MEAGAN MCMAHON

Meagan McMahon: I feel like anytime
I'm here in the lobby after a show and

you know you open the doors and there's
that like five to ten minutes while the

actors are getting changed before they
come out that The audience just really

wants to tell somebody how much they love
the show And so they gravitate to you

as like the person who checked them in
at the box office Um, and that's just a

really, to see people come out like so
excited about what they just saw or so

moved and they're immediately like, I
need to tell somebody how good that was.

That's the most fulfilling moment for me.

So I'm like, yes, we did it.

Rodney Lee Rogers: And that's
where my conversation with Megan

McMahon, Patron Services and
Marketing Manager for Pure Theatre.

We had a great conversation about what
it takes for the whole experience of

theatre and what it's like being on
the front lines of patron services.

What service is all about?

Hope you enjoy the conversation.

I

would call you the Swiss
Army Knife of pure theater.

What would you call, what
would you, what would you say?

I

Meagan McMahon: think
that's pretty accurate.

People ask me what I do for work, and
the simple answer is I handle tickets,

subscriptions, and the marketing, but
it is really, it's events planning,

it's our annual donation campaigns,
it's kind of like all the administrative

stuff that has to be done so that the
creatives can keep being creative.

Rodney Lee Rogers: And
as creative as we can be.

What?

Drew you to theater.

So if, like, we go back to,

Meagan McMahon: like, It would
be high school that I started.

Where'd you go to high school?

Um, Sumter High.

Yeah.

I think they actually had, I would say,
an astonishingly good theater program

for, like, a South Carolina high school.

And we had a director
who was really involved.

And it was kind of, like, it was
just the thing that I was gonna do

because all of my friends did it.

And then I was like, oh, this is great.

And I Did like a sound design for
a show and then I stage managed a

show and I was like, oh, I'm kind
of good at this and I enjoy it.

Um, so that's where that started.

And then, you know, going to
college is you're kind of like,

what am I supposed to major in?

Like, what am I supposed to do?

I was like, had friends who had come
to C of C who were doing the theater

program and I was like, I'm, we'll just
take some classes, see how it goes.

And I loved it.

And yeah, Sharon was actually one
of the first people I met when I

moved down here for college because
I was an assistant stage manager

when she directed Superior Donuts.

That was one of the

Rodney Lee Rogers: first years, that

Meagan McMahon: was like your first year?

Oh yeah, that was my first semester.

I had a friend who was like, we need an
ASM, if you're interested in this, like,

I'll put you on and I ended up working
with Sharon and that was an incredible

Rodney Lee Rogers: experience.

I wouldn't have thought that.

I would have thought you were,
you seemed very well seasoned

the first time at the bat.

So I thought, you know,
so you meet Sharon.

What'd you think?

Meagan McMahon: I mean, I feel like the
way that anyone who has been in a room and

watched her direct It's just such, she is
such an incredible director and the way

that her mind works, like, watching her,
like, piece together what the movement

is and the stage picture, and also her
ability, I think, to, especially with

that show, like, working with college
students, like, helping them, Figure out

motivation or like what their character's
intention was and kind of the way that

she's able to like chip away at the layers
of a character with them Until you kind

of get to a place that's like very real

Rodney Lee Rogers: So you came here
so you've been working for the company

Meagan McMahon: Um, in this
role since 2019, I started stage

managing in 2017 on the Royale.

What was the show?

Oh, it was the Royale.

That was a great show.

That was such, um, that was a funny
experience too because I think it was

Quentin Baxter had done the stomp for us.

Like he had written the music for
the stomp and then we got into the

rehearsal room and there was kind
of this Uh oh moment where we were

like, no one knows how to read sheet
music and I was like, well, I do.

And so I remember going home and having
to like beat it out and take a recording

so that I could send it to the cast so
that they could all listen and learn

it that way because I was the only one
that could read like what the actual

beats were supposed to be and how long.

That's

Rodney Lee Rogers: awesome.

How'd you learn to read music?

When

Meagan McMahon: did that start?

My parents made me take piano growing up.

So I took piano lessons for nine years.

And do you

Rodney Lee Rogers: still play?

Meagan McMahon: Um, sometimes.

I don't have one at my house, but because
that's an expensive and big thing to

have, but I do occasionally when I
go home, I'll pull some stuff out.

I've

Rodney Lee Rogers: never, most people,
like, piano is always the same way.

I think music is so difficult
because if you, you have to stick

with it and you have to get to a
point where you can really do it.

