Summary
I work across live event production, audiovisual technology, technical education, and workforce development. My professional experience includes AV system administration, live event production, theatrical lighting design, college instruction, curriculum development, and educational publishing.
I teach audio and video production for live events, AV installation, and related technical subjects. I write and revise CTS certification exam items as an AVIXA Subject Matter Expert and develop educational resources for technicians entering the industry.
My book, Backstage Essentials: Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production, will be published by Routledge on March 24, 2027.
Education
1999
Master of Business Administration
Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI
1989
Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Conferred May 1989.
1986
Associate of Arts
University of Wisconsin Colleges, Marshfield/Wood County, WI
1996
Associate in Applied Science, Medical Assistant
Minnesota School of Business, Richfield, MN. GPA 3.91.
2000 to 2001
Non-degree graduate coursework, Vocational Technical Education
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Certifications
| Code | Certification | Body | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTS | Certified Technology Specialist | AVIXA | No. 401698 |
| CETL | Certified Education Technology Leader | CoSN | No. 21590 |
| CIT | Cabling and Infrastructure Technician | CEDIA | No. 500049 |
| SME | Subject Matter Expert, CTS Exam Development | AVIXA | Active |
Publications
2027
Backstage Essentials: Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production
Routledge / Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781041045182. Forthcoming 24 March 2027.
2002 to 2013
Computerized Medical Office Procedures: A Worktext
Saunders / Elsevier. Four editions: 2002, 2008, 2010, 2013.
2024, 2025
ESTA Protocol Journal
Contributing author.
Live Event Production Workshop brings industry knowledge into the classroom (Winter 2025). Tech Warriors: Merging Com-Sci and AV Fields at Two Rivers High School in Minnesota (Winter 2024).
Teaching experience
2026 to present
AUD 260 Video Production for Live Events
Laurus College, online. Mentored teaching term, Summer 2026.
2026 to present
AUD 280 Audio Production for Live Events
Laurus College, online
2026 to present
AUD 320 AV Installation
Laurus College, online
2026 to present
VID 130 Intro to Digital Video Production
Laurus College, online
Fall 2026
The Show Must Go On: Inside the World of Live Event Production
OLLI at the University of Minnesota
2002 to 2006, 2012
ASB 110 Personal and Professional Assessment / ASB 208 Introduction to Management
Cardinal Stritch University
1999 to 2002
Technical writing and healthcare law
Southern Illinois University. Camp Lejeune and Great Lakes Naval Base.
1999 to 2001
Program director and instructor, Medical Assistant program
Century College
2005 to 2008
Medical Assistant program coordinator and instructor
Rasmussen College, Eagan, MN
2008 to 2011
Medical Assisting program coordinator and instructor
National American University, Roseville, MN
Selected industry experience
2018 to present
District AV Technology Coordinator
ISD 197, Mendota Heights, MN. District AV Technology Coordinator from August 2021; AV Technology Coordinator February 2018 to August 2021.
Launched a credit bearing Live Event Production Workshop (CTE). Built and lead the Tech Warriors student production crew, now a district strategic plan target. Served as technical point of contact for the auditorium renovation, a $124,000 stage lighting and networked control replacement, and a $67,000 sound system modernization, soliciting competing vendor bids and scoping system design.
2026 to present
Owner
Backstage Essentials LLC, Cottage Grove, MN
2014 to present
Freelance stagehand
IATSE Local 13 referral system
2023 to 2025
Camera operator, live sports streaming
School Space Media Denver LLC
2002 to 2005
Educational coordinator
American Red Cross Tissue Services, Eagan, MN
Presentations
DELIVERED
26 Sep 2026
Building Mentorship When the Senior Bench Is Thin
USITT Northern Boundary Section Fall Conference, Golden Valley, MN. Perpich Center for Arts Education.
ACCEPTED
17 to 20 Mar 2027
Building Mentorship for Early Career Technicians When Senior Mentors Are Scarce
USITT27, Baltimore, MD. Panel. Presentation No. 3462.
Theatrical lighting design
2016 to present
Lighting Designer
Theatre in the Round Players, Minneapolis, MN
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (2027, dir. Hannah Steblay), Legacy of Light (2025), Men on Boats (2024), Doubt (2022), The Government Inspector (2019), Comedy of Errors (2019), The Metromaniacs (2018), Deathtrap (2017), Sense and Sensibility (2016), Romeo and Juliet (2016).
2024 to present
Resident Lighting Designer
Inver Hills Community College
Grand Horizons (2026), And Then There Were None (2025), A Hero’s Nap (2025), These Shining Lives (2024), She Kills Monsters (2024), The Doctor in Spite of Himself (2023).
2016 to 2025
Lighting Designer
Selected Twin Cities and southeast Minnesota venues
Kiss of the Spider Woman, Teatro Del Pueblo (2025). The Birds, TheatreX (2025). West Side Story and The Music Man, Inver Grove Community Theatre (2024 to 2025). The 39 Steps, Chameleon Theatre Circle (2017). A Nice Family Gathering, Strega Nona, and Elf Jr., Phipps Center for the Arts (2018 to 2019).
Technical competencies
Lighting and show control
ETC Ion/Element, Hog 4, GrandMA 2, DMX and wireless lighting networking, rigging, 3 phase power and generator connection
Video and live production
Multi-camera live production, OBS Studio, Blackmagic ATEM, projection specification, camera operation, NDI, Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve
AV systems and networking
AV over IP (Dante, Artnet, sACN, NDI), Q-SYS, Symetrix, Extron, structured cabling, rack fabrication, commissioning and verification
Instructional technology
Canvas LMS, Microsoft Teams, Brightspace (D2L), OBS Studio for instruction, Daktronics production software
Affiliations
Contact
Questions about teaching, presentations, curriculum development, educational projects, training, or professional collaboration are welcome. Email is the best way to reach me. bill@backstageessentials.com
LinkedIn ORCID 0009-0002-7157-8582 IMDb Cottage Grove, Minnesota
PROJECT
Backstage Essentials LLC
SHEET TITLE
Curriculum vitae
DESIGNER
William D. Larsen
SCALE
NONE
DATE
12 OCT 26
SHEET
5 OF 5