Brian Sheldon

“I became a playwright at Sage. I became a director at Sage,” said Brian Sheldon ’11, who also had plenty of opportunities to act as he pursued a bachelor’s degree in Theatre at Russell Sage College. 

That variety of experiences — and the leadership and communication skills he built along the way — prepared Sheldon for a stable and fulfilling career in the arts. Today, he’s executive director of the Sand Lake Center for the Arts, as well as a busy actor, director, and playwright.

SLCA is a not-for-profit community arts center offering five theatrical productions a year and a full calendar of concerts, exhibits, and workshops. Sheldon became executive director in 2017 and has earned rave reviews since then for growing the center’s programming and audiences — essentially, bringing more art to more people. 

SLCA recently received a major grant that supported a series of free artist-led workshops in 2023 and 2024, and Sheldon’s effort to balance “traditional” theatre offerings with unexpected pieces have attracted audiences plus actors and directors who want to work with the center. Its music program includes an annual St. Patrick’s Day concert with Celtic band Triskele and a winter holiday concert with Albany favorites The McKrells, both of which are anticipated local traditions, and Sheldon is especially proud of the center’s low-cost summer camps for kids.

In addition to leading the arts center, Sheldon is a successful actor, playwright, and director. 

Albany’s Harbinger Theatre staged his autobiographical play, Custom Cuts, in 2023, and his recent directing credits include The Minutes by Tracy Letts at Albany Civic Theatre in February 2024 and A Water Bird Talk, an opera based on a Chekhov monologue, at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in June 2024. 

“Everything that I did at Sage molded me to become the professional that you see before you,” he said, “and it was because of the major and the way that they approach their student-to-staff relationships.”

Sheldon grew up in nearby Schenectady, New York. He attended theatre performances on Sage’s Troy campus as a child and teen, which sparked his interest in the college. His college years coincided with the creation of the Theatre Institute at Sage, which RSC launched when a previous theatre company in residence closed.  

The timing meant Sheldon got to be part of some of the original shows that helped the Theatre Institute establish its reputation for educational theatre. He was part of the writing team for Backbeard: The Musical, based on the beloved children’s books by Professor of Graphic and Media Design Matthew McElligott, and he also wrote (and still occasionally performs) Ben’s Lightning Round, an interactive game show about Benjamin Franklin. 

Sheldon said the connections he built at Russell Sage were invaluable as he built his career. He moved to New York City after graduating but returned to New York’s Capital Region when he kept landing roles at the Theatre Institute and other area companies. 

“We are extremely rich in all aspects of art here,” he said, an asset for anyone who wants to live in a culturally vibrant community, but especially for students. 

“You can go from Acting I and Acting II with Professor of Theatre David Baecker on a Tuesday and Thursday and work on the weekend with another theatere company” he said. “What a great way to spend your college years, doing as much art as possible!”

Sheldon is still connected with RSC’s theatre and musical theatre programs and with the Theatre Institute at Sage. He recreated Ben’s Lightning Round as a Zoom-based game show when in-person theatre was on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a guest speaker in Baecker’s Careers in Theatre class in fall 2023, and he is hosting an RSC intern at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts in summer 2024.  

Obviously, Sheldon’s professional work keeps him busy, but his favorite role is at home: “We have this perfect 20-month-old, who I just want to hang out with all the time,” he said. “The thing I’m most excited about for the next year is just watching my kid get bigger.”