Alumni Spotlight: Lee Helms

Lee Helms (B.F.A. ’08) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

Having a holistic grasp on how art works, and what it takes to make it work, is a cornerstone for many careers in the industry. Lee Helms, a graduate of the Division of Theatre, believes that foundation of knowledge began during his time at Meadows and has contributed to his professional accomplishments within a variety of arts organizations.

“The theatre program trained me in every aspect of what it means to create art from voice, movement, writing, directing, sewing costumes, operating a light board, and so on,” explains Helms. “When I work with artists now, no matter their background or discipline, I can relate from the broad understanding and experience that Meadows gave me.”

That innate understanding of art is proving to be valuable in Helms current position as the Director of Innovation Programs at the San Francisco Opera. In this role, Helms leverages his art knowledge with the business savvy he acquired from University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business to challenge the status quo of a century-old institution. His ultimate objective, inspired by the San Francisco Opera’s 100th season last year, is to break the opera house out of old habits and inspire work in new ways. In order to achieve this, Helms leads a portfolio of strategies and event concepts that will drive this initiative forward.

Helms prepares the lobby of San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House for an immersive evening of Donizetti’s "L'elisir d'amore."

“One of my favorite concepts I’ve developed is called ‘Encounter,’ which presents classic operas in immersive and irreverent ways,” says Helms. “It’s an event we’ve started to present regularly and that has been successful in drawing a younger, more diverse crowd to our opera house.”

Maintaining relationships with key leaders, thinkers, and artists inside and outside of the opera world is crucial for Helms to develop ideas for what the future of the art form might look like. It is clear Helms has honed his craft in building community through arts events and was able to develop that passion over the last 15 years of working in different capacities at various arts organizations.

From stage crew supervisor to company manager, each new job experience helped lead him to his current role at the San Francisco Opera. Helms believes that by saying yes to as many experiences and projects as one can you’re able to determine what works best for you, and opening yourself up to opportunities can begin at the college level. He encourages students to take advantage of the ample opportunities that surround them and start experimenting.

“Meadows is an incredible laboratory for you to try new things risk-free, so make the most of this beautiful chance to learn from everyone around you.”


Learn more about the Division of Theatre here.