Ten Things About ...
Jessie Mullins, opera production stage manager and administrator at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music
Winter 2024 | Interview by Lynn Gosnell
At Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, opera is thriving. Since the 2021 opening of the Brockman Hall for Opera, a European-style theater that seats 600 with state-of-the-art acoustics, the school has performed five full-length operas and recorded two “green screen” operas and other productions. Jessie Mullins joined the program July 1, 2020, as a full-time stage manager. More than three years later, her role has grown tremendously — and while she is never visible on stage, her work is essential to the success of the Shepherd School’s student performers and the enjoyment of their audiences. We recently met up with Mullins to discover more about her job. Here are 10 things we learned.
1. Before taking on her current role at Rice, Mullins was a freelance stage manager for Houston-based opera and theater productions, including Rice’s opera program.
2. She works every Shepherd School opera production starting six weeks before opening night.
3. She likens her stage management role to that of an air traffic controller who keeps the show safe and on track “while also trying to keep six puppies in a box.”
4. High school was actually a career booster: She ditched marching band for theater and eventually became the program’s stage manager.
5. She went from college at Michigan State to the Houston Grand Opera and stayed for nine seasons — doing three to five shows a year.
6. Her favorite operas are “Tosca,” “La Bohème” and “Billy Budd.”
7. Her organizational superpowers help make art come to life.
8. She is the daughter of an electrical engineer and a schoolteacher, which she describes as “the perfect mix” for the career of stage manager.
9. During performances, she can be found at a moveable control station just off stage, headset plugged in, eyes on screens and listening to just about everyone involved in the performance — and also the performance itself.
10. She loves seeing the growth of students. “Their end goal is to be a performer. My main goal is to make sure they have positive experiences while they’re here.”
On April 5 and 7, 2024, Shepherd School Opera presents Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” and Britten’s stunning “The Rape of Lucretia.” Learn more and purchase tickets at music.rice.edu.