Left to right: The O'Shaughnessy production crew members Roger Rosvold, Bri Atwood, Chadwick Cook, Kevin Jones, Mary Beth "MB" Zorn, and Troy Wilhelmson. Photo by Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10
Expanded from the .
Don’t call them a team.
“Theater production terminology like ‘deck’ and ‘rigging’ came from nautical origins, so the backstage folks are usually referred to as a ‘crew,’” says Troy Wilhelmson, assistant production manager and video services manager. “And at , we’ve always thought of ourselves as a bit of a pirate .”
Given the length of time that most of this particular crew have been manning the lights, sounds, and scenery of “the O’Shag” together — a cumulative 126 years — it makes sense that they have developed a special, battle-tested bond.
It’s that same dynamic that inspired Bri Atwood, the newest crew member, to join as sound technician last year. “I thought, ‘Wow. There’s something really special here, if these humans have stayed together and at The O’Shaughnessy all these years,’” she says.
Get to know the exceptional crew members behind The O’Shaughnessy, each of whom answered a series of questions about their time at the St. Kate’s theater. Read more below.
The crew:
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Kevin Jones — production manager; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for 36 years. He manages all backstage operations and contract generation for rentals.
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Mary Beth “MB” Zorn — light technician; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for 26 years. She runs lights for shows, and sometimes calls the show as well (directing other crew members to raise or lower the curtain, move the scenery, etc.).
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Troy Wilhelmson — assistant production manager and video services manager; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for 26 years. He oversees events in the Frey Theater and Recital Hall, and livestreams The O’Shaughnessy events.
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Chadwick Cook — production services coordinator; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for 24 years. He oversees the crew, serves as point of client contact, and manages backstage staffing for all events.
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Roger Rosvold — carpenter and rigger; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for 11 years. He creates scenery for the stage, and oversees anything lifted above the stage like curtains, lights, and decorations.
- Bri Atwood — sound technician; has been with The O’Shaughnessy for one year. She manages microphones and ensures quality of sound for the audience.
What is your favorite or most memorable production that you have been a part of at The O’Shaughnessy?
Jones: There have been many over the years: Dr. Maya Angelou, Netherlands Dans Theatre 3, Dance Africa, Cantus, Danny Buraczeski’s Jazzdance, and James Sewell Ballet.
Zorn: Manual Cinema was a group that performed a really creative production with shadow puppets.
Wilhelmson: Being the technical director for the musicals that happened on the main stage. I always loved moving the sets from the Frey to the O’Shag, because then I got to work with the crew and I knew I was in really good hands.
Cook: It’s kind of a tie. Growing up as a Star Wars geek, having Carrie Fisher speak here was pretty amazing. She even recited the “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope” speech. That’s something I’ll never forget. Additionally, I sat backstage with Prince for an Esperanza Spalding concert. That was a surreal experience.
Rosvold: Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn changed my opinion on an entire genre of music. Their virtuosity and graceful artistry revealed that banjo could be more than I ever suspected. I am grateful to have heard them perform in person.
Atwood: I loved the piece from last spring called THREAT. It was such a layered and specific story that was tangible to almost every woman.
Who is your favorite performer or speaker to have appeared at The O’Shaughnessy?
Jones: Lily Tomlin, Dr. Maya Angelou, Secretary Madeleine Albright, The Wailin’ Jennys, Gloria Steinem, Brandi Carlile, Carrie Fisher, Natalie Merchant, and Jewel.
Zorn: Dr. Maya Angelou and Rick Steves.
Wilhelmson: Chris Cornell, former lead singer of Soundgarden — not because I’m a big fan but because I physically ran into him as I was coming out of the scene shop. I was completely apologetic and he was completely gracious. Ironically, I had a different rehearsal that night so I never saw the show.
Cook: Brandi Carlile. I wasn’t familiar with her prior to her visit, but I have been a big fan ever since.
Rosvold: Dr. Amy-Jill Levine. She presented on the parables of Jesus of Nazareth as delivered to a Jewish audience and how the parables themselves were shaped to impact that audience. I remember being captivated by the insight, wit, and clarity of her positions and opinions. She brought laughter and more than a dozen “ahh” moments.
Atwood: Kevin Kling is always a delight to have in our space, from a production process standpoint and from a performance standpoint.
