Shadowing Business Ops at Mark Twain Tonight!

Blog by Tierney Schmidt 

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Mark Twain Tonight! at DPAC. I started off my evening at the pre-show meeting, where we learned information about the show and what to expect.

My job that night was to shadow Sam, DPAC's Senior Director of Events & Business Operations. After the pre-show meeting, I went with Sam to her office, which was located backstage. Once we arrived at her office, she told me all about her job at DPAC.

Basically, she is in charge of organizing the financial and management side of the bookings. When booking a show, she has to make sure that all the fees are organized and clearly explained to the tour manager. She has to take into account all the different fees, including rental fees, cleaning fees, stagehand fees, etc. This show was unique because the tour purchased their sets at each stop. Sam makes sure that all of those purchases are accounted for.

While we were backstage, Richard Thomas, who was playing Mark Twain that night, walked into her office in full costume and makeup. It was so cool to get to meet him. Sam told me that she has had many cool experiences with celebrities and actors while working backstage.

After our run-in with Richard Thomas, we did Sam's pre-show walk. On her walks, she makes sure that things are running smoothly. We checked to make sure that lines weren't backed up and that there were enough staff working each position. We even checked out the President's Club to make sure guests were satisfied with their experience. Once our walk was complete, I said bye to Sam and headed off to meet the other Ambassadors. 

I made sure to grab a pretzel before heading to my seat. The show was funny and entertaining. Richard Thomas captured the audience with each word. He even did a monologue from Huckleberry Finn, which was my favorite part of the show. I absolutely loved attending this event. Learning about Sam's job was a highlight of my evening and I was able to learn a lot. 

Make sure you check out dpacnc.com so that you don't miss out on the incredible events that are coming!