What Do Our Volunteers Do?

BACKSTAGE POSITIONS

Set Building:

You don’t need to be an experienced carpenter to help with set building (although we welcome you if you are!). Our Lead Carpenters and experienced builders will teach you and guide you in tasks appropriate for your skill level. It is also a great way to learn and practice a new skill and get to see your work in the final producon. Some sets are realistic interiors that look just like a room in someone’s home and others are unit sets with many pieces that move in and out. This is a fun and challenging way to be a part of a production. Set building takes place at a variety of times so you can probably find sessions that work with your schedule. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Power Tool Workshop where you can get concentrated instruction.

Set Painting:

You don’t need to be an artist/painter, or to be gifted (although there are lots of opportunities for specialized art work if you are an artist). Much of the scene painting we do at The Players consists of base-coating, solid color painting, and easily painted specialty pieces that require only patience and the love of moving a paintbrush. Again, our Lead Painters will be at every session to guide you in tasks and techniques. Scene painting is great fun and even if you have never done it before, you’ll be able to learn techniques that will have you painting like Rembrandt. Painting sessions are at varying times so you can pick and choose those that work with your schedule. There’s nothing like seeing your hard work under stage lights!

Set Dressing:

Do you love yard sales and antique shops? Do you love decorating? Would you like to have access to a budget and a whole warehouse floor full of interesting objects? Do you have an eye for where to hang pictures, where to put artificial plants, which curtains work best with the design of the room? If this sounds like you, you will love set dressing. Working with the designer you will bring the set to life by adding all the finishing touches. You’ll also be working side by side with the Properties Designer, always a fun collaboration. You’ll do a lot of your work later in the production calendar, once the set is finished, so it’s often a whirlwind of hunting, shopping, hanging, and excitement as you move things into the Audi during the last week or two (for musicals) and bring the set detail to life.

Props Manager and Props Assistant:

Such a simple title for a very challenging and rewarding job. The props manager makes a list of properties needed for the show using the script. They then work with the director on additions and deletions. You will be finding, buying, or pulling from our extensive prop collecon all the things that the actors handle during a play. A love of yard sales, thrift shops, crafts and collecting makes you a perfect candidate! Sometimes you will work in collaboration with the set dresser as well. Each play has different prop requirements—Our Town has about six props and Not A Word had more than 50. In addition to getting the props ready, the Prop Manager attends rehearsals (later in the rehearsal period, usually) and all performances to work backstage with props assistants and the stage manager to be sure all items are in the correct spot and ready for actors. Note: The Players are very aware of and careful about prop safety, following strict guidelines for prop firearms, knives, swords, etc.

Costume Designer, Costume Assistants, Wardrobe Manager:

If you love working with people and clothing you might find your theatre home on the second floor of the Players’ Studio, where you will find one of the largest collections of costumes in the state. What we don’t have in stock we build or borrow and every show needs lots of help with costumes. If you have any training or experience with costume design, we need you now! If you are interested in learning we can pair you with our experienced designers on a few shows until you feel ready to design on your own. If you like to sew or have always wanted to learn, we also need you now. Costumes need to be altered, mended or modified. Bring your skills to the costume assistant position.

And maybe you love costumes but don’t want to design or sew! We need you to work on wardrobe, which is the packing, transporting, organizing at the theatre, being a backstage dresser and helping actors with costume changes, collecting, laundering, and returning of all costumes used in a show. Don’t worry if this sounds like a lot—you’ll have plenty of help. Wardrobe work is a great way to be backstage during a show and to be a vital part of the action. Most of your commitments as wardrobe manager will be during the last few weeks of production and immediately following the show.

Lighting, Set, and Sound Designers:

In these key design positions, you will design and install lighting, scenery, and sound. These are specialized positions that require some basic training but if you have an interest, the experienced designers at the Players will mentor you and support you as you learn and try your skills. If you are an experienced designer or technician, we need you now!

Light and Sound Board Operators:

These are highly technical positions that receive a small stipend. You may need to be specially trained and certified on the Audi boards, or receive special training on Players’ equipment. Anyone with past experience running lights and/or sound can shorten the training process and we are willing to train anyone with an interest. Lights and sound are characters in any show and we need the highest quality work from our operators. Want a good challenge? This is it!

Run Crew:

Are you calm under pressure? Do you love order and organization? Do you look good in black and a headset? Our run crews perform set and prop changes under the direction of the Technical Director and Stage Manager. You will often work with a stagehand script, a detailed list of all the changes and who does what and when. The run crew for The 39 Steps last season even got a curtain call because they did so much in full view of the audience. This is a great opportunity to be an integral part of a play if you don’t want to act. You will need to be at rehearsals later in the rehearsal period and for all rehearsals once the show has moved to the Audi.

