Brian T Schipper
Brian T. Schipper, age 41 of Sioux Falls, SD passed away on Monday, September 18, 2023, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. His Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be on Friday, September 22, 2023, from 4:00-7:00 PM, also at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the The Mighty Corson Art Players.
Brian was born in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, on June 5, 1982. He spent his childhood in Texas, Maryland, and the Twin Cities. Brian graduated in 2000 from Cooper High School in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Brian was active in orchestra and theater during his high school years and fell in love with the theater.
Brian chose to follow his passion and attend Concordia University St. Paul where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater. While attending Concordia, he was selected to direct a main stage production, Gospel Time and Gospel Rhyme, which was featured in the department's regular season.
While attending Concordia, Brian met his wife, Rebecca. The couple was married in Brandon, SD on June 17, 2005. The couple lived in Saint Paul where Brian remained active in community theater both as a stage manager and a director until 2007.
Brian moved to Sioux Falls in 2007, and spent the next few years running his own theater company, Big Fish Theater. He directed and fully produced four productions with Big Fish before finding a theater home at the Mighty Corson Art Players (MCAP). Brian first became involved with MCAP when he was selected to direct, Take a Number Darling in 2013. After acting in a production at MCAP, Brian joined the MCAP board of directors. Brian quickly began serving as president, and then he became MCAP's first Managing Artistic Director. Brian poured his heart and soul into Mighty Corson truly believing in its mission “partnering with passionate artists to create and share amazing stories.” His prolific career with MCAP culminates this fall with his 23rdproduction with them, They Promised Her the Moon.
Brian enjoyed working with new artists and never shied away from casting them. He was honored to help judge local one acts, as well as guest directing multiple times for Augustana's Claire Donaldson's New Play Festival. Brian was also a founding member of Storytellers Anonymous, a new theater collective in Sioux Falls.
In the rare times Brian wasn't putting on a show, he could be found at a Weezer concert, watching Critical Role or a Chelsea FC match, or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Brian loved DnD. He loved weaving stories for his friends to traverse.
In 2020, Brian and Rebecca welcomed their son, Jonas Alexander, to the world. Brian loved being a father and adored his son. Brian commented that his son was “the best thing” he had ever done.
Brian also loved Shakespeare and so a line from Hamlet, “Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Grateful for sharing his life are his wife, Rebecca Schipper; son, Jonas Schipper; his mother, Debby Schipper, all of Sioux Falls, SD; father, John (Regina) Schipper of Salem, SD; his father and mother-in-law, Mark and June Buehner of Brandon, SD; his special nieces, Shelby and Julia Fray; and a host of other relatives, and many friends.
Brian was preceded in death by his grandparents, Janice and Lawrence Holmberg and Laverne and Harold Schipper.