Volunteer Coordinator - Lennon Smith

We will be meeting on Jan 12 and 19 at 10:00am to work on Death Trap.   Come and we'll put you to work.
Call with questions.   Lennon 650-355-1923. Lennonsmith2003@yahoo.com

Only one year away from our 50 th anniversary and still going strong!   Hello all and welcome to 2008 at PSP.   We are very excited about our upcoming season and need all of you to make it a success.   We invite everyone to take a look at your active and latent talents and contact us to volunteer in an area of theatre arts production.   If you have worked with us, welcome back and if not, come and play.   We have these basic areas that need staffing in each production:

Let me describe these areas a little.  

Set Construction
Set Painting
Costumes
Props
Lights and Sound
Box Office
House Managing
Ushering / Hospitality
Stage Managing

Set Construction 

If you have none to a ton of experience in hammering nails, putting up walls and basically following a blue print and/or team leader with simple building, please join in as we strike down a closing show's set and load in a new one.   It is lots of fun.   Our experienced builders will guide you through the basics and put you to work.   It takes about 3-5 work days to get this part of the set completed (in preparation for painting and decorating) and we usually work Saturdays/Sundays from about 10am to 3pm-ish.   Lunch is always included and you will receive a complimentary ticket to see the show.     A good contact for this area is George Mauro.   pspprodman@yahoo.com or   650-355-1923.

Set Painting

Here is where the real fun begins!   After the skeleton of the set is up, our creative painters enter the scene, complete with brushes and paint clothes (we supply the brushes, you supply the clothes) and begin by "dutching" the seams.   This is a process to hide all the seams where the walls and surfaces come together with masking tape or joint compound.   Then we roll a primer coat across everything and after that is done, we choose colors, textures and styles to create the atmosphere and décor of the play's setting.   The painting part of the set takes about 3-4 workdays which is usually on Saturdays/Sundays from 10-3-ish.   Lunch is provided and you will receive a complimentary ticket.   A good contact for set painting is Lennon Smith.   Lennonsmith2003@yahoo.com or 650-355-1923
Set construction and painting crews have a good time bonding and creating together and enjoy a strong sense of satisfaction as they see the project come together.   It is sometimes challenging work, but you will love it!   (and when you come to see the show, you can point out to your family and friends-"see-that's the part I did!").

Costumes

It really helps if you are a seamster, but you needn't be an expert.   For our costume designing we often need someone who is happy to scour through our extensive costume stock to find just the right look for a certain time period and place.   The costume designer consults with the director to create a plan and design for the show.   If you love to create a look, find clothes and are able to tailor and adjust to the actors' frames, we need you.    Complimentary tickets are available for you as well.      A good contact is Candy Plato. designbycp@aol.com or 415-564-7347.

Props

Our properties person for a show first reads the play and then meets with the director to collaborate on a "props list" for the show.   These are the items that actors need either in their hands or on the set to fulfill the action of the story.   The director will determine dates that props are needed usually well into the rehearsal process after the show is staged and the actors are memorized and let go of their scripts.   PSP has an extensive props storage in our basement.   The props person should enjoy exploring our props inventory and also shopping and/or garage-saling to find just the right items.   Sometimes our props person also helps with finding or creating the items that are used to finish off the set and create the décor.   Examples include: dressing windows and bookshelves, pillows, foliage, etc.   It just depends on the show's needs.   A good contact is Eric Ribiero.   ribeiroe@wellsfargo.com   or   650-952-5566.

Lighting Design

The light designer role is more specialized and needs someone with some theatre lighting experience.   We have some excellent designers who can mentor you if you would like to learn how to operate the lighting and sound cues in our technical booth.   This is an excellent way to learn about the magic of creating theatre atmosphere and requires no experience, just an attention detail and a desire to learn.

Sound Design

Ditto to the above description.   A good contact for learning technical skills and volunteering for tech crew is Nik Robalino.   nikgwolf@earthlink.net   or   650-355-3602.   You can also contact George Mauro for info on how to volunteer for tech crews.

Box Office Staff

If you would like to be the first person our patrons encounter at a performance, and help to create an exciting and enjoyable experience for them as they prepare to see a show, please come help in the box office.   There are some simple accounting and customer service skills to learn, so just call me and I can arrange to have you join me in the box office and shadow me during a show or two until you are comfortable with the process.   Lennon Smith. Lennonsmith2003@yahoo.com   650-355-1923.  

House Manager

Our resident House manager is Ro Nardi-Trinca.   She is the one who will train you and show you the ropes on how to take care of patron needs and coordinate with the Stage Manager to run the show.   Ro can't be at every performance, so we need people to step in as needed.   To learn this job contact Ro.   rnarditrinca@aol.com . 415-586-6306.

Ushering / Hospitality

If you would like to usher for any show and help with intermission hospitality and clean up (you can see the show for free!) please call Andrea Aiello at 650-355-1685 or write to her   at: andrea_1108@comcast.net

 

And last but certainly NOT least, the very important job of
Stage Manager

As with the role of director, this job requires some theatre production experience.   The stage manager of a production is the second in command during rehearsals and become the boss on opening night as authority passes from director to him/her.

During rehearsals the SM records all stage directions, and manages calls and information with the cast/crew as delegated by the director.   When tech rehearsals start, the SM manages stage and technical crews, and records cues and information needed for a performance.   It is a very important role with attention to detail and leadership a must.  

If you have any theatre experience (especially directing and/or acting) and would like to enter this interesting area, we can partner you with a show's SM and you can be the ASM (asst. stage manager) and learn the process by doing it.   It is really fun and we always are challenged to fill these positions.

Well, that is a fast and furious overview of some of the roles in theatre.   Hope you can join us.   All volunteers receive complimentary show tickets and remember if you are a student, PSP can offer internships and community service hours for high school credit.