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Thursday, 23 of February of 2012

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Join The Newsletter Or Volunteer

Did you know that Wichita Community Theatre has a newsletter? We send out announcements for each performance via either US Mail, email, and Facebook. We also have a newsletter for volunteers announcing our volunteer opportunities.

Want to be the first to know what’s happening at Wichita Community Theatre? Sign up to receive our newsletter today!

Our volunteers support every aspect of producing our eight shows per season at WCT. All our board members, our cast, crew, directors, production help, work day participants, and box office and snack bar staff are all volunteers. Volunteering for cast and crew requires going to an audition, typically scheduled two months before opening night for each show. Directors submit applications per season, and are selected via an interview process by the Play Selection Committee, headed by the Vice President. Production help is recruited through each individual director, and so requires contacting each director per show. Our work day participants come on announced Saturday mornings from approximately 10 am until 2 pm and do tasks like moving flats, painting, and constructing the set. As the show gets closer to opening night, these mornings may involve theater cleanup, too. Box office and snack bar positions are available on each show night, and involve receiving money and providing either programs, soft drinks, or snacks. Additionally, we send out posters to businesses and organizations, and are looking for new avenues for inexpensive advertising, so coming up with new ideas is also a great way to volunteer.

All of these opportunities are available to someone without any theater experience.

We announce all our volunteer opportunities through two avenues: Our email list and our Facebook page. If you wish to join the email list, simply fill out the form in the sidebar to the right. Our Facebook page can be found by searching “Wichita Community Theatre”.

Work day announcements typically come the Wednesday before the Saturday we plan to work, unless we are able to schedule them in advance. Audition notices come out as soon as the director sets a date and time.

Poster Distribution Street Team

Have you ever felt intimidated by our available volunteer opportunies? Perhaps you don’t like handling cash at the snack bar or box office, or perhaps your skills are not best served on-stage. Perhaps you have physical limitations that prevent you from going to work days. Maybe you have a hectic work schedule that prevents nearly all evening and weekend volunteering. Maybe you have free time in the day, and not in the evening. Whatever the reason, we understand, and we want to provide you an opportunity that works for you.

We are planning on having a stack of posters available at the box office during rehearsal evenings and Saturday work days. Help us promote your community theatre. The businesses and organizations in Wichita respond much better to an in-person distribution of posters. Let’s convince them that supporting the local arts is a positive thing for their business or organization.

If you want to help even more, go to www.wichitacommunitytheatre.com and click the link for the PDF of the upcoming show’s poster and print some to distribute. Make sure you bring your own tape, as the businesses may not provide it.

The only way that the performing arts can stay alive in Wichita is to attract fresh faces each day. Advertising works. We need your passion to help us thrive.

You may pick up posters at the box office between 7 and 10 pm Monday through Friday (when rehearsal is going on), or from 10 am to 1 pm Saturday (when the work day is going on).

Box Office

Be at the theatre 45 minutes before the show starts. Your job will be to take admission money, free tickets, and performance cards (8 admission punch cards), and hand out programs. A board member or the director will ensure that you have access to the cash box. Ideally, you will be working as a pair with another volunteer. This is highly dependent on scheduling.
The reservation list will come out of the multifunction inkjet printer on the west wall of the office without any intervention on your part. If the reservation list has not printed by the time you get to the theater, call the reservation service at the number on the phone. They will try resending it. If this does not work, please ask them to dictate the reservation list to you over the phone. Odds are it is an equipment malfunction on our end.
Mark off each patron on the reservation list as they arrive.
Admission on opening night is $8 for all patrons. Any other night is $10 for students, seniors, and military, and $12 for general admission. No ID is required, though check it if a patron presents it.
We accept checks, cash, and Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Diner’s Club credit cards. We also accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover-branded debit cards run as credit. To accept a credit card, simply slide the card through the slot on the right of the credit card device, type in the last four digits of the card, press Enter, type the amount, and press Enter. A receipt to sign will print. Tear off, and press Enter to print a customer receipt. Put the signed receipt in the cash box.
You may turn on the window air conditioner or space heater (seasonal) in the box office if needed. Please ensure it is off before the show starts.
There are many ways to see a WCT show for free. Volunteers or friends of cast members will tell you if they are “comp”ed in. Patrons may also receive free tickets through our affiliates. These will be pre-printed, and will be surrendered at the box office.
If the reservation list implies a sold-out show, ask each patron if they have a reservation. If they do not, they can put their names on a waiting list, and wait in the pass-through room (room across from the office). At 7:55 (or 6:55 on Sundays), all reservations that have not been picked up are available. Seat as many patrons as possible with the available seating.
Hand each patron a program.
Before the show starts, count the number of programs left. If the number is less than 70, email, call, text, or message the volunteer coordinator to ensure there are enough for the next performance.
Turn off the office lights and shut the door. Ensure both outside double doors are unlocked for fire safety. Take your seat where available.
On heavily attended nights, you may have to help at the Snack Bar at intermission. Please ensure your fellow volunteers aren’t overwhelmed. 

For a calendar of available positions, click below:
http://www.wichitacommunitytheatre.com/index.php/join-the-newsletter-or-volunteer/snack-bar-and-box-office-calendar

Snack Bar

Be at the theatre 30-45 minutes before the show starts. Your job will be to sell refreshments and swag before the show, and during intermissions.
The snack bar is in our lobby. Please familiarize yourself with the location of the fire exits, restrooms, overhead lights, and dressing room door, as you may be asked about the location of these features.
Remove the two candy trays from the clear plastic container. Ensure that all products are faced frontwards and attractive-looking. Ensure that the lobby appears presentable. Check both sets of restrooms for paper towels, toilet paper, and hand soap. Backstock of candy is in the box office. Ensure you are well-stocked before the show starts.
Retrieve the snack bar cash box from the box office. All snack bar items are $1.00. Pricing for posters, t-shirts, and coffee mugs are listed on signs.
Stay at the snack bar until the director’s curtain speech. At that time, you or the stage manager will turn the lights in the lobby out, and you will take your seat to watch the show.
At intermission, work the snack bar as normal. Work with the stage manager to ensure that everyone that needs to use the restroom has returned to their seats before the show starts up again. Use downtime during intermission to restock refreshments. When intermission ends, turn off the lobby lights, and return to watch the remainder of the show.
After the show, face and restock all refreshments. Place the two candy trays in the clear plastic container for storage. If you have access, put the cash box back in the office.

Ushers

Be at the theatre 30-45 minutes before the show starts. Your job will be to assist individual patrons in finding available seating, giving directions to the restrooms and snack bar, and helping older and disabled patrons to their seats. You may also be able to answer general WCT history questions like “What was this building before it was a theater?”, “When was WCT founded?” and “Are you really all-volunteer based?” We need sociable, friendly people to be the “face” of Wichita Community Theatre, and make sure our first-time patrons come back for more shows. You will then be able to see the show for free.

On sold-out nights, please ensure all available seats are taken. You may need to ask patrons to move inwards to provide additional room on the aisles.

ADA compliance mandates a minimum aisle width. Fire code requires us to have at least two exits available for each patron to use. Ensure that all exterior doors are unlocked before the show starts, including the back door in the cast dressing room. Ensure that all aisles are not blocked and are wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through. 

After the show, ensure that all exterior doors are relocked.

In inclement weather, you may need to spread sand for traction or shovel snow. These items are usually located in the janitor closet under the main staircase.

For a calendar of available positions, click below:
http://www.wichitacommunitytheatre.com/index.php/join-the-newsletter-or-volunteer/snack-bar-and-box-office-calendar

 

 

 

Date: February 22, 2010