Sam Doty ’03 has seen a good portion of the world, thanks to his job.

Doty is an assistant manager of electrical productions with Feld Entertainment. He helps produce Feld Entertainment shows Disney on Ice, Disney Live, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus shows throughout the world.

“That’s my favorite part of the job,” Doty says. “I’ve been to China, to Russia, all over Europe, to Cairo, to Japan. We travel all over the world.”

Doty’s area of expertise is lighting production. He began with Feld Entertainment nine months after graduating from Valparaiso University. He first toured with the circus shows as an electrician. Within a year he was promoted to head electrician, and a year later was moved into his current support role in which he oversees the shows.

“What we do is plan the shows and we build them,” Doty says. “And we help with the upkeep of the old shows that are out touring. We hire new group members, supervise and train them and make sure the equipment is maintained and taken care of.”

All of it entails frequent trips to the shows to make sure things are running smoothly and to help fix broken equipment.

At Valpo, Doty majored in theater and minored in television and radio production. He says the specialized treatment he received at Valpo allowed him to flourish in his professional career.

“I don’t think I would have gotten this experience anywhere else,” Doty says. “Whenever there’s a small department like there is at Valpo, there’s a lot of one-on-one time with the professors. That really helped.”

Learn more about Valparaiso University’s Department of Theatre, including information for prospective students and a schedule of upcoming performances.