We’re shining a spotlight on some of the incredible interns who have passed through the Cincinnati Opera offices!
Connie Grubbs began her internship with Cincinnati Opera in 2002, and has spent her summers stage managing with us ever since. Read about how Connie discovered her true calling to stage management, and which favorite Cincinnati Opera memory involves banana ice cream!
Want to hear more from Connie? Listen to her 2017 interview in our Inside Opera podcast. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
What university did you attend, and what was your major?
I have an undergraduate degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in Music Education (I was a singer, but hated performing). Then I completed my Masters in Theatrical Production and Design (with a concentration in Stage Management) from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). I honestly never thought I would get into CCM, but I’m grateful they took a chance on me and brought me to Cincinnati, which has now been my home for almost 20 years.
When did you intern for Cincinnati Opera, and for what department?
My intern year at Cincinnati Opera was the summer of 2002, where I worked in the rehearsal department with Tom Young. At that time, there was no stage management internship. I remember having a terrible time finding parking for my interview and almost being late!
How did you learn about the internship at Cincinnati Opera?
I was encouraged to apply to the internship by my advisor at CCM. Suellen Childs knew I was only interested in stage managing opera and it seemed like a logical step. Cincinnati Opera was the only internship for which I applied. I almost considered Chautauqua or Glimmerglass, but I really didn’t want to leave Cincinnati, which was already starting to feel like home.
Were you interested in opera before interning?
Absolutely! My undergrad degree was in music, and I just loved the idea of combining my music skills with stage management. In fact, because of my strong ability to read music, I was asked to call stage managers on the right measure of music on more than one occasion, even as an intern. There was one section of Dead Man Walking that was brutal for the stage manager to call and follow the music at the same time. The assistant stage managers were also busy, so I was called in to help follow that one section of the score. I had the favor returned when I called Another Brick in the Wall. The opening section was incredibly difficult to follow and call. I had to ask one of the music staff to be with me for those first 3 minutes…just in case.
Connie stage managing a 2019 performance of Porgy and Bess. Pictured with with conductor David Charle Abell.
What was the first opera production you worked on?
My very first opera experience was in undergrad at Rutgers. It was my sophomore year and I had signed up for opera class, which was basically a performance class. That year, they were producing two very small operas with no chorus (The Medium and Sorry, Wrong Number). As an undergrad soprano who didn’t really enjoy performing, there was no role for me, so they asked me to stage manage in order to receive credit. I loved it. I asked to stage manage for each opera after that.
Professionally, I worked at a teeny, tiny opera house in a converted barn in the village of Humbach, Germany just south of Munich. It was an opportunity offered to me by one of the voice faculty at Rutgers. I lived in a farmhouse with my best friend and it was an amazing experience.
What is your favorite show to work on that is not opera?
I loved my time stage managing at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; my favorite production was the musical Next To Normal. I also had the opportunity to stage manage a handful of musicals at CCM, with The Wild Party being a standout production from my non-opera experiences there.
What is your favorite opera?
This is a tough one for me, and there is also a distinct difference for me between my favorite opera for the sake of just the opera and my favorite productions. I am always drawn to new opera, but there are some classics I absolutely love. I’m going to go with a top 5, in no particular order: Rigoletto, Carmen, Fellow Travelers, Manon, A View from a Bridge, Anna Karenina, Nixon in China. Okay, that was more than five…
Do you have a favorite memory as an intern?
Oh my goodness, there are so many! I made lifelong friends that summer and found a professional home, so I’m going to go with something really banal. Banana ice cream. I was sitting in the backstage office I shared with Tom Young at Music Hall. One of the young artists (Michael Mayes) stopped by on his way to rehearsal for Dead Man Walking. He was carrying a cooler and plopped down in the extra chair in the office. With a grin, he asked if we would like any of his homemade banana ice cream. This is the perfect example of the kindness and family atmosphere at Cincinnati Opera. I knew it was a great opera company, but that moment also solidified for me that it was a great place to work and filled with amazing people of all kinds.
Connie and Cincinnati Opera production operations manager Kate Brockmeier backstage before a 2014 performance of Carmen.
Tell us about your career path following the internship.
I’ve worked at Cincinnati Opera in some capacity or another every summer since my intern summer. I still had two years to go at CCM after my intern year, but Cincinnati Opera hired me the next summer as an Assistant Stage Manager for one show. Then the summer following my graduation from CCM, I was working there for two shows.
After graduation, I worked at Atlanta Opera for a few months, but then had the opportunity to move to New York City, where I worked with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for two years. (I guess I should mention that I used my vacation time from my job to work at Cincinnati Opera for those two years…) It turns out I missed opera terribly, so I started looking for opera stage management jobs. Since then I’ve worked at Florida Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, all of which were great experiences.
I turned down a second season at the Lyric because I wanted to be in Cincinnati full time. I had a few gigs here and there until I started working at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, where I stage managed through two pregnancies, all the while spending my summers at Cincinnati Opera.
What advice would you give to students entering the workplace?
Be flexible. Nearly every opera company (or theater company) is different with different personalities, structures, ways of doing things, and company policies. Even union rules will differ from company to company. Be flexible and learn the company for which you’re working.
Ask questions and never be afraid of “looking dumb” or not knowing something. As an intern, you are there to learn and everyone you work with should know and respect that. Don’t be afraid of asking questions about how to do something or why it’s done that way. This is how you learn, but it’s also how we learn. It helps me keep perspective on your education and you might be the new dog teaching the old one new tricks. 😊
What is a fun fact about you?
I love mowing my lawn and gardening, but my house is a mess. I also make amazing margaritas.