Staff Spotlight: Cindy Teeters, Lead House Manager
12/4/2019 12AM
Cindy Teeters also volunteers at the Carmel Farmers Market.
Along with the performers onstage and the production team backstage, a performing arts venue needs folks to oversee “front of house” activities: the ticket-scanning, ushering and general hospitality that comprise the non-performance side of the patron experience. Those people are called house managers, and at the Center, the house managers are managed by Cindy Teeters.
Cindy grew up in the Philadelphia area and became an avid fan of live music. Now a Carmel resident, she has a full-time day gig as Editorial Operations Manager for Pearson Education in Indianapolis. Seven years ago, however, she began volunteering as an usher at the Center and soon found herself on the payroll.
The job – equal parts cruise director and troubleshooter, with a touch of bouncer – can be a stressful one, so what keeps her coming back? Let’s find out.
In a nutshell, what do you do around here?
A house manager is responsible for preparing the front of house before all performances and managing the ushers during the show to ensure a great experience for the patrons. As the Lead House Manager, I manage the schedule of the other eight house managers to be sure we have coverage at all three of our venues.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Aside from the amazing staff at the Center, my favorite part of the job is seeing the great performances and then hearing the patrons’ comments and seeing their smiling faces after they exit the theater.
How else are you involved in the community?
I’m a volunteer with the Carmel Farmers Markets, summer and winter, and I would love to do more if I had more time.
Who has been your favorite performer at the Center?
Too many to mention, but some of my favorites are the ’70s/’80s/’90s rock and pop artists like Richard Marx, Rick Springfield, Boz Scaggs, Michael Bolton, Amy Grant, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick, Diana Ross, Peter Frampton, Boys II Men, Chris Isaak, Michael McDonald, Sheryl Crow …
On your own time, who do you listen to?
My all-time favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen, who I first saw in 1974 at a venue smaller than the Studio Theater. I’ve seen him over 30 times throughout the years, the highlight being the “No Nukes” concert at Madison Square Garden in 1979 on his 30th birthday.