Load-In and Strike Crew:

It takes a village to get our shows from the Studio to the City Auditorium. Sometimes it means taking an entire set apart and loading it, along with props, costumes, lighting and sound equipment on a truck, moving it downtown, unloading it and reassembling it on the Audi stage. It is a brief but intense experience with lots of camaraderie and a delicious lunch served by Players cooks and bakers. Then, at the end of the show, it all has to be done in reverse when the actors and run crews are tired and very much in need of your help. The cast and crew are required to do this job but would welcome you to join them for either or both.

Box Office:

Help out with all ticket related tasks from managing season subscriptions to taking tickets (paper or electronic) at the door. Our Box Office committee members will train you on the software and other procedures. This is a great way to meet the public and will challenge and reward you. Some work required across the season and at performances.

House Managers:

Just as the Stage Manager is responsible for everything that happens behind the curtain, you are responsible for everything that happens in front of the curtain. Among other things, you will open and close the theatre building, supervise ushers, handle emergencies, assist patrons with special needs, manage intermissions, assure cleanliness of the lobby and restrooms, and serve as an ambassador for the Players. You will have access to preparation and training by our experienced House Managers. Again, if you like to be in charge or if you’re a natural manager, this is a fun job. Your commitment is limited to show nights after you have been trained.

Ushers:

Come to a brief training, work with some wonderful people, greet and assist the public, and get to see a show for free. We always need ushers!

Shop and Paint Shop Maintenance and Studio Maintenance:

If you have already had your Studio tour you have seen how well organized and maintained the shop, paint shop, scenery docks, prop and costume storage, library, sound equipment storage, kitchen, bathrooms and rehearsal areas are. If only this happened by magic! But it takes many people who are good organizers and meticulous cleaners. (Remember, it’s always more fun to clean someone else’s house!). These spaces are used constantly by people who are so busy building, painting, sewing, and other show-related tasks that they don’t always have time to keep these spaces like they should be. Once each year there is a Studio clean-up day, which involves many people, but we need help throughout the rest of the year. You can make your own schedule and get plenty of advice and guidance from experienced Players. It’s not a glamorous job but you will be held in highest esteem and can feel proud of your work every time you come into our beautiful space.

Workshop Assistant/Administrator:

The Players offer training workshops—single events—throughout the year and workshop leaders sometimes need help with registration, confirmation, or logistics for those workshops before and on the day of. If you help out you get to attend the workshop for free! This isn’t a huge time requirement but it can make a big difference for the instructor and it’s a great chance to get to know people.

Social Events Planning/Set-up/Clean-up:

One of the best things about being involved with the Community Players is the frequent opportunities to engage socially. Each show has a company party and there are often other opportunities to share a meal together at the Studio including the Annual Meeting. We always need help planning pot luck dinners, shopping for supplies, setting up, and cleaning up, and, of course, enjoying the social time.

Lead and Assistant Producers:

Even if you’re not a CEO or head of a big organization (although we welcome all levels of experience) we need your help producing our shows. It is work that goes largely unrecognized by the outside world—we LOVE our producers within the Players family—but without which there would be no productions. Lead Producers go through one of our periodic Producer Training workshops, which are open to anyone. This is a great way to learn about all the hard work behind the magic you see on stage. Our producers do a variety of administrative tasks involving helping to staff the show, scheduling, communication, planning, coordinating and working closely with the director, Players’ president/board of directors and designers. It is a great challenge and extremely rewarding. Assistant producers are also encouraged to attend producer training as they help out with all aspects of producing under the guidance of the lead producer. Producers use our detailed Producers’ Manual, which contains detailed lists of all the necessary tasks.

Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager:

You probably have/had a job or career or manage/managed a family and as such have the basic skill set required to be a Stage Manager. You will just need to attend one of our Stage Manager training workshops or work first under the guidance of an experienced Stage Manager. The Stage Manager is in charge of everything that happens behind the curtain. And that’s a lot. You will work closely with the director to prepare the rehearsal space, run rehearsals, take blocking, coordinate light, sound, and set change cues with the designers, support actors, supervise load out and load in, manage strike and call the show, among many other duties. It’s like being an air traffic controller only with people instead of planes. And it is as much fun as it is challenging, especially if you enjoy big-picture management. The Assistant Stage Manager works closely with the Stage Manager and it is a good place to gain experience if you want to Stage Manage. The Players have a small stable of excellent Stage Managers but they get tired and would welcome some new members of this elite group.

VOLUNTEER FOR A COMMITTEE (Chair or Member)

Our standing committees work year-round and are critical to our work. Committee Chair terms run from July 1 to June 30, but committee members can be added at any time. Would you be interested in chairing a committee or serving as a member? Check out this list of committees and contact us to learn more.

Marketing/Publicity
Box Office/Subscriptions
Fundraising
Rights and Royalties
Season Program
Lighting
Sound
Props
Costumes
Wardrobe
Shop Maintenance
Studio Maintenance
Children’s Theatre Project
Newsletters (E-news Update and Backstage)
Database/Membership
Directors Committee
Investment Committee
Workshops
Library
Historian
Annual Meeting
Website
Play Consideration Committee
New Volunteer Committee