We Shadows Podcast

09/04/2022

Salima Y. Seale (she/her) is a freelance stage manager based in the Midwest. Recent credits include: Fisherman's Wife (Ten Thousand Things), Thunder Knocking on the Door (Ten Thousand Things), Nature (TigerLion Arts), How It's Gon' Be (Underdog Theater Company). She holds a B.A in Theater Arts from Macalester College.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Salima-Y--Seale---Freelance-Stage-Manager-e1gri49

Salima Y. Seale (she/her) is a freelance stage manager based in the Midwest. Recent credits include: Fisherman's Wife (Ten Thousand Things), Thunder Knocking on the Door (Ten Thousand Things), Nature (TigerLion Arts), How It's Gon' Be (Underdog Theater Company). She holds a B.A in Theater Arts from....

17/02/2022

Ty Waters a Stagehand and Scenic Carpenter was born in California and has moved all his life. Grew up in theatre and has been sharing his experience as wide as he can as he works freelance in almost every backstage area.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Ty-Waters-Stagehand-and-Scenic-Carpenter-e1ee6mn

08/12/2021

Welcome back to We Shadows, the podcast about design, technical, and all things behind the scenes, in the Twin Cities theatre community. We know we’ve been gone for a bit though, we hope you had wonderful summer and are having a very nice fall. Live events are just returning and now so are we. So let’s get right into it. In this episode Leazah Behrens sat down with Head Carpenter, Kristi Riewestahl. Together they talk about being a head carpenter and all the places that job has taken her. This episode was recorded on August 18th, 2021.

Kristy Riewestahl is the Head Carpenter at the Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts, a position she has held since 2018. Her career started at the Children's Theatre Company where she was a proud member of the run crew from 2006-2014. Between shows at the Children's Theatre and the Cowles she lived in NYC for three years and freelanced as a stagehand. There she got to work on Broadway, Fashion Week, TV Shows such as The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt and Blacklist , a few movies and a wide variety of other weird events. (Like building an invisible house in Rockefeller Plaza). She has also been a staging coordinator for 6 Super Bowl Halftime Shows and the Halftime Show for the opening game at US Bank Stadium. When not working Kristy really loves cooking, gardening, adventuring outdoors and seeing the world's largest things, or really, any quirky roadside attraction!

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Kristy-Riewestahl---Head-Carpenter-e1befoj

Kristy Riewestahl is the Head Carpenter at the Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts, a position she has held since 2018. Her career started at the Children's Theatre Company where she was a proud member of the run crew from 2006-2014. Between shows at the Children's Theatre and the Cowles she...

03/12/2021

Suddenly we all got busy doing shows again! Sorry for the delay in episodes. Anita was able to design three shows, Rachel was able to go out on tour, and Leazah has been able to work on some shows and load in a couple concerts. We have been working on getting some new episodes out. Including a new part of our podcast that we think you will all enjoy I know we enjoyed working on it.

17/08/2021

When dealing with a space that is used for tours and rentals, there is a whole other layer of roles to what we see in the theatre. This is Mary Beth Zorn, a house technician/master electrician/lighting designer at the O'Shaughnessy Auditorium on the St. Catherine Campus in St. Paul. She discusses her career and advice with Rachel Lantow here in this episode, was recorded January 11, 2021. https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Mary-Beth-Zorn--House-Technician-e115aud/a-a5k0bs1

Our conversation with Mary Beth Zorn, a house technician, was recorded on January 11, 2021. Mary Beth is from the Midwest - having lived in IL, OH, IN, WI and finally landed in MN after college and hasn’t left. Learning many lessons in life, she is now happily married with many friends and a stead...

17/07/2021

We Shadows was created to be a resource, to foster solidarity and community in Minnesota, and to share stories and gems. Our goal and interest is to uplift and illuminate our local industry community and the strengths we have. Here's a short article we wrote for Technicians For Change newsletter! https://techniciansforchange.org/2021/01/05/podcast-introduction-we-shadows/

Welcome to We Shadows, a podcast featuring event and performance technicians, designers, and production folks in Minnesota. Here we’re introducing our co-hosts, sharing a little bit about what the …

30/06/2021

We have loved all of our interviews from Season 2 We are taking some time to work on some great new episodes. We would love to hear from you our listeners. Please take some time to fill out the survey, and please share the podcast with all your friends and family.

