Meet the Artists – Doug Scholz-Carlson

Doug Scholz-Carlson

Stage Director

1. Where were you born and raised?
   I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I grew up in Northfield, Minnesota and stayed there long enough to sing in the St. Olaf Choir.
2. If you weren’t a director, what profession would you be in?
   Brewmaster. I’d love to start my own brewery.
3. The first opera I was ever in was…
   La Cenerentola was my first real opera. I sang in the chorus of Minnesota Opera and was a terrible chorus member (I’m happy to tell that story). I did my first operetta (HMS Pinafore) at a children’s theater camp at age 13. The first true opera I directed was a studio production of The Rape of Lucretia for Minnesota Opera. My first professional direction of a full opera was here at Madison Opera: The Tender Land.
4. My favorite opera is…
   Silent Night.
5. My favorite food to eat is…
   Drunken moodles.
6. People would be surprised to know that…
   …I am currently training to be an Intimacy Director.
7. If I could spend a ‘weekend in the country’ anywhere, real or fantasy, I would…
   …go backpacking in the Andes.
8. I like to binge-watch…
   I just finished Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which I loved.
9. What four people (living or deceased) would you like to invite for a dinner party?
   William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John Oliver, and Mary Zimmerman.
10. Everyone should see A Little Night Music because….
    It is a complex, beautiful, and hopeful look at human folly as we fall in and out of love, and it plays with love in maturity. And, of course, there are just so many great melodies.
11. Bonus: One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
    Q: The world has changed since this piece was written, is it still relevant?
    A:Yes. And yes, there are things about it that also feel dated, but even those moments allow us to see ourselves in the perspective of history. What it has to say about love and how we love as we age, grow, and change is still profoundly relevant. The way people of another era dealt differently with feelings we still have is enlightening.

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Find out more about Doug Scholz-Carlson and our other artists, and don’t miss the chance to see his production of A Little Night Music. Performances are February 8 and 10 in Capitol Theater.  Tickets start at $25!