2024–25 Impact Report
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The O’Shaughnessy is at a time of rebirth and renewal in its lifecycle. So many patrons, artists, and community members come through our doors and have an “O’Shaughnessy Story”: of seeing their child perform on our stage, attending The Nutcracker together as a family holiday tradition, or seeing a favorite band when it toured through town. The O’Shaughnessy has long been a supporter and collaborator with our local professional dance community, and before that, was home to the Minnesota Orchestra. We honor those stories, and this legacy, as we look to what the years ahead at The O’Shaughnessy will hold. Today, The O’Shaughnessy is a place where the campus community and general public come together to explore what it means to embody our mission of educating women to lead and influence. We are guided by our core values of social justice, reflection, community, integrity, and academic excellence. It is a joy to lead an arts organization embedded within this academic community — it allows us to infuse our art with collective impact. Our science faculty lent their expertise to uplift our Moth Project last season — teaching young and old alike about the amazing insects with whom we share this planet. The year before that, our English faculty supported student-generated poetry — including studentled workshops in area senior homes to gain the perspectives of our elders on our changing
climate. This community poetry was interspersed with music onstage from both local and national musicians. And, many area nonprofits that are committed to sustainability and climate justice gained new volunteers through the tabling they did in our lobby at this event. The expertise on our campus allows us to enhance our compelling arts experiences with multidisciplinary viewpoints that really do point to action — actions that can make our community and, by extension, our world, a better and more beautiful place. The O’Shaughnessy is a meeting place for our students’ education and our community’s engagement. With a renewed commitment to serving the people of Highland Park, we are honored to imagine what comes next and are dedicated to making The O’Shaughnessy truly indispensable to our region: a place for families to enjoy high quality arts experiences with their children, a place to hear voices that have been marginalized, and a place for storytelling to marry science, civic engagement, and history in new, exciting, and impactful ways. I can’t wait to share space with you, for experiences that uplift us all.
— Irene Green, Executive Director, The O’Shaughnessy
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The O’Shaughnessy By The Numbers In the 2024–2025 season, the O’Shaughnessy welcomed over 55,000 patrons to 117 events.
101 professional artists performed for audiences, from Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez to Minnesota state treasure Kevin Kling to the illustrious cast of the NYT-acclaimed production The Sound of (Black) Music. —
1,800 student artists and community members performed on The O’Shaughnessy stages, their artistry supported and uplifted by The O’Shaughnessy’s professional stage crew. —
3,700+ local elementary and high school students attended school matinee field trip performances.
“Spectacular.” “ Uplifting and encouraging.” — Patron responses to The Sound of (Black) Music
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500+ low income and at-risk youth attended family-friendly O’Shaughnessy Presents performances through The O’Shaughnessy’s partnerships with Project Success and Tickets For Kids. —
271 subscribers invested in the season, bringing energy and enthusiasm to each performance! —
150+ individuals supported The O’Shaughnessy with a generous donation. Thank you for making this season possible! 2
“ Every show has been extraordinary.” — 2024–25 subscriber
Compelling Art, Collective Impact A show at The O’Shaughnessy isn’t just an event — it’s an experience. From hot chocolate with the B2Wins before their family Christmas concert to meet and greets in the lobby after the show, artists connect with audiences on and off the stage at The O’Shaughnessy.
Paint to Express with the artists from The Sound of (Black) Music The artists from The Sound of (Black) Music joined audience members in the Frey Theatre the day after their performance for a “Paint to Express” workshop hosted by local nonprofit Memorialize The Movement. Attendees enjoyed brunch, conversation, and creating their own plywood paintings, which were displayed at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery in fall 2025.
Fifty years and still going strong Audience members submitted their personal love stories for Kevin Kling’s annual Valentine’s Day tradition: The Love Show at The O’Shaughnessy. Several stories were shared onstage to the delight of all. “Who knew an avocado would lead to a 10-year relationship? I had the knife, he had the avocado, and the rest is history!”
Unexpected Audience Connections Broadway cellist Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf performed her new piece, Cello Stories: A Life Under Broadway. On her flight into the Twin Cities, she was seated near two O’Shaughnessy patrons who passed her this note. She met them in the lobby following the show!
“So grateful for the opportunity to play Cello Stories at The O’Shaughnessy in MN. I met a couple on the outbound plane, and they passed this note. I was honored to play for them.” — Mairi
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Community Connections The O’Shaughnessy builds connections between St. Kate’s and St. Paul.
Showcasing the Best of St. Paul to World Leaders The Right Honorable Dame Jacinda Ardern (former prime minister of New Zealand) joined St. Catherine University in March 2024 as a Kelly Lecture speaker; Congresswoman Betty McCollum ’87 moderated an audience Q&A. Prior to Ardern’s address, St. Kate’s
own President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, hosted Ardern and area leaders at Myriel, a woman-owned, St. Paul–based restaurant with a focus on sustainability in food. Owner and chef Karyn Tomlinson recently won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest.
The O’Shaughnessy Dance Cohort The O’Shaughnessy continued a long legacy of supporting professional dance companies in the Twin Cities with The O’Shaughnessy Dance Cohort, featuring performances by Ananya Dance Theatre, TU Dance, and James Sewell Ballet, including James Sewell Ballet’s farewell performance after 35 incredible years.