But I've never met anybody, like,
there's always, well, I had to learn

piano, but they never regretted it.

In this particular case,
you didn't have to grin

Meagan McMahon: at all.

No, which is so, I fought
my parents so hard on it.

I hated it the whole time I was taking it.

And then, yeah, I was
like, yeah, you're right.

It's good that I know how to read music.

And it's one of those things
that you can just kind of

like pull out and do whenever.

Yeah.

So I could, I, it had been a couple years.

After I graduated high school,
since I had like sat down at a

piano and I just was able to pull it
back out and play the stuff again.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Very helpful,
obviously, for that show.

Yeah.

Then, so you stage managed a couple times.

When did you, when did you get pulled into

Meagan McMahon: So, I double majored in
theater and arts management and so you

have to complete an arts internship.

Um, and so I reached out to Claire and
I interned over the summer, I believe.

And then There was just
an opening in the office.

I think that was around
the time that Eleanor left.

And so they were like, we have some
hours if you'd like to stay on and

continue working in this capacity.

And then I did and then one thing led
to another and when Claire decided to

leave there was a job opening and I
was about to graduate with a degree

and what I needed for this job and I
think it was kind of just a natural

progression of like, all right.

Rodney Lee Rogers: That's awesome.

What is the difference?

Because it's like, I think with many
forms of study, there is, I know this

is true with business in college.

So you have the practical application
of what you learn in college.

Yes.

And then there's the job.

Yes.

Um, how have you found
that kind of transition?

Meagan McMahon: It's really interesting.

I feel like the things that I used from
college and the things I don't use and

then there's some stuff that I didn't
need to use for a couple of years and now

as the company has sort of been growing
and my job description has expanded, I'm

like, Oh, I got to pull that textbook
back out and brush up on fundraising or

budgeting, whatever the skill set may be.

But yeah, I feel like it all
is really like learning as you

go and everywhere is different.

Yeah.

To.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Well, it's like you're,
it's like, I think any type of project,

they certainly like the film business.

It's like, everything's different.

Yes.

It's like, even when you do a different,
every show we do is different.

Yes.

There's some kind of different challenge
or some kind of different, um, well,

really something's going to derail it.

Something that's going to

Meagan McMahon: make it difficult.

Yeah.

And we are, I actually really
appreciate the fact that we are such

a small, intense little staff here.

I have not stopped learning and growing
since I started this job and that's been

kind of a fun thing is to like have a
project thrown at me and I'm like, I

don't know how to do this, but I'm going
to figure it out and then By the time you

get to the end of it and you're able to
like appreciate what you've done you're

like wow, like that was I feel a sense
of accomplishment because I've learned

something new and also for something
like Like all the events we had for

Septima or even just changes to like
what our subscription model is like or

how we run our donation Campaigns being
able to see the rewards of that in real

time as well as also super satisfying

Rodney Lee Rogers: What is
the hardest part of your job?

What's the hardest job?

Or even think of like an instance,
what is one of the things that's

been the hardest thing to deal with?

Meagan McMahon: I feel like this one
is two fold, because it's a good thing

and a bad thing, but I think it's
the customer service aspect of it.

Um, and yes, you obviously get difficult
people every now and then, but also, you

get very invested in these people and
their lives, and so that's really positive

where I've had like, people send me thank
you letters, or they'll like, let me know

about the cool things going on in their
life, but then the opposite of that too is

you get to be there for all the hard stuff
as well, whether it's like, a surgery, or

a death, Um, Um, whatever that difficulty
may be, and that's, that's a little hard

too to be dealing with a high volume of
people like that and to feel so intimately

involved in their lives in that way.

That's

Rodney Lee Rogers: something
that we never expected.

That's not something you think about
because you are, the big buzzword in

any type of not for profit is community.

Yes.

In any type of, any type
of anything is community.

And I think when we got started.

We've lost several, uh, seats and
patrons and members, uh, even a

core member, and you don't really
expect that when you get started.

Meagan McMahon: You think like, I'm
just gonna go do my job and, and when

you think about, like, we have over
200 subscribers and that doesn't even

include single ticket buyers, like,
that's a large pool of people to be

invested in, um, but I also really enjoy
it because, um, Yeah, I get to be there

for the good stuff like we have patrons
will email and be like I need to switch

my tickets over my daughter's having a
baby and then they'll email me a couple

hours later and be like the baby's here.

Here's a picture.

