Trying to get into community theater
April 6, 2023 8:12 PM   Subscribe

I would like to get involved in community theater, but no one seems to want my help. Could volunteering with a dance group help me get into theater?

About two months ago, I wrote to a handful of community theater organizations, offering to volunteer in the technical aspects. I expected to work in stagecraft or somesuch, and I hoped to maybe eventually advance to lighting or sound. I have no experience, and I told them all that.

The short version is that only one group replied, and they seem noncommittal.

Last week, I wrote to a nonprofit dance group that uses volunteers. They did write back. But apparently the closest available role to what I had in mind is something about managing the dancers backstage. I don’t yet know any details about that, but it doesn’t have much inherent appeal to me so far.

Would that type of experience help me at all in moving toward what I actually want to do?

Or am I better off waiting until I can take any relevant community college classes?
posted by NotLost to Media & Arts (10 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Hard to say - did they mean being an assistant stage manager - the person back stage on a headset making sure ppl make their entrances etc? That's a very important role in theatre (also can be stressful!!!). Experience doing some of that with dance miiiight be useful.

But really, I think getting involved in community theatre is probably more about networking than experience, so in that respect working in an adjacent scene is not very likely to be helpful.

I think you need to go out and see shows and hang out afterwards...figure out who the technical director is (check the program), reach out to them directly, volunteer to help with scenic painting, or light walking.

Probably you e-mailed admin - and odds are they either got your e-mail in the dip between shows, where there's nothing to point you towards, or in the middle of tech week insanity. So then your kind of vague e-mail gets forwarded along to some harried person doing a million things at once and...you know how that goes.

Better if they see you around a bit, face to a name and all that.
posted by stray at 8:32 PM on April 6, 2023 [4 favorites]


A lot of these kinds of places are terrible at writing back. You might consider just…going to the next casting call and telling the director or organizer that you want to help out backstage.
posted by rockindata at 8:34 PM on April 6, 2023 [25 favorites]


Go to the next open auditions at the local comunity theater. When you don't get a role, ask if you could help with the tech for the show. It will be harder to say no to someone they have actually me.
posted by hworth at 9:26 PM on April 6, 2023 [6 favorites]


Best answer: I'm a veteran of both professional AND community theater.

The big thing to remember about community theater is that they are flying so much by the seat of their pants that they don't know what specific roles they need until the need for that thing arises ("oh, shit, we're going to need someone on that spotlight, aren't we? Crap, okay, who's free at that moment?"). Asking them NOW about something that they haven't realized they'll need yet just makes them a little confused.

Seconding the suggestion to just show up at the next casting call and saying you want to be part of the crew. Don't put any conditions on it like "I want to work lights/sound/costumes", just say you want to be part of the crew. Part of that may very well indeed involve "managing people backstage" - and speaking as a former stage manager, there can be a hell of a lot of stagecraft in that (when an emergency came up, it was on me to fix it, so I've had to do emergency electric work, sound design, lighting design, costume work, prop work, psychotherapy, and crowd control in my tenure).

But I also have to ask: are you trying to get into community theater as a stepping-stone to something else? I've found that usually people aren't quite as specific about what they want to do for a community theater unless they're thinking that "if I get a couple shows under my belt as a light designer then it'll be a springboard to professional work" or something, where you are trying to learn something very specific. If that's what you're thinking - I would instead go straight for a course.