You can all so listen to our Season 2 episodes at https://anchor.fm/weshadows 


Our survey https://forms.gle/fawYTLYV7z28x999A

Some of the areas we have been able to interview are Costume Designer, Scenic Designer, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Technical Director, Props Deigner, Stage Manager, Production Stage Manager, IATSE Stagehand, House Technician, Production Manager, Scenic Artist and we look forward to speaking to many more.

25/06/2021

Elizabeth MacNally is a recent 2021–22 McKnight Theater Fellowship Recipients so we wanted to share our interview with her. Leazah Behrens sat down with Pillsbury House Production Manager, Elizabeth MacNally on April 27th, 2021.Together, they talk about her process of moving from freelance stage manager to production manager.

Elizabeth has been stage managing in the Twin Cities since 2001 and has made Pillsbury House Theatre her artistic home for the last 10 seasons. Some of her favorite shows in the past include Main Street and Hiding in the Open at the History Theatre; Next Fall and Recent Tragic Events at the Jungle Theater; The Brothers Size, Buzzer and The Children at Pillsbury House Theatre, and 9 Parts of Desire at the Guthrie Theater. Elizabeth has a B.F.A. from Rockford College in Rockford, IL, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Headshot by Tom Wallace.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Elizabeth-MacNally--Production-Manager-e10nk4h

16/06/2021

Trevor Bowen is a recent 2021–22 McKnight Theater Fellowship Recipients so we wanted to share our interview with him form a few weeks back

We as a theatre industry, continue to work through the issues of inclusivity and diversity in the stories we tell. In this episode, Leazah Behrens and Costume Designer Trevor Bowen sat down to explore how we engage people, who we collaborate with, and the communities we build as we move through the world. All through the lens of Costume Design.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Trevor-Bowen--Costume-Designer-e109572

Our conversation with Trevor Bowen on April 9th, 2021. Trevor is a Twin Cities based costume designer. He moved to Minneapolis from Connecticut in 2012. He has an M.F.A. in costume design from West Virginia University. Trevor enjoys all things trek and is an avid house music fan.

10/06/2021

A headshot and bio for each of our Podcast interviews

09/06/2021

Since we are taking some time to work on some new episode I figured we would share some of our episode from the past you may have missed.

In this episode, Rachel Lantow sat down with scenic designer, Erica Zaffarano. Together, they explore the passion, sense of adventure, and fearlessness that has accompanied Erica throughout her successful multi-decade career. This conversation took place on October twenty fourth, Two Thousand Twenty.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Erica-Zaffarano--Scenic-Designer-es5lms

Originally posted on March 10, 2021

Our conversation with Erica Zaffarano was recorded on Oct 27th, 2020, she started her theatre career as a kid puppeteer, which developed into mime, then actor. After being a founding member of three different touring companies, she realized that her desire to be backstage was outweighing the thrill....

02/06/2021

Our conversation with Kathy Kohl on January 9th, 2021 Kathy has been spending her enforced year away from costuming reacquainting herself with the world outside of the darkened theater. Her journey to the light mirrors that of many others during this shutdown. Focusing first on long-standing interests in writing, reading, gardening, she has joined online transformative circles and support groups in a continuing exploration of theater safety, community outreach, non-white cultures and history, advocacy, activism. Her expanding circle of knowledge and acquaintances has made this challenging year extraordinarily special.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Kathy-Kohl---Costume-Designer-e1212k0

Our Conversation with Kathy Kohl on January 9th, 2021 Kathy has been spending her enforced year away from costuming reacquainting herself with the world outside of the darkened theater. Her journey to the light mirrors that of many others during this shutdown. Focusing first on long-standing interes...

26/05/2021

Have you been considering union work to supplement your other theatre earnings? Get some sage advice from IATSE Stagehand, Parris Foster as he sat down with Leazah on April 24th, 2021.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Parris-Foster--IATSE-Stagehand-e11jqtq

Have you been considering union work to supplement your other theatre earnings? Get some sage advice from IATSE Stagehand, Parris Foster as he sat down with Leazah on April 24th, 2021.