So receiving stuff like that is fun
to to be so involved in people's lives

that they like want to share that
with you is a really cool experience.

Rodney Lee Rogers: So season
is very much like a campaign.

I think we we talked about
it has its own rhythm.

Yes.

Um, we are at the tail end.

Of this season, or we're
just coming into it.

We're kind of in the, we're
kind of in the, the crescendo.

We're getting into the, the
really right towards the end.

You see the light at
the end of the tunnel.

Meagan McMahon: Yes.

Although this is busy
season for my job right now.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Getting
ready for next year.

Meagan McMahon: Um, spring challenge
running, um, yeah, planning next

season, you know, trying to get all the
pieces into place so that we can put

subscriptions on sale and announce stuff
is that and, you know, preparing for

whatever the last show of the season is,
is always March is a very busy month.

So I'm like coming into it right

Rodney Lee Rogers: now.

And that's exactly what I'm getting.

So, so the, what's the rhythm of
your, cause I would have thought.

Like, that's just like, I
think it's all the same.

It's not all the same.

Obviously, you have a
different, a different focus.

What is, what is your season run like?

Meagan McMahon: Um, I feel like it's
kind of split between the productions

themselves and then the everything else.

So, leading up to a production,
you know, you've got to get

the marketing material out.

Whatever else has to be done, tickets
on sale, and then, like, the week of

opening, like, that is all I'm thinking
about, is making sure everyone's tickets

are good, we've got bar volunteers, you
know, we've got concessions stocked, um,

whatever our opening night celebration
is, and then, once the show is open, you

kind of settle back and you're like, okay,
now we're in the rhythm of the show, I'm

gonna go back to the other tasks that I
have to do to keep things moving along.

Rodney Lee Rogers: And then as that build,
do you find, as it builds during the year,

when's the, is there, is there downtime?

When's the time when it kind
of feels like it goes over?

Meagan McMahon: Um, around the holidays.

And then, I think, you know, over the
summer we're a little quiet, and we

didn't do a summer show last year,
which, if we do, that kind of changes

things, but I feel like July for us,
For all of us is kind of where we're

like, okay, the season's announced.

We're in rehearsals, like we can
take a little breather, maybe take

two weeks off to go on vacation.

Yeah.

That's the quiet time.

Vacations are important.

Which works for me.

It's nice to have some
time off in the summer.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Sometime.

Yeah.

Um, because it does, it
is fairly relentless.

Um, show wise, what's
been your favorite show?

Do you have a favorite show?

Oh

Meagan McMahon: man, I don't
know if this But I loved Atwater.

I've told everyone that, and, you
know, I've seen a lot of great shows

here, but something about that show,
I think I'm so close to everybody

in it that watching all of them
have so much fun on stage together.

Was just really enjoyable for me and
the show itself was incredible But you

know kind of saying like their energy
combined I'm like, wow, that's a cool

cast and I can't imagine like how much
fun it was to be in the rehearsal room

Rodney Lee Rogers: It's really I mean,
I think that's great when we get one

that you really kind of create the whole
thing Yeah, um and don't worry too like

we cut and cut anything out here too.

So yeah

Do you find Let's start here.

Do you ever, creatively, is there
anything around theater that, like,

you would like to do, or does this
really fulfill those Want to get up

and play piano on one of the shows?

Meagan McMahon: Not particularly,
because I do, I have some, I

wouldn't call it stage fright.

I'm okay with, like, public
speaking, but performing Yeah.

Um, spooks me a little bit.

I think I just let my
nerves get to me too much.

Um, I think if there was an opportunity
to stage manage again, that would

be really fun, you know, it's just
the time balance of everything.

The only other thing is, I find Miles
like sound design process to be very

interesting, like if that's something
that I could go back to school and

learn how to do over again, it would
be interesting to learn sound design.

Yeah,

Rodney Lee Rogers: you can
just hang out with Miles.

Yeah,

Meagan McMahon: that's true.

Just shout him.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Is there a
time, or like when do you feel,

I'm gonna go about this,
like when do you feel

fulfilled, like when does it feel
like during a production, or during

the year, or during your process,
when is the really good parts of

the job where you go, yeah, this is,
this is why I do this, or is there?

Um.

I

Meagan McMahon: would say opening and
closing nights are really high points,

but I feel like anytime I'm here in
the lobby after a show and you know you

open the doors and there's that like
five to ten minutes while the actors

are getting changed before they come
out that the audience just really wants

to tell somebody how much they love
the show and so they gravitate to you

as like the person who checked them in
at the box office Um, and that's just

a really, to see people come out like,
so excited about what they just saw or

so moved and they're immediately like,
I need to tell somebody how good that

was, that's the most fulfilling moment
for me, so I'm like, yes, we did it.

