didn’t feel right, he transferred to SJU, undecided about his future.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Holt said. “The registrar asked me if there was a class I was enjoying, and I told them my theater class was fun. They said, ‘Alright, we’ll put you down as a theater major.’ I said, ‘Oh no, no, I’m not a theater major.’ But they needed something, and that’s how it started.”

That hesitant beginning turned into a defining moment. At CSB+SJU, Holt was cast in a lead role in his very first play. Surrounded by a passionate and tight knit theater community, something clicked.

“I realized this is the thing I had been searching for in high school where it felt like I fit in and I knew what my outlet was.”

That moment of connection led Holt to a career that has flourished over the past three decades at the Tony Award winning Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, where he has performed in more than 120 productions.

At CSB+SJU, Holt dove into every aspect of theater. He gained hands-on experience in acting, directing, lighting, costuming, and stagecraft. That well-rounded training gave him a deep respect for the entire production process.

“You’re not just the actor on stage. You understand what it takes to make the show happen. That humility and gratitude for every artist around you, I learned that in college,” he said.

It’s a perspective rooted in Benedictine values —community, service, and respect — that Holt said he brings to the stage every day.

“The St. John’s community taught me that it’s not about thinking just about yourself. In theater, the ensemble has to be as strong as the individual,” he said.

Now a mentor himself, Holt finds joy in guiding young performers, just as his own professors once guided him.

“It’s really meaningful to be able to turn around and say to someone, ‘Here’s something I’ve learned,’ and see it click for them,” he said.

To students in the arts at CSB+SJU, Holt offers a message of affirmation.

“If you find yourself in theater, it’s for a reason. Embrace that. The skills you gain—confidence, critical thinking, collaboration—will serve you, whether you stay in the arts or not,” he said.

His own journey took an unexpected turn when he was offered what was supposed to be a one-year role at CTC. Thirty years later, he is still there, now performing as both King Agnarr and the Duke of Weselton in CTC’s original production of Disney’s “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.”

“It’s the kids,” Holt said, when asked what keeps him committed. “They sit down, the lights come up, and they believe. That kind of imaginative play, that pure buy-in, is really powerful.”

CTC’s production of “Frozen” opens April 19 and runs through June 15 2025, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. With new songs, dazzling visuals, and the heartfelt story audiences love, it is a fresh and unforgettable take on a modern classic.

Holt says that receiving the SJU Alumni Achievement Award was a full circle moment.

“It reminded me that I’m on the right path,” he said. “That the work matters. And that the seeds planted back at Saint John’s are still blooming.”

Tickets can be found: https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/frozen/