Staci Cobb is the new director of marketing and public relations for Theatre Jacksonville.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
“My job is to get the name Theatre Jacksonville out there, bump up the subscriber base and get people in the seats. We have a really solid subscriber base, patrons that have been loyal to us for many years. But they’re getting older and they’re kids aren’t coming as much, so we’re targeting a younger crowd.”
WHAT CHALLENGES
DOES SHE FACE?
“Most challenging is getting the show ready, getting the marketing in place and getting used to how everything works.”
WHAT’S SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SEASON?
“We open with ‘Macbeth.’ Each year they bring down a New York director for that. Then we do ‘Bus Stop,’ followed by ‘A Few Good Men.’ Hopefully, that will bring in some of the younger people who are familiar with the movie.” Next is a case of mistaken identity with “Saving Grace.” In the spring, a drama about the aftermath of the Holocaust takes to the stage in “A Shayna Maidel.” The season closes with the musical comedy “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
DOES SHE PICK THE PLAYS?
“Next year, I’m sure I will be part of the committee selecting plays. I’m definitely going to have a say in the branding of the theater. We’re going to punch up the marketing and work on a new logo.”
HOW DID SHE GET STARTED IN THE FIELD?
“I was a dancer at Douglas Anderson [School of the Arts] when I was 13. My senior year in high school I took a musical theater class and loved it. After my first semester at JU, I declared theater as my major and started voice lessons.”
HOMETOWN
Jacksonville.
WHERE DOES SHE
LIVE NOW?
Arlington.
EDUCATION
Cobb has a bachelor’s degree in theater from Jacksonville University.
WALKING THE BOARDS
“I’m also an actress. I moved to New York City just to experience it. I made the commitment to stay at least two or three years and wound up staying eight. I did a lot of studying, auditioning and performing.”
DAY JOB
To pay the bills, Cobb worked in graphics on temporary basis. She was also employed as an assistant at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street. Her last post was packaging presentations for Goldman Sachs. “Wall Street was so stereotypical.The pace there is so fast. That’s very similar to theater. Especially right around showtime, you get under the gun a lot. We had deadlines just like everybody else.”
HER LIFE ON STAGE
“My first musical in college, I was the angel Chastity in ‘Anything Goes.’ During my sophomore year, I played Emily in ‘Our Town.’ It started this insatiable appetite for drama. I did a fair number of classics and some newer plays. In New York, I did quite a bit of musicals.”
WHAT BROUGHT
HER BACK?
“After Sept. 11, I took stock. All of my family was in Jacksonville and I missed them. In Florida there’s sun and you can actually use a car to drive to places. It was good for me to get out of there.”
HOW DID SHE TRANSITION FROM ON STAGE TO BACK STAGE?
“I had a friend who just started a production company called Crezzle. Crezzle was just a nonsense word he used. I helped him market his first play. I wasn’t so good at promoting myself as an actress, but I am good with networking. This was a natural progression.”
WHY TAKE THIS JOB?
“I put my resume in to Sarah [Boone, executive director] and I was very upfront with her. I told her I don’t have any formal marketing training. She said, ‘You know theater. That’s half the battle. You’ll learn the other stuff.’ I think the chemistry was right, too. Since I’ve been here, I’ve come to realize that a lot of what I’m doing, I’ve done in college. Two summers in a row at JU, we did a limited run of shows. It was such as small department that we all had to do everything.”
WHAT IS MOST REWARDING?
“If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be making a living in theater still, I would probably have laughed in your face. I feel really lucky. I got my degree in theater and I’m actually working in theater. A lot of people can’t say that. I enjoy theater so much and there are so many great pieces to do. Jacksonville audiences are really supportive. Most theaters I worked at in New York are focused on musicals. I think the patrons here are more culturally diverse. I’m fortunate to work at a place with a lot of artistic integrity.”
HOW ELSE IS NEW YORK THEATER DIFFERENT?
“In New York, off-off-Broadway shows are just thrown together. They’re always strapped for cash. We have people that can take a shoestring budget and make something magnificent with it.”
WILL SHE JUMP BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT?
“Once the next season starts [in September], I must keep my focus on that challenge. Maybe next season I will be ready to audition. Right now, I don’t want to take on too much.”
OTHER PASSIONS
“I love to sew, take walks on the beach and jet ski.” Her favorite play is “Our Town” and, as far as books, “The Passion of Artemesia” tops her must-read list. She also enjoys Indian food and road trips.
HER PET PEEVES?
“Personally, hypocrisy really irritates me. Professionally, lack of respect.”
— by Monica Chamness