That's awesome.

Rodney Lee Rogers: I'm a big fan, and
you're a big fan, I know, of the bear.

And like, it's that idea of hard work,
service, and then when are the uptimes?

And I think that idea of we're
creating this pocket for people.

I know when I used to work in a
restaurant, there was like, there

was these just moments like when
you're cutting on the music or you do

it, when the atmosphere is created.

That was just when you felt like,
okay, I'm doing the right thing.

Meagan McMahon: Oh, yeah.

And that's been some of my favorite times.

I feel like here in the building is when I
get to come in early to set up for a show.

And it's just kind of, it feels like
blessing the space a little bit.

You clean up, you turn the lights
on, um, and just those like quiet

few moments before everybody
comes in and it gets really crazy

at the box office is like, wow.

And it's a beautiful building to be in.

I love walking around,
especially in the theater here.

Well,

Rodney Lee Rogers: and when we
have the, right now we're sitting

in the middle of the theater.

We have the windows open so you
can see all the stained glass.

Um, and it really is, I wish
we could leave them open

all the time, but you know.

Not so good for the shows.

No.

But a beautiful, beautiful space.

Um, plans in the future?

Are there things you want to?

Meagan McMahon: Um, that
is a great question.

I certainly would.

I feel like, you know, when you start
a new job, you kind of have to settle

into the rhythm of what that job is.

And then I feel like, especially here,
Every year there's something new, um,

and so there's been like a huge learning
curve I feel like these first couple

of years here, but now that I feel a
little bit more settled Um, I think maybe

I don't know if going back to school
would be the answer even just doing

some independent training But there are
things that I want to get better at and

so being able to pursue some of those
obviously with The support of the rest

of the staff here to kind of, um, I would
say like hone my craft a little bit,

which would be marketing, fundraising,
that's sort of the intangibleness of

how do you connect to people through
something like a letter or an email

campaign or whatever it is, I would
love to dive a little deeper into that.

Rodney Lee Rogers: So more training.

Yes.

Learn one, do one, teach one.

Yep.

Teaching, would you ever want to teach?

Maybe.

Meagan McMahon: I don't
know what I would teach.

Piano.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Piano.

Outside the theater.

What's your favorite thing to do?

Meagan McMahon: Um, honestly, eat.

We are in the best city for that.

And I just love eating good food.

And trying new places.

So,

Rodney Lee Rogers: yeah.

What's your last good one you

Meagan McMahon: went to?

Oh my goodness, um, a couple weeks ago,
Jackrabbit Philly had a guest chef in

from Maine who brought, like, all of
this tuna with him and so they had,

um, he did, like, a special, like,
a la carte menu and it was so good.

It was so good.

And yeah, before that,
I'm trying to think.

Big fan of Jackrabbit Philly.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Well, this is
such a great, I mean, you're right,

it's a great town to go and eat,
like, especially before the show or

after the show, get something to eat.

Yeah.

Um, and I think you guys have done
some amazing job with those restaurants

Meagan McMahon: that are out there.

Oh yeah, which that's all Terry.

I can't take any credit for that.

That is all Terry.

Yeah.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Um, though we've lost
a few of the restaurants as of late.

Meagan McMahon: Yeah,
which has been sad too.

I think that's one of the
really hard things here.

Um, I was actually talking with them
about this Add Sugar bake shop who does

our opening and closing receptions.

Um, because they're doing really well
right now and I was like, it just

makes me happy to hear that because it
seems like everyone else is struggling.

I feel like similar to how we are in
theaters, we see theaters struggling

all around us and we're like, wow,
we're doing really great right now.

Um, I feel the same way, you know, about
the restaurants that are able to make

it because And I haven't even been down
here to, not even a full decade yet,

but I feel like the food scene on King
Street is like unrecognizable to me now.

Right.

And so seeing all of it turn over, just
the restaurants turn over, yeah, all

of the places that were familiar to me
in college have now been replaced by

something else, you know, you see there's
like this one restaurant on the corner

of Spring and King that I've seen four
different businesses move into it, like

just in the last five years, um, so when
you see somebody who's a restaurant that's

doing really well, especially when it
started by somebody local and not just

like people coming in from New York or
whatever, I'm like, Really happy for them.

