The magic of a theater performance doesn’t just happen under the spotlight; it’s built behind the curtain with a well-thought-out design that includes scenery, props, lighting, audio and lots of imagination.

Brian Lynch, a 2015 NDSU theatre arts graduate, has experienced firsthand the impact of this behind-the-scenes work. As the assistant technical theater coordinator for Fargo Public Schools, Lynch oversees the bustling theater spaces at Davies High School and Discovery Middle School, managing everything from concerts and community events to full-scale drama productions.

He also mentors a crew of student technicians, teaching them how to transform an empty stage into a world of possibility. One of the highlights of Lynch’s job is helping students work through challenging design problems and seeing their creativity spark.

“I am motivated by the curiosity and hard work of my students,” Lynch said. “Answering a student’s question and helping them break through a challenge is rewarding and energizing. Beyond that, design work on stage is a form of artistic self-expression that I value and appreciate that I am still able to do in a full-time capacity.”

Whether he’s building props from scratch or envisioning a way to recreate the flying umbrella scene from Mary Poppins, Lynch has designed countless theatre productions with students over the years. Many of those students go on to pursue a theatre arts degree from NDSU.

Having grown up in Fargo most of his life, Lynch has been involved in technical theater since he attended Fargo South High School, where he discovered the fast-paced environment of production aligned with his own workflow as every day brought its own challenges to work through.

One challenge Lynch recalls from high school was when he was tasked with constructing the prow of a ship for a production of Treasure Island. Lynch wasn’t given any step-by-step instructions but was instead left to figure out how to make the prow within certain parameters to fit the rest of the stage set.

“Being empowered to break down that project and tackle it in whatever way I felt would be most successful really pushed me over the top to knowing that I want my job to feel like this,” Lynch said.

NDSU’s theatre arts department had a big part in launching Lynch’s technical theater career through the lifelong connections he made and the invaluable skills he learned.

“My career would have been impossible without NDSU. The faculty instilled professional standards in me that make my work, and the work of my fellow alumni, stand out. My classes exposed me to art and technique that I would have never sought out on my own,” Lynch said.

A theatre arts degree from NDSU provides students with hands-on experiences that propel them into the theater career they aspire to enter. Students can choose from three undergraduate degree programs in theater, each designed to fit an individual’s career goals.

Professional development opportunities in the F-M community for theater students are abundant. In addition to performing and working in Theatre NDSU productions, students can create, manage and showcase their talent with The Newfangled Theatre Company, Main Stage Productions and Studio B.

During his time at NDSU, Lynch worked in Festival Concert Hall and as the lighting assistant for the theatre arts department, which got him connected to the F-M Ballet where Lynch still works as a lighting designer.

The people Lynch met at NDSU remain part of his personal and professional life. Lynch met his wife, Clare, who graduated the same year he did with a theatre degree. Even today, Lynch finds himself reaching out to his professors about technical challenges he works through.

“At NDSU, I was surrounded by people who were fascinated by a wide spectrum of theater, but we were all pulling in the same direction on a production,” he said. “Seeing the passion and expertise around really helped me have a more generous view of people. We all valued different things but had a shared objective. I’m not sure that there is a more quintessential college life lesson than that.”

One of Lynch’s mentors was Mark Engler, an associate professor, technical director and department head of the theatre arts department. Through Engler, Lynch got connected with the FM Opera and made several other connections throughout the community that boosted his post-NDSU career.

“Mark was my most direct mentor at NDSU, and his artistry and standards shaped me most as a designer and builder,” Lynch said. “Working with him was what pushed me to zero in on lighting design as a discipline to build my career on. Mark and I would work side by side on several large projects during those years and it was in that direct contact work outside of the classroom where I learned the most.”

Among the classes that stood out to Lynch was Dress & Decor 1 and 2, taught by Rooth Varland, Emerita Professor in the Division of Performing Arts.

“No question that was the most impactful classroom experience in my college career. She walked us through design and style in architecture and fashion from Ancient Egypt to today (or 2015 at least). I think about that class or something that I learned in that class every day.”

Lynch encourages future theater students to stay open to all types of shows and projects, noting that some of the best learning experiences come from productions with limited time, budgets or resources.

In addition to staying engaged in class and asking questions, Lynch advises prospective students to enjoy the college experience.

“The piece that I took too long to learn was that the class work is more fun if you are better prepared and you are better prepared if you are excited. It is ok to be excited about what you will learn and being excited will make the difficult work much easier,” Lynch said.

Learn more about Lynch’s theatre arts journey on the official NDSU YouTube channel.

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