What part of your job gives you that “Ahh” sense of satisfaction?
Jones: Clients returning year after year due to our attempts to exceed their expectations — and patrons leaving campus happy with their experiences on campus — especially at The O’Shaughnessy.
Zorn: Making a show out of a handful of ideas with a client; when the show is over, and they are over-the-moon thankful for our work (and sometimes come back to rent the hall again).
Wilhelmson: Teaching people about the O’Shag itself — when we explain how the stage actually works, people just see it as magic.
Cook: The peace and reflection I have at the end of the day when I am locking up the building.
Rosvold: When my skills make something out of the ordinary happen, something the audience did not expect. Example: a ballet company requested to move a curtain out of view “very slowly.” They wanted the curtain to move 20 feet in four minutes, and I did it perfectly for four shows plus rehearsals.
Atwood: There are a few things I strive for. Specific to sound: when everything plugs in and turns on and works right away and the client is pleased with the ease and efficiency of setup; when audience members say they saw a show in a different venue and say that it sounds better here. Working in live entertainment in general: when we can provide true entertainment for people; when there is a level of escapism and magic achieved and people can come to a show and laugh and cry and experience something outside of everyday life with hundreds of other people.
In Between and On Top
Overwhelmingly, the mezzanine stood out as a top view at The O'Shaughnessy; four out of six crew members named it their favorite at the auditorium. In The O’Shaughnessy, the mezzanine — or open intermediary level — is the balcony between the ground and first floors, accessed by two staircases on either side.
Read more below.
What's your favorite area or view at The O'Shaughnessy?
Jones: Architecturally, the front façade is iconic neo-brutalism. From inside the building, either the view from the landings up to the balcony or from the tech table location (main floor Row ‘L’ seat 27) from where I have designed lights for hundreds of performances.
Zorn: Our lobby – those windows are just fantastic (but maybe it’s because I work in a windowless box!). The mezzanine level looking out over the quad during storms and snows and even seeing the change of seasons is magical.
Wilhelmson: Looking across the quad from the mezzanine level. It’s absolutely beautiful in every season. My favorites are peak fall color (of course) and when it’s snowing. It’s just awesome.
Cook: The view from the mezzanine on a snowy winter night.
Rosvold: The view of the empty stage from my side. From where I work, the stage stretches away, with the distance exaggerated by the wooden planks. Theaters are unlike other buildings in that, when empty, there is an air of expectation, anticipation, of the next event urging us onward. An empty stage is not quiet — it relentlessly welcomes the future.
Atwood: Looking out onto the quad from the mezzanine.
What other takeaways or highlights do you have about your experience at The O’Shaughnessy?
Jones: During my time here at St. Kate’s The O’Shaughnessy has evolved from “the former home of…” several groups to be the gateway for the campus and external communities to join for celebrations of the performing arts and the location where literally thousands of St. Kate’s graduates start their academic journeys (at orientation) and end a phase of that journey (at commencement). We are all very proud of all of these small celebrations that are major landmarks in people’s lives.
Zorn: The flexibility of our space makes my job with lighting never dull. Adjusting the height of the ceiling, being in the orchestra shell, and using the apron all make for different lighting angles that have me climbing all around the hall — who needs a gym when you have to climb around all the time?
Wilhelmson: We have a lot of really great stories about productions that have come through here over the years. Some of the best ones are about the disasters that have happened on the stage (and we’ve seen our share).
Cook: As distinctive as the building is, to me it’s the people that define The O’Shaughnessy. I’ve spent half of my life here, and all of the wonderful memories I have center around the relationships I’ve made and cultivated in that time.
Rosvold: Our greatest work is with the schools, when young artists-in-training perform “on a real stage.” Seeing them react to being on a stage — with lights and curtains and a big audience with so many chairs — is a constant reminder of the vital role this theater at this campus plays in the Minnesota arts community. We are a transition ground between amateur and professional worlds where hundreds of beginning artists have their first exposure to an audience and the joy of performance. The overwhelming majority of performers do not stay in entertainment, but they treasure their time on this stage their entire lives.
Behind the scenes
Photographer Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10, at right, stands on one of The O'Shaughnessy production crew's lifts to get the "just right" angle for this article.
By Michelle Mullowney ’17