St. announced today it has named Irene Green to serve as Executive Director of The O’Shaughnessy. Green, a 20-year veteran of arts administration, will assume her role on July 5, 2022.
“Irene brings with her a deep love of the arts, business savvy, and a commitment to expressing the mission and values of St through offerings at our beloved O’Shaughnessy Auditorium,” said Beth Halloran, executive vice president and Chief Advancement Officer at St. . “Her talents will build on our 50-year history of excellence and take us to the next level.”
Green is currently the managing director of Northern Stage located in White River Junction, Vermont. She led the effort to be the first League of Resident Theatres member theater to reopen after the COVID-mandated shutdown, and was a champion of program access for all, creating programs for low-cost and free tickets, and creating sensory friendly performances. She first joined Northern Stage in 2013 as director of sales and marketing before rising to the role of associate managing director in early 2018. Prior to that, she was box office manager at Commonweal Theatre Company in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
“It is an honor to join the St. faculty, staff, and administrators in their mission-based work,” said Green. “I am so looking forward to discovering together how the O’Shaughnessy can best serve the St. students, local community and the Twin Cities in 2022 and beyond. With the University’s vision and values to guide programming, I’m confident the experiences we share at the O’Shaughnessy will build upon the venue’s robust legacy as a significant cultural touchstone for the region.”
The O’Shaughnessy is an anchor on campus for the broader community to convene and understand the mission, vision, and values of St. through the expression of revolutionary ideas. The stage at The O’Shaughnessy offers neutral space for communities to engage and explore critical topics that address the issues of the day, support women innovators, and promote diversity and inclusion in the performing arts. Since opening more than 50 years ago, The O’Shaughnessy has been an important cultural center not only for the St. Kate’s community, but also for the Twin Cities and surrounding region. It has been the home to the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; it is a significant center for professional dance companies including Ananya Dance Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, TU Dance, and many more; and has provided a high-profile venue for community groups like CAAM Chinese Dance Theater, Ballet Minnesota, Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra, Red Balloon Bookshop, Temple of Aaron, and Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy.
The O’Shaughnessy is well-known for its long-running Women of Substance series which has featured lectures and performances by the likes of Dr. Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Tori Amos, and Toshi Reagon. Reagon’s folk opera performance in 2019 of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower initiated a model of collaboration between campus at the community that opened new partnerships with the East Side Freedom Library, Free Black Dirt, and the Million Artists Movement.
Green holds a Master of Arts with Distinction from the Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
About The O’Shaughnessy
Located on the scenic St. Paul campus of St. , The O’Shaughnessy is one of the Twin Cities’ premiere venues for showcasing the arts. Since opening in 1970, The O’Shaughnessy has presented a dazzling array of both local and national performing arts companies, including the Minnesota Orchestra, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Ananya Dance Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, TU Dance, Toshi Reagon, Rhiannon Giddens, and countless others. In addition, the venue hosts public events, student and community performances and features multicultural programming with an emphasis on dance, music and theater. Known for its dedication to artistic development and collaboration, the venue has premiered over 400 new works by local and national artists. The O’Shaughnessy is the home of the Women of Substance series, which showcases the artistry and innovative work of women, both prominent and emerging in their fields, whose voices need to be heard.