A Face Behind the Mosaic: Maria Benzie
In December 2020, Mosaic sat down with members of its staff to get to know them a little better. Here's what our Manger of Patron Services, Maria Benzie, had to say for herself.
Mosaic: What is your favorite part of working with Mosaic?
Maria Benzie: Since Mosaic is a newish company, I am able to create and implement new systems for the organization. For example, before I started working at Mosaic there was no volunteer usher management software installed - tracking and following up with volunteers was done via spreadsheet. Once I installed Volunteers for Salesforce in our database, I could pull reports to see which shifts needed filling and automate communications.
I also enjoy how flexible the rest of the staff can be. My co-workers are open to trying new things, no one is stuck doing it a certain way, and there is room for creativity. For example, I've never heard the phrase "This is how we've always done it...". Furthermore, I enjoy the family atmosphere with my co-workers. Folks are genuinely caring and interested in how you are as a person, and we occasionally spend time with each other when we are not at work.
Mosaic: What was your journey like before you Mosaic?
Maria Benzie: I grew up in New England (Vermont and Massachusetts) getting an amazing public school education that inspired a love of all things artistic. My mother was a classically trained pianist and competitive ice skater when she was a child, and she also inspired my love of music and art. Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say “a ballerina”. I was involved with singing and the stage early on and it was always a terrific form of self-expression for me as I had a lot of nervous energy. So when it was time to go to college, it was a no-brainer to decide to study Music Theatre. I did some professional acting after college and then got a Master’s degree in Arts Administration – which ultimately led me to Mosaic Theater.
Mosaic: What is your favorite play? Why is it your favorite?
Maria Benzie: My favorite play is Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim. It’s so darkly beautiful and haunting, and the music is gorgeous. The characters are fascinating and the theme of revenge keeps the audience riveted until the very end.
Mosaic: If you could go back in time 10 or 20 years and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?
Maria Benzie: If I could go back in time 20 years, I would tell myself to not listen to the nay-sayers and believe in yourself more. I would also tell myself to stop wasting time and energy fretting on my physical appearance. I have a rare disease called lipodystrophy that disrupts the fat distribution in my body and causes me to look different from other women. Because of this, I doubted that I would ever make it in theater because I looked “weird”. Looking back I should have tried to exploit this difference more to my advantage.
Mosaic: And if you could create a dream Performing Arts Organization with endless resources and possibilities, what would its mission be?
Maria Benzie: I would love to create a children’s theater organization for all children, but with a focus on underserved populations. The mission would be to inspire a love of theater at an early age and provide theater training for children of all socio-economic backgrounds and abilities. Children are the future of theater, and will eventually become paying theater patrons so we need to cultivate future audiences early on. Plus, theatre education boosts self-confidence and empathy towards others which is so important. I would set this organization up in any city with limited access to children’s theatre.
Mosaic: Thank you for making the time for this conversation. It’s great having you with us at Mosaic.