19/05/2021

Our conversation with Mary Beth Zorn, a house technician, was recorded on January 11, 2021. Mary Beth is from the Midwest - having lived in IL, OH, IN, WI and finally landed in MN after college and hasn’t left. Learning many lessons in life, she is now happily married with many friends and a steady pair of huskies. She is excited to get back to work....whatever that may entail!

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Mary-Beth-Zorn--House-Technician-e115aud

Our conversation with Mary Beth Zorn, a house technician, was recorded on January 11, 2021. Mary Beth is from the Midwest - having lived in IL, OH, IN, WI and finally landed in MN after college and hasn’t left. Learning many lessons in life, she is now happily married with many friends and a stead...

12/05/2021

Our Conversation with Elizabeth MacNally on April 27th, 2021 Elizabeth has been stage managing in the Twin Cities since 2001 and has made Pillsbury House Theatre her artistic home for the last 10 seasons. Some of her favorite shows in the past include Main Street and Hiding in the Open at the History Theatre; Next Fall and Recent Tragic Events at the Jungle Theater; The Brothers Size, Buzzer and The Children at Pillsbury House Theatre, and 9 Parts of Desire at the Guthrie Theater. Elizabeth has a B.F.A. from Rockford College in Rockford, IL, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Headshot by Tom Wallace.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Elizabeth-MacNally--Production-Manager-e10nk4h

Our Conversation with Elizabeth MacNally on April 27th, 2021 Elizabeth has been stage managing in the Twin Cities since 2001 and has made Pillsbury House Theatre her artistic home for the last 10 seasons. Some of her favorite shows in the past include Main Street and Hiding in the Open at the Histor...

05/05/2021

Our conversation with Trevor Bowen on April 9th, 2021. Trevor is a Twin Cities based costume designer. He moved to Minneapolis from Connecticut in 2012. He has an M.F.A. in costume design from West Virginia University. Trevor enjoys all things trek and is an avid house music fan.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Trevor-Bowen--Costume-Designer-e109572

Our conversation with Trevor Bowen on April 9th, 2021. Trevor is a Twin Cities based costume designer. He moved to Minneapolis from Connecticut in 2012. He has an M.F.A. in costume design from West Virginia University. Trevor enjoys all things trek and is an avid house music fan.

28/04/2021

Our conversation with Katharine Horowitz on March 16th, 2021. Katharine is a theatrical sound designer and composer in Minneapolis, MN. She has designed critically-acclaimed and award-winning shows for the Guthrie Theater, Creede Repertory Theatre, The Jungle Theater, History Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Second City Theatricals, and many others. Katharine is a professional member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association, and a 2017 McKnight Theatre Artist Fellow at the Playwrights' Center. She occasionally teaches sound design at Macalester College. In her spare time, Katharine serves as a volunteer es**rt at abortion clinics (helping patients safely into the building), gardens moderately successfully, and enjoys scampering through wooded areas. She once donated a body part for a show at Mixed Blood and wonders if it’s still in the basement. www.katsound.com https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Katharine-Horowitz--Theatrical-Sound-Designer-and-Composer-evqbjj

Our Conversation with Katharine Horowitz on March 16th, 2021. Katharine is a theatrical sound designer and composer in Minneapolis, MN. She has designed critically-acclaimed and award-winning shows for the Guthrie Theater, Creede Repertory Theatre, The Jungle Theater, History Theatre, Mixed Blood Th...

21/04/2021

Our conversation with Angelique Powers was recorded on December 19th, 2020. With over 20 years as a Scenic Artist, Angelique has worked on both coasts and dabbled in Tv/Film before settling in here in the Twin Cities theatre scene 16 years ago. Her passion for painting scenery is eclipsed only by her passion to teach her craft to others, while promoting safer work environments. She is also a proud wife and mom.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Angelique-Powers--Scenic-Artist-ev9uik

Our conversation with Angelique Powers was recorded on December 19th, 2020. With over 20 years as a Scenic Artist, Angelique has worked on both coasts and dabbled in Tv/Film before settling in here in the Twin Cities theatre scene 16 years ago. Her passion for painting scenery is eclipsed only by he...