But if you just want to be involved in something, then....I would let go the expectation of what specifically you want to do, and just be open to pitching in and doing what they need help with if you can do it. Not that I'm saying you need to be onstage too - there are plenty of people who only want to do backstage work, and a community theater might be relieved at that ("whew, someone who doesn't want to be onstage but STILL wants to help us? sweet, they won't pitch a fit that they're never cast in anything like Betty always does!") I'm saying more like, just show up and say you want to help with tech, and let THEM tell you what they need. And be open to doing it - paint sets, iron costumes, whatever. Get into the room so that you're there when they DO realize "oh shit we need someone to run the spotlight" as opposed to saying from the jump that running spotlights is all you wanna do. And if they never do need a spotlight runner, you're still there helping do something, and you'll be around for the next show when maybe they do. And in the meantime maybe you've discovered that "oh, cool, I think I like prop design, I never knew that but this is fun."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:40 PM on April 6, 2023 [20 favorites]


I say go for the dance thing - managing performers backstage can actually be pretty fun! I did a lot of theater tech in and just after high school (high school shows and community theater shows) and I specifically have fond memories of wrangling children during Fiddler on the Roof. Somehow I also ended up being the backstage babysitter for Tiny Tim and the second-youngest Cratchit in a professional production of A Christmas Carol.

And as others have said, a lot of small-time performing arts orgs are flying by the seats of their pants and entirely going by "who you know." If you start showing up and being helpful and non-creepy (ideally also fun to work with), people will notice and be more likely to consider you for other things.

If you try it and hate it, you can move on!
posted by mskyle at 5:08 AM on April 7, 2023 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: But I also have to ask: are you trying to get into community theater as a stepping-stone to something else?

No, I should have made my post more clear. When I wrote to the theaters, I just said I'd like to work in the technical aspect. And I am not trying to go pro.

Thank you all for the tips. I had been disappointed when I thought I wasn't going to be able to do this. A theater is having auditions next weekend, and I am excited to go.
posted by NotLost at 6:27 AM on April 7, 2023 [3 favorites]


Showing up at an open audition is definitely the way to go. Also, find out when build parties are for building and painting the set, hanging lights, etc. and show up to one of those. If the community theatres near you are anything like ours, they are always looking for new volunteers, but since they're volunteer-run, they're not always good at responding to letters/emails.

You could also try visiting the theatre's website and see if there's a "new volunteer" form there to fill out, contact info, etc.

Have fun! I've been volunteering at my local community theatre for over 30 years and it's the best place I know.
posted by stennieville at 12:04 PM on April 7, 2023 [1 favorite]


I'll echo that you are needed and there will be space for you...its just that it can be hard to get the attention of the person of the right person at the right time. I perform at an improv theater that does mostly improv shows and semi-scripted original materials. There is always a need for sound/lights/ticket takers/house managers/bartenders. For shows that aren't improv, the roles only increase.

The trick is that the people in charge of such things are often overwhelmed this now rather than planning for the future. It is also quite possible that the emails you sent reached people who can't speak at all for the tech aspects of the theater and don't know how to get your message to them.
posted by mmascolino at 12:08 PM on April 7, 2023 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I am currently on the Board of Directors for a community theater, having just rolled off the Board of another here in the area. I and my family are deeply involved, and I will second all of the above advice to: just go and be a part of the community. Most community theaters operate as non-profits, and as such have regular meetings which may be open to the public...and certainly they will have at least an annual meeting that is open. Ask questions about whether or not the non-profit is a membership driven one, and how to become a member. Go see shows and say hello to people afterwards, esp the House manager, Stage manager, and director.

It really is just "be in the space, be friendly, and be eager to learn and be a part of the team". Going to an audition call is great, although if you don't really want to be ON stage, just tell the director/SM that and ask how you could be involved on the crew. There is ALWAYS something to do that needs an eager hand to do it.
posted by griffey at 1:53 PM on April 7, 2023


If your skill level is zero, I have an option way easier than auditioning: volunteer to usher.

Professional non-profit theatres use volunteer ushers all the time. Usually you agree to sign up for a few shows, arrive in proper attire (usually black dress/casual) and you hand out programs, show people to their seats. etc. As compensation, there are often a bank of seats held and volunteer ushers get to watch performances after late seating.

You could probably volunteer to usher at several theatres right now (if you have them in your area) and get a quick training that you can then use when you go to the community group and offer to cover all performance times for an upcoming show.
posted by sol at 6:01 AM on April 8, 2023 [1 favorite]


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