Matt Stahlman, technical director for the Musical Theatre Guild of Butler, builds a set Wednesday for the upcoming musical “Sweeney Todd” at Butler County Community College's Succop Theater.

Butler County is filled with a variety of people doing interesting things.

This weekly feature offers snapshots of some of them and their interests by asking them five questions. The latest installment appears below.

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Matt Stahlman, 32, of East Butler volunteers as technical director for the Musical Theatre Guild of Butler.

During the day, he works as a CAD draftsman at Botsford Surveying in Marion Center, but has worked on MTG productions for more than six years.

Most recently, Stahlman has served as technical director for “Sweeney Todd,” a musical that tells the story of a bloodthirsty barber bent on revenge.

Here, Stahlman talks about his experiences in the theater.

Question: What are your duties as technical director?Answer: I have to design the show and supervise the construction crew building it. I also supervise the crew moving the show from MTG's building to the College when shows are there, and supervise the stage crew through the run of the show.

Question: What was the hardest piece to build for the set of “Sweeney Todd?”Answer: Probably the most challenging thing was Sweeney Todd's barber chair and the slide that goes down underneath it, and making it all work in a safe manner for the actors... The slide is used the second part of the show when Sweeney Todd is trying to seek revenge on the judge. As part of that, before he kills the judge, he kills five or six people who slide down to the lower basement to be made into meat pies.

Question: Why did you get involved with the Musical Theatre Guild?Answer: I really enjoy the musicals; I just could never be out there in front with the cast. My wife (Kelly Stahlman) is in the show and I enjoy being there but I don't like to be onstage. Building the set and running the stage crew is my way of being involved.

Question: Would you ever act onstage?Answer: They're trying to work with me to get over that! I have a really small part in this. I don't have any lines but I'm just a random customer in the barber shop who will be one of the first to get killed. I'd like to try to get up the courage to be onstage sometimes but I'd miss working backstage, too.

Question: What is the importance of theater?Answer: I think that theater is a wonderful thing to expose people to. When people can enjoy the experience of seeing live musicals, it's just really wonderful. It's something I've always enjoyed and I just think it's an experience everyone needs to have.

<B>WHO: </B>Musical Theatre Guild<B>WHAT: </B>“Sweeney Todd”<B>WHEN: </B>8 p.m. April 8 and 9 and 3 p.m. April 10<B>WHERE: </B>Succop Theater at Butler County Community College<B>TICKETS:</B> $17 for adults and $15 for students and available at May's Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St., between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays<B>INFO:</B> 724-287-8243