Rodney Lee Rogers: Um, when
you get away because you're

going away soon, aren't you?

Yes.

Meagan McMahon: Where are you going?

Yeah, I'm going to Greece.

My youngest sibling is
studying abroad in Athens.

So we're gonna go

Rodney Lee Rogers: visit.

That is exciting.

Will you see any theater
where you're there or will

Meagan McMahon: you avoid it?

Um, probably not just because
I don't think my family are big

theater people but we will definitely
be going to see theater sites.

Like theater sites.

Yeah.

Historic

Rodney Lee Rogers: sites.

Yeah.

Those are, when I was in Bulgaria,
they had one of the Greek or the Roman,

you know, the Roman amphitheater.

Those are amazing.

Yeah.

Like the acoustic's like, we battle to
get any type of sound in this place.

Oh my gosh.

Regardless.

And then you go to these massive
outdoor arenas and you'll sit in one

place and you can hear perfectly.

Mm hmm.

Meagan McMahon: Um, that'll be very cool.

And that's what my sibling's been
texting me, is like, I went to this

amphitheater today, or like, this used
to be a performance space, so like,

send me photos of stuff like that
that they know is within my interest.

Rodney Lee Rogers: That's exciting.

Um, what are you looking
forward to next year?

Meagan McMahon: I think, and I kind
of answered a question similarly to

this before, but I feel like, you
know, starting this job in 2019 and

then getting immediately hit by the
pandemic, I feel like we have, have

been, and still in some ways are, feel
like we're climbing out of that hole.

Um, but I feel like maybe we've made
it out of The whole finally now and

so it's nice to feel a little bit
more like stable and secure in in

the job and in what I'm able to do.

Um, and so I think it's going to be
exciting to see what opportunities

we have to kind of expand some of our
community engagement or to bring some

more events and that capacity to be able
to do more because we're not working

against like a deficit or trying to like.

Climb out of the pandemic hole still
which was I think a lot of people thought

that that stopped in like 2022 and it
still has just been ongoing for us.

Yeah.

What

Rodney Lee Rogers: are you most proud
of when it comes to the theater?

Meagan McMahon: I don't know if
my patrons are the right word.

I would say my patron relationships
because it's really nice to like be in

the lobby before a show and somebody
comes to check in and they'll Ask for me.

And you know, you have that moment where
your heart stops where you're like,

oh no, like, did I mess something up?

And then it'll just be to
come over and they're like, I

just wanted to introduce you.

They'll bring their friend over and be
like, I wanted to introduce you to Megan.

Like, she handles all of the stuff.

She's wonderful.

And so that's, that's the pride
that I feel that I can provide

that level of individual attention.

And I guess stewardship would be the
right word for all of our patrons.

And yeah, to know, know all
the faces, know all the names,

know all the connections.

It's really rewarding when they
come back and say thank you

or introduce me to a friend.

Can you remember a

Rodney Lee Rogers: specific one?

Meagan McMahon: I think
Doe Cote is a good example.

I know we talk about Doe because she
always brings a big group with her.

And so it's, Always so
fun because I see her.

She normally comes to every show twice
because she'll bring a group with her

to both performances And every time
she brings someone new and you know,

she's just so excited she's like you
need to meet Megan and she's always

trying to like push them into flex
past membership or whatever and She'll

say, like, Megan handles everything,
this process is so easy for me, and

that's really what I love to hear.

And, you know, it's just nice to then see
some of those people, you know, return to

the theater, or reach out and contact me
about whatever questions they may have.

And it's just, I don't know, it
feels very special to know that our

patrons are excited to share small,
exciting details of their life with me.

That they feel so inclined to, oh
my goodness, Eugene Platt is another

one where he'll send me info on his
poetry readings, he sent me a couple

poems himself, um, and I know he
sent me a poem a couple years ago

when they lost one of their pets.

And I lost a pet myself back in the
fall and I remember, I think I actually

reached out to him and I was like
this has been a really hard time but

I have your poem like on the wall
by my desk and it is very comforting

to be able to look over and read it.

So yeah, just those relationships
are very special to me.

Anything else you want to talk about?

I don't think so.

Unless

Rodney Lee Rogers: you
have another question.

You are incredibly valued here
if you do not hear that enough.

And you make this place go.

And thank you for that.

Yeah.

It's been a pleasure talking to you.

Thank you.

You too.

So we've been talking with Megan
McMahon, uh, our Swiss army knife in all

things public relations here at Pure.