About Volunteering

Volunteer Positions Available During the Day:

During the day volunteers help with almost all aspects of theatre management. Like most non-profit organizations, we have a small staff with a great deal of responsibility. We’re always looking for people who have a willingness to help. There are a lot of things that need to get done, but our volunteers have fun and share in the unique experience of bringing live theatrical entertainment to the community.

BOX OFFICE – Under the direction of the Director of Patron Services, volunteers assist us in the box office with answering the phones, taking messages, as well as selling/exchanging tickets with our customers over the phone and in person. Various projects from mailers to organization to data entry also need to be completed, and volunteers provide a tremendous amount of help in completing such tasks.

COSTUMES – Creating costumes for casts that sometimes number in the forties requires a lot of help. Volunteers often gather together to sew costumes so that the designs come to life.

PROMOTIONS – It’s very important for a theatre to be able to get information out to the community and to be able to enlist the support of local businesses. We appreciate any promotional efforts that you might make to help us out. And, if you’re interested in selling advertising for us, we can even arrange to compensate you modestly for this help.

SCENE SHOP – Our technical director has the huge task of building the sets for the various shows. In addition, he designs some of these sets and is in charge of taking them down when the show closes. If you’re interested and can maneuver a hammer, paint brush, or screw gun, we would greatly appreciate your help.

Volunteer Positions Available During Shows:

Our performances belong almost exclusively to our volunteers. It is their hard work and dedication to the theatre that brings success to each and every show. Some of these volunteers perform as actors or work on the technical and backstage crews while others play key roles in the lobby.

ACTORS – We encourage everyone with an interest in acting to audition. We have a wide variety of plays (musicals, comedies, dramas) on our season schedule, and there are roles available for every kind of person.

BACKSTAGE & TECHNICAL CREWS – Many people enjoy being a part of a production, but prefer to work their magic out of view of the audience. These are the unsung heroes who make sure the lights and sound are cued properly, that props are available for the actors, that set changes are made quietly and smoothly, and, yes, even that the curtain rises.

BARTENDER – There are one or two bartenders who provide concessions to our patrons before shows and at intermission. As you might guess, the bartender is responsible for providing snacks and drinks, collecting money, and making sure that the counter and refrigerator are properly stocked.

BOX OFFICE – During our shows, the box office volunteer assists the box office staff by handing out the individual tickets for that evening’s performance. At times, this volunteer might be called upon to answer phones, collect money, give out a receipt, and whatever else is needed to keep the box office line moving and to allow the patrons to get into their seats in a timely manner.

GREETER – The greeter position involves a volunteer or two, who welcomes our patrons to the theatre and opens the door for them. Also, when needed, the greeter helps patrons up the stairs and notifies the house manager when patrons needing wheelchair assistance (opening the side doors to the house) arrive.

USHERS – In general we have two ushers at each door to the house. The ushers’ main duties consist of taking tickets and handing out playbills. Ushers also help take care of wheelchair patrons who need assistance entering our facility. When asked, they escort guests to their seats.

Application Process

Application form available on our home website...
https://www.manateeperformingartscenter.com/volunteering/

Family-Friendly

Parents and children are invited and encouraged to get involved.

We need volunteers to help with: