Maura Glascock is the George Mason University Center for the Arts’ new Front of House Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. She hires, trains and supervises paid Front of House staff for the Concert Hall, Harris Theatre and several smaller spaces on campus. She also monitors staffing levels and event set-up logistics in both halls and their lobby spaces.
Maura grew up in Solomons, Maryland, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2015, with a focus in cello performance. At St. Mary’s, she began her career in production and arts administration by interning with the Chesapeake Orchestra, and working to produce its River Concert Series.
During a study abroad year in Ireland at University College Dublin, she participated in the UCD Symphony Orchestra and twice took part in the International Alba Music Festival in Italy. Upon graduation, she worked as the Concert Production and Facilities Manager at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. There, she was both a house and stage manager, and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the school’s concert hall. She also supervised the operation and maintenance of the school’s rehearsal rooms, classrooms, faculty studios, and practice rooms.
She came to Mason because “I was looking for a new challenge professionally, and I wanted to be closer to my friends and my family,” she tells us. “I also missed Maryland’s crab cakes.” Her first day of work was Feb. 20 (appropriately enough for someone returning from Denver), a snow day in which the university was closed.
Maura notes there are some significant perks in her new job. “I’ve been enjoying the performances here,” she explains. “They are all so different!” She’s been able to watch everything from Cirque Mechanic to Mark Morris Dance Group and Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure.
In Denver there were no lobby set-ups before and after shows, but here in Fairfax, she and her co-workers help set up photo booths and have even turned the Center for the Arts lobby into a post-performance salsa dance club. “It’s been terrific getting to know my co-workers and ushers,” she says. “They do such wonderful work.” Among the events Maura is looking forward to is April 5’s GAMEMason, an all-day gaming convention during which the lobby will be turned into an arcade with vintage and new arcade games. Sounds like fun!