410 Forum — Arts
A Dream Whose Time Has Come
By Ron Boyle
to an outsider , it’s just another Wednesday afternoon spent in the confines of an ordinary office. Situated behind the ticket counters at Union Colony Civic Center are several glass-paneled rooms where executive decisions are made daily. Mari Hein sits, rifling through documents atop her neatly organized desk; a manifold of information is pinned to the cork board to her left. As ticket services coordinator for the UCCC, Hein has a list of responsibilities that expand the idea of her title. She compiles information for public announcements and shows, communicates with possible tenants and serves as faculty supervisor and treasurer.
It’s a full schedule, but Hein likes it that way.
“Her job is not easy, but she is tolerant. She is really good at diffusing situations because she has to deal with difficult people sometimes,” said Amy Archuleta, ticket clerk at the UCCC.
You might have met her type. Hein thrives on constant pressure and is most productive when she is being counted on to do her job. Without notice, Archuleta interrupts our meeting with a question about seating arrangements for the disabled. Hein seems unsurprised by the interruption and answers quickly. Our discussion resumes immediately; Hein unfazed.
Hein’s job continues like clockwork. It’s an unlikely location for a dream job. In fact, Hein would be the first to say it is not a glamorous job. But it is just what Hein always wanted, and a brief interruption from her life as an indecisive college graduate is all that Hein needed to find it.
It’s an unlikely location for a dream job. In fact, Hein would be the first to say it is not a glamorous job. But it is just what Hein always wanted, and a brief interruption from her life as an indecisive college graduate is all that Hein needed to find it.
Hein received a bachelor of arts in music from the University of Colorado in 1989. But like many students, she had trouble deciding what to do with her degree after she graduated. So, Hein said she moved back home and worked odd jobs to distract herself from the routine university life. Still unsatisfied, she spent nearly four years volunteering at art centers across Arizona, after which she finally found the mental clarity and inspiration needed to return to school. The University of Illinois in Springfield was one of 12 universities that offered a community arts management program, so she enrolled. Because an internship was required every semester, Hein was able to experiment with different programs and discover the career of her dreams. There was an internship at the Illinois State Museum that almost caused her to change her major to anthropology. But, she had tasted the box office life and was smitten with the level of detail and common love for art that theater folks have.
“I liked being behind the scenes and being part of the team that programs events and creates events and balances them out and sees the whole thing start to finish,” Hein said.
After receiving her master’s degree and working in a small theater in New Mexico, she found an opening for ticketing services coordinator at the UCCC. Mark Breimhorst, the UCCC manager, said the position required someone with an eye for detail and that Hein was that person.
There are no identifying marks outside her office that might hint at her level of responsibility. Hein just glides through the office, her movement matching the lighthearted, though not unfocused atmosphere. It is a quiet and remote space, away from the public eye. But only just. She said the biggest challenge has been coordinating with directors who see the big picture but do not always have the resources to make their ideas happen.
“Most people don’t think about on-sale dates. You don’t want to start your publicity and get people all excited about your event when tickets are not on sale yet,” said Diane Cays, assistant director for community arts at UNC's College of Performing and Visual Arts.
Our meeting is nearing its end, but Hein’s job continues like clockwork. She turns to start sorting files and prepares for an informal meeting with other staff members about rental accounts and tomorrow’s schedule. Having endured six years of post-secondary education and four years experimenting with jobs related to the arts, she has finally found a job that mates her passion with her ability. The grand opalescence of the theater spotlight is missing, but this ordinary looking office still occupies the center stage of Hein’s heart.
UCCC Ticketing at a Glance
• Mari Hein has worked as a ticket services coordinator at the UCCC for eight years.
• Last year there were 147 ticketed events not including rehearsals.
• The UCCC was in use for 300 days last year.
• The UCC sold 106,274 tickets in 2008.
• The UCCC collected $1,273,000 from ticket sales in 2008.
