Our marketing intern has taken it upon herself to make sure that you, our friends and patrons, get to know our staff a little bit more over the summer.  She has interviewed chosen our Marketing Manager in honor of #SocialMediaDay.

If you're wondering who sends you all of our VSC emails, or who updates our social media accounts, or even who eats all of our chips and salsa, wonder no more. We'd like to introduce Carlin Becker, our Marketing Manager. Carlin graduated from James Madison University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She joined the VSC team in August of 2015. 

Marketing Intern:  Starting with the most pressing question: what is your go-to snack?
Carlin Becker:  Chips and salsa and/or guac. Salsa is amazing. I love all kinds of salsa equally. I do not discriminate. But I prefer to make my own guacamole. Store-bought guacamole is shameful.

MI: What is your favorite thing about working at VSC?
CB: I really like the people I work with. They’re a lot of fun and make the work week fly by. Especially you, [Marketing Intern], you're the best. Well, Crystal's [our new graphic designer] pretty great. Gary [office manager], you're cool too.

MI: Oh, stop it. You have been great to work with. I've learned a lot. Ok, back to the questions. If you could introduce yourself by means of a song, what would it be?
CB: The Game of Thrones theme song.
MI: That's an interesting choice. There's a lot of Game of Thrones talk around the office. Why would you choose that for your theme song?
CB: It's hype.

MI: What sets VSC apart from other theatre companies?
CB: Having lived in Hampton Roads my entire life, I think the fact that we produce all of our plays right here in Norfolk is really cool.

MI:  What’s your favorite joke?
CB: It’s not really a joke, but I really like the meme of Kermit the Frog sipping tea and saying “but that’s none of my business” after saying something sassy.

MI: If you could choose one play for VSC to produce, what show would you choose?
CB: I'm one of the few VSC employees who doesn't have a theatre background, so I've only seen a handful plays. I did read a lot of plays in school though because I was an English major, and like most English majors, I love Shakespeare. So I would be pretty hype about anything Shakespeare. 

MI: Where's your favorite place to lunch in Downtown Norfolk?
CB: I’m obsessed with Plaza Azteca. Whenever we do #vsclunches, I always throw that out as an option. For more chips and salsa.

MI:  What piece of art (album, painting, book, play) has influenced you the most as a person?
CB: I  don't know how much it influenced me as a person because I like to think I'm not insane, but A Clockwork Orange is a book that I'll never forget. It really made me think about the whole nature v. nurture argument, how we're responsible for our own actions, and how true change comes from within.

MI: VSC has a great season coming up. What show are you most looking forward to seeing?
CB: I don’t think I can pick just one! I am excited about I Sing the Rising Sea since it’s a World Premiere Musical. I also find the ocean fascinating, and I’m interested to see how the play treats the sea as a character. But I’m also looking forward to seeing Oliver Twist and how Patrick [Mullins, VSC’s Artistic Director] adapts it. 

MI: What initially drew you to VSC and how has the company grown since then?
CB: I really enjoy marketing, so I initially became interested in Virginia Stage Company when I saw that the Marketing Department was hiring. We had kind of a crazy/rushed last season because we had so many new staff members who started late last summer. But I think we've all gotten to know each other better and have learned how to work together as a team, so I'm excited for our upcoming season.

MI: Well, thanks so much, Carlin. I've got a lot of exciting Staff Spotlight posts planned for this summer, so keep checking our blog!