Lagerquist Sets Down His Tools

The stunning sets you’ve seen on SCR stages over the last 38 years started with a set designer. But they were brought to life by Technical Director Jon Lagerquist and his staff. Lagerquist, the leader and mentor of that staff for nearly four decades, retired last week.

To honor Lagerquist for his work, which began as technical director with SCR’s 186th production—1985’s Galileo—and ended with him helping load in the set for the 43rd season of A Christmas Carol--SCR hosted a lunch for the veteran of 454 total productions.

“It was wonderful to get to see so many friends from over the years on Tuesday,” he said. “That time has encompassed a lot of great relationships, many good plays and very many friends. Being able to work on projects that have an effect on the audiences and bringing in a bit of theatre magic into their world has been a great thing to do for all these years.”

Lagerquist joined SCR after receiving a BA in Theatre from Long Beach State and an MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale. He started building sets in high school and his talent and knack for problem-solving was a hallmark of his career.

“I will be continuing to do the same things I have been doing outside of theatre, lots of Scouting and other volunteer work,” he said. “Perhaps a few more baseball games.”