15/04/2021

Our conversation with Anne Henley was recorded on December 22th, 2020. Anne is a Twin Cities Scenic Designer. She is a curious maker. Anne makes set designs for theater, musicals, dance, and opera. She also has made many puppets, pieces of touchable art, dance pieces, clothing mends, and protest signs. She also practices the art of a good demo for the (insert most any tool here) as a Fabrication Technician at the workshop at the College of Design at the University of MN, Twin Cities. Anne has had a meandering path and loves most whatever project she is currently working on. Right now it is a quilt for a new nibbling (hand stitching--highly recommend) and growing mycelium bricks for a possible EPS foam replacement (fungi does WHAT!?) in our workshop. She believes that making things with your hands encapsulates our humanity and why do anything else? She enjoys learning from Robin Wall Kimmerer and adrienne maree brown. Anne hopes we get to meet and work together someday.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Anne-Henley--Scenic-Designer-euu2mi

Our conversation with Anne Henley was recorded on December 22th, 2020. Anne is a Twin Cities Scenic Designer. She is am a curious maker. Anne makes set designs for theater, musicals, dance, and opera. She also has made many puppets, pieces of touchable art, dance pieces, clothing mends, and protest....

07/04/2021

The First Episode of season 2 is up.

Our conversation with Tree O’Halloran was recorded on January 11, 2021. Tree is a spouse, mother, sister, friend, and career as an equity stage manager with almost 40 years of experience. Originally from Westbury, NY, she has traveled to Gibileena, Italy and Tokyo, Japan, Houston, TX and Columbus, OH, Hudson, WI, and Hallock MN all in service to her work in the theater. After a 10-year parenting hiatus, Tree successfully returned to full-time work as the PSM of the Guthrie Theater. During her hiatus, she kept her skills sharp by becoming the school’s “Talent Show Lady” and also discovered cooking, gardening, and reading for pleasure – hobbies unheard of during her younger and busier stage management days.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Tree-OHalloran--Production-Stage-Manager-eud1iv

Our conversation with Tree O’Halloran was recorded on January 11, 2021. Tree is a spouse, mother, sister, friend, and career as an equity stage manager with almost 40 years of experience. Originally from Westbury, NY, she has traveled to Gibileena, Italy and Tokyo, Japan, Houston, TX and Columbus,...

29/03/2021

While we are taking a couple weeks to work on the next season of We Shadows, we would love to hear from you our listeners. Please take some time to fill out the survey, and please share the podcast with all your friends and family. We will be back with more episodes on April 7th.

https://forms.gle/fawYTLYV7z28x999A

You can all so listen to our first 8 episodes at https://anchor.fm/weshadows

18/03/2021

Our conversation with Izzy Patt was recorded on January 12, 2021. Izzy is a stage manager and sound designer and enjoys how both jobs engage distinct parts of her brain, enabling her to be simultaneously creative and Type A. Izzy graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. While Izzy recently moved to Chicago, they loved the time they spent in the Twin Cities theatre community and would like to work in both places at some point. Izzy is passionate about approaching stage management as an artistic role and breaking down gender-related barriers in the sound world. Izzy is also interested in dismantling traditional hierarchical rehearsal room structures in favor of a more collectively collaborative model. She prefers developing new work, both scripted and devised, but also loves a good musical. Additionally, they are a dessert connoisseur and they live for their daily fried egg on toast in the morning.

This is the last episode for season one we will be back on April 7th with season 2.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Izzy-Patt-Stage-ManagerSound-Designer-essijp

Our conversation with Izzy Patt was recorded on January 12, 2021. Izzy is a stage manager and sound designer and enjoys how both jobs engage distinct parts of her brain, enabling her to be simultaneously creative and Type A. Izzy graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018 with a B.A. in Thea...

10/03/2021

Our conversation with Erica Zaffarano was recorded on Oct 27th, 2020, she started her theatre career as a kid puppeteer, which developed into mime, then actor. After being a founding member of three different touring companies, she realized that her desire to be backstage was outweighing the thrill of being onstage and decided to figure out her most desired position by going to grad school. When scenic design made her realize that she loved the process of collaboration with the director and other designers, she loved the drafting, the propping, the building, the painting, and creating an environment that both actors and directors would love to play with, she knew she had hit her stride with scenic. She believes that a show doesn’t come alive until all the elements are there to make a whole and the actors set foot in the created space. Theatre is a passion for her and she deems herself fortunate to have been part of every aspect during her career. It isn’t for the faint of heart. Few people get wealthy in the business, but like anyone who has been able to make it a career, she has never NOT wanted to work!

