Sean McArdle (BA in Theater and Fine Art) owns Hero Props, Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.
The CCC reached out to former Doane theater professor Eric Selk to say a few words about Sean and his journey to his current job as a prop engineer:
“Back then, computers were often considered a utility for research, data collection or communication. Sean started connecting the dots and slowly embraced new tech advancements. The computer became his creative partner. His interests spanned across video production, historic replications, drafting and sound design…which naturally led him to a broad skill set where he became much more than a professional “prop master”. Instead he was a collaborator with an intellectual capacity to synthesize the director’s vision into physical objects. I remember thinking to myself “Sean- you’ve turned into an engineer.” In the Theatre they often describe someone as a “triple threat” but in Sean’s case it’s more quadruple or quintuple threat? He brings to the table all his technological capacity along with a highly creative mind.”
Seán grew up in Crete, graduated from Doane and then forged a career where he used his creativity in the heart of the New York theater community in lots of cool ways. He replicated a full-sized dead horse, did the “blood design” for a play starring Robin Williams, helped actor Stephen Rea bleed from his eyes and specialized in stage firearms and safety training. Today, Seán owns Heroprops, a prop engineering workshop in Minneapolis where he uses his creativity and technology to create almost anything! He creates props for theater, and installations for museums and retail. He also created the award we're giving him! In addition, he’s giving back to the community, offering 3-D printing classes in his workshop and developing mentorships in area schools. He is a real example of computing creativity in the liberal arts!