Employee Spotlight: Robyn Schultz

From keeping a show running smoothly to solving the unexpected challenges that come with live events, Robyn plays an essential role behind the scenes at Pabst Theater Group. As our Technical Director/Production Manager, she’s been part of countless memorable performances and has the stories to prove it.

In this Employee Spotlight, Robyn tells us about some of her favorite shows, the artist she’d love to bring to Milwaukee, an unforgettable backstage moment, and a few of the less glamorous realities of producing live events.

What is the best show you’ve ever seen at our venues?

Tricky. SO many good ones….  A personal favorite is Lucy Darling, but I loved working with Al Franken, Max Raabe, Tom Papa, Neko Case, TMBG and Kathleen Madigan among so many.  I will admit that I did get bit by the bug back in high school when we came to see a touring production of Amadeus here in nineteen eighty something.  It was rather life changing and a few years later, lucky me!

If you could bring any artist here (living or dead), who would it be?

Joe Strummer, with no hesitation!!  He was a tremendous human, an all-time favorite, and a hell of a live performer!  Gone too soon, but never forgotten.  I was so lucky to get to know him, even a little.

What’s one thing about your job that people would be surprised to learn?

I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but don’t know that I’d trade it for just about anything. On a different note, my degree in geophysics has limited applicability to my work.

If a tour asked for one "must-see" spot in Milwaukee, where are you sending them?

In our great city, that’s rough.  Boswell Books makes it close to the top of the list, but the Milwaukee Public Museum is a personal favorite.  We all like different things, and it’s rare for one size to fit everyone.

What’s the most memorable thing that’s happened during a show at our venues?

Getting to be asked to ‘hold my hair’ by one of the performers.  She had some food on her flight that didn’t agree with her.  It was unforgettable, but we do what we need to.  The show happened, but I might not ever recover.

What’s the biggest challenge of managing a show that most people don’t think about?

Parking show vehicles downtown is a persistent pain. Apparently the red bags on the meters that the city installs for us which say 'no parking/tow away zone’ don’t mean what I think they do.

Whether she’s coordinating show logistics, navigating downtown parking, or quite literally helping a performer through a rough moment, Robyn has seen just about everything that can happen behind the scenes. Her stories are a reminder that live entertainment takes a lot of people, plenty of problem solving, and comes with its fair share of unexpected moments.

We’re grateful to have Robyn’s expertise, humor, and dedication behind so many of the shows that make Pabst Theater Group special, and we’re glad she wouldn’t trade the job for just about anything!