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Erica-Zaffarano--Scenic-Designer-es5lms

Our conversation with Erica Zaffarano was recorded on Oct 27th, 2020, she started her theatre career as a kid puppeteer, which developed into mime, then actor. After being a founding member of three different touring companies, she realized that her desire to be backstage was outweighing the thrill....

04/03/2021

Our Conversation with Catherine Campbell (She/Her/Hers) on December 16th, 2020. Catherine is the Production Manager for Mixed Blood Theatre Company in Minneapolis, where theatre lives at the intersection of authenticity and virtuosity while championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism through exceptional artistry, catalytic relationships, and universal access. Previously, she held positions in Production and Artist Management with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Columbia University, Public Theater, Hollywood Bowl, Segerstrom Center, and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. She earned her B.A. in Production and Theatre Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is a member of the Production Manager’s Forum Diversity and Inclusion, Membership, and Early Career Committee.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Catherine-Campbell--Production-Manager-erf1f1

Our Conversation with Catherine Campbell (She/Her/Hers) on December 16th, 2020. Catherine is the Production Manager for Mixed Blood Theatre Company in Minneapolis, where theatre lives at the intersection of authenticity and virtuosity while championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism t...

24/02/2021

Our conversation with Erin Belpedio from January 2021. Erin is a Theatrical Lighting Designer, born in Worcester, Massachusetts but grew up in the Cities, where she resides & works. She enjoys reading, cooking, spending time with family, and going Up North to the family's lake place. During The Great Intermission Erin has furthered her sewing and painting skills, where she enjoys working on fun projects for friends and family. When not hanging out inside, Erin spends time walking to the local parks and enjoying the colorful seasons in her neighborhood.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Erin-Belpedio-Theatrical-Lighting-Designer-eqv8tr

Our conversation with Erin Belpedio from January 2021. Erin is a Theatrical Lighting Designer, born in Worcester, Massachusetts but grew up in the Cities, where she resides & works. She enjoys reading, cooking, spending time with family, and going Up North to the family's lake place. During The Grea...

17/02/2021

Our Conversation with Andrea M Gross (she/her) from December 9th, 2020. Andrea M Gross is a Costume Designer, Collaborator, and Mama.

Selected Designs: The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: West Side Story; A Chorus Line. Park Square Theater: Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant; Flower Drum Song; Romeo & Juliet; RED; Ragtime. The Jungle: The Night Alive, The Birthday Party. Novi Most: Dancing on the Edge. nimbus theatre (company member) 16 designs in 15 years, including; The Kalevala; The Storms of November; The Year of Magical Thinking. Walking Shadow Theater Company: Hatchet Lady, after the quake; Robots vs Fake Robots. Gustavus Adolphus College, four seasons on faculty, seven main-stage productions including; Fefu and Her Friends, The Impresario from Smyrna, The Tempest, and The Lesson.

BA in Theater & German, Santa Clara University; MFA in Costume Design, University of Illinois.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Andrea-M-Gross--Costume-Designer-eqgjis

Our Conversation with Andrea M Gross (she/her) from December 9th, 2020. Andrea M Gross is a Costume Designer, Collaborator, and Mama. Selected Designs: The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: West Side Story; A Chorus Line. Park Square Theater: Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant;....

14/02/2021

Remember to check out last week's episode where we chat with Jaya. Also please let us know what you are thinking about our show so far. We would love to hear from you all.

10/02/2021

Our Conversation with Jaya Robillard from January 7th, 2021. Jaya Robillard is a Twin Cities stage manager and theatre artist. She is originally from New Jersey and moved to the Cities after graduating from Yale University in 2015. When not stage managing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or binging tv shows with her roommates. Her biggest pandemic projects have included sorting old family photos into albums and re-learning how to knit. She looks forward to the day when we can all finally make theatre together again. Jaya is a company member of Sandbox Theatre.

Please subscribe to get episodes as soon as they go live and you can also follow our page for updates.

https://anchor.fm/weshadows/episodes/Jaya-Robillard--Stage-Manager-eq6tg5

Our Conversation with Jaya Robillard from January 7th, 2021. Jaya Robillard is a Twin Cities stage manager and theatre artist. She is originally from New Jersey and moved to the Cities after graduating from Yale University in 2015. When not stage managing, she can usually be found reading, drawing,....