One Place, Many Ways to Experience the Arts
Ryan Berard dances with the Summer Camp kids. Ryan Berard will return to the Wilson Center stage on Tuesday, September 29, with a performance presented by his production company. Visit www.wilson-center.com for concert details.
By Jennifer Moran, Marketing and Communications Director
If you asked Ryan Berard what his role is at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, he might have a hard time giving you just one answer.
Over the past 16 years, Ryan has been part of the Wilson Center in more ways than most. He started behind the scenes as a member of the backstage crew. He became a stage manager. He has spent more than a decade helping lead Summer Arts Camp. He has worked on outdoor performances at Starry Nights. And today, he also performs on the Wilson Center stage himself.
For Ryan, that variety is part of what makes the Wilson Center such a special place.
“There’s not two days that are similar here at the Wilson Center,” he says. “One day I’ll be setting up a wedding, another day I’ll be stage managing for a dance show. Another day I’ll be working with my kiddos in Arts Camp.
Ryan's journey began with a performance background. He earned a BFA in Musical Theatre from UW-Stevens Point, where he gained experience in different areas of theater production. Eventually, that experience led him to explore the work happening behind the curtain at the Wilson Center.
Over time, Ryan learned the technical and organizational skills needed to work as a stage manager, helping bring performances together from behind the scenes. It gave him a chance to experience the Wilson Center in an entirely different way.
Then came Arts Camp. For more than a decade, Ryan has helped create an environment where young people can explore the arts, try something new and discover abilities they may not have known they had. One of his favorite parts of camp is watching that transformation happen in just five days.
Some children arrive ready to jump into a dance or singing class. Others are much more hesitant. Ryan says it's amazing to watch children try something completely new and surprise even their parents with what they accomplish.
He has also watched high school students grow into leaders as they return to camp as volunteers, gaining experiences that can follow them into college and beyond.
And now, Ryan has added another perspective to his Wilson Center journey: performer.
Through his own production company, Superstar Productions, he has performed on the Wilson Center stage and brought his own tribute concerts to the venue. He gets to experience the Center not only as someone who works there, but as an artist presenting his work to an audience.
After 16 years, Ryan's story is a wonderful example of how many different paths can exist within the arts.
The arts need performers, but they also need stage managers, technicians, production crews, educators and countless others who make performances and programs possible.
After 16 years, Ryan is proof that there isn't just one way to build a life in the arts. Sometimes you simply have to be willing to try something new, find your place and see where it leads.
Interested in finding your own place behind the scenes? The Wilson Center is looking for experienced technical staff to join its production team. Visit www.wilson-center.com/careers to learn more.