The O’Shaughnnessy Dining Club Thank you to Groveland Tap for supporting The O’Shaughnessy’s 2024–2025 season! Audiences enjoyed stopping by Groveland Tap before and after shows for a delicious bite in a neighborhood atmosphere. 4
Backstage Pass Peek Behind the Curtain The exceptional O’Shaughnessy crew was featured in St. Catherine University Magazine this year. Read a short excerpt below:
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 The O’Shaughnessy, we’ve always thought of ourselves as a bit of a pirate crew.” 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 in the spring 2025 edition of St. Catherine University Magazine.
Letters from the Green Room My performance at The O’Shaughnessy was a true highlight of my first full season performing Cello Stories: A Life Under Broadway. I particularly noticed, with gratitude, the percentage of women employed backstage, and found the team, with production manager Kevin Jones at the helm, to be one of THE most helpful, quick, and supportive crews I’ve ever worked with. To perform alone, for 90 minutes, requires a high level of concentration, and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable. I LOVED meeting the diverse audience at The O’Shaughnessy, and was grateful for the opportunity to connect in person after the show. I hope I get to return one day. – Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, cellist 5
Katies, Center Stage! From Opening Convocation to classroom visits, St. Kate’s students took center stage at The O’Shaughnessy all year long.
St. Kate’s student Josie Aguliera ’25 joined faculty member Kabo Yang and President Evans onstage for a panel discussion about women’s leadership at TPT Mixtape: Women’s Civic Leadership Then and Now. Moira Knepper ’25 (above) and Luul Adams ’25 (below) share their answers to “What St. Kate’s Means to Me” at the Opening Convocation.
Members of St. Kate’s student drama club, Dew Drop Drama Company, perform a poem for the inauguration of Marcheta Evans as the 12th president of St. Catherine University.
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Student and alumni members of the University Choir and Chapel Choir joined Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez (Nina in In the Heights and Elphaba in Wicked) onstage to sing “Fearless” and “Firework” in a March performance at The O’Shaughnessy.
Deaf singer/songwriter Mandy Harvey teamed up with the ASL department at St. Kate’s to perform one of her songs in sign language!
Singing — and Signing — with the Stars
Mandy Harvey visits with ASL students
The Moth Project Students from St. Kate’s Biology Club, mentored by Professor Tami McDonald, PhD, hosted hands-on activities for O’Shaughnessy audience members of all ages to explore the physics of flight, the chemistry of pheromones, the biology of camouflage and more in newly renovated Mendel Hall. Audiences then attended The Moth Project at The O’Shaughnessy — a science-meets-art experience featuring music, photography, and storytelling about moths and their impact on humans.
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The View from the Purple Seats Thank you for being part of The O’Shaughnessy’s 2024–25 season. Subscriber Stories “We live close to St. Kate’s so it’s just so easy…to travel to, park, enter with ticket, find our seats… And the programming is always just great. My 24-year-old daughter attended the Mandy Gonzalez performance. She thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a lovely mom/daughter evening. Thanks to the staff who make such a creative and diversely interesting programmatic year.” “Thank you for offering such inspiring concerts, in a great venue for such reasonable prices.” “Such a great variety and all performances were unique and excellent. We look forward to our O’Shaughnessy concerts — they are just a sweet dose of culture, entertainment, and pleasure that are so easy and so ‘feel good.’” Subscribers keep The O’Shaughnessy vibrant and get the best deals on the best seats. Thank you, subscribers! 8
Season Highlights “A great lineup!” “ This venue and quality of shows are a hidden gem.” “ [The O’Shaughnessy] offers something that is really unique in the area. It is a diverse offering of female-centric (but not exclusive) performances in a very approachable environment that is a veritable bargain. Who else is doing that?” “ Sharing the experience of seeing a world leader speak live with my daughter.” “ Uplifting and encouraging.” “ Highly talented people who talk about their lives, the sacrifices they’ve made, and the joys they have been blessed with. No other venue in the Twin Cities offers such programming.” “ The personal service, the family vibe, and the knowledge that we are supporting the arts”
On the Horizon… The O’Shaughnessy’s 2025–2026 season is on sale now including subscriptions, memberships, and single tickets! Learn more and order your tickets at oshag.stkate.edu.
LETTERS ALOUD: BE THE CHANGE
February 13
THE LOVE SHOW
KELLY HALL-TOMPKINS
VALERIE JARRETT
February 14
February 27
March 5
Make a Gift Your support makes The O’Shaughnessy possible! Make a gift to support another season of world class art in the neighborhood at oshag.stkate.edu/give.
Membership Means More
BABA YAGA AND THE FIREBIRD
April 19
Did you know? The O’Shaughnessy is directly supported by the generosity of individuals like you! Your gift helps The O’Shaughnessy put compelling art, collective impact, and women’s leadership center stage.
Deepen your commitment to supporting artistic excellence, collective impact, and women’s leadership at The O’Shaughnessy by upgrading your subscription to a membership. Members include a philanthropic gift with their subscription — raising the bar on what we can achieve together, this season and beyond! To learn more about becoming a member at The O’Shaughnessy, scan the QR code or email The O’Shaughnessy Executive Director Irene Green at ijgreen248@stkate.edu. 9
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