Director, actress, props master, house manager, board member and theatrical consultant. What haven't you done in the theater?
Tech work is not my strong suit. It gets dangerous when I step backstage. I'm not the handiest of people with a hammer in my hand.
How did it all begin?
When I was 8 or 9 years old, I started writing puppet plays. I would create the puppets and the scenery out of paper and scraps of cloth. My stage was an old kitchen chair with the back broken off, turned upside down so the legs could hold the scenery.
Did you invite kids in to see your plays?
My parents and brothers and sisters were my captive audience at the beginning. Then the director of a neighborhood playground asked me to perform some puppet shows for the younger kids at the playground, which I did-my first outside audience! Then she asked me if I could write a one-act play to enter in the city-wide one-act play contest. I wrote a little number called Miracles Can Happen. She directed it, and we won! I continued writing through high school. I've enjoyed it all-writing, acting, directing and sometimes building sets.
And volunteering.
Oh, yes. Lots of volunteering. Since I had a degree in theater, I was often asked to chair committees like play reading, props procurement and volunteer development. I also loved working as a stage manager. That's where you really learn about how a show gets put up on stage. All the small but pivotal jobs that must be accomplished before the audience even takes its seat.
Has the profile of the volunteer changed greatly over the years?
Considerably. Early in the development stage of amateur theater, there was a "y'all come-all you need to be able to do is breathe" attitude. And many people did just that, which was wonderful. They wanted to be a part of the energy of performance. Take tickets, build sets, make the coffee. But theater has become increasingly complex. There is a growing need to find more specialized talents, individuals who can bring essential skills to the theater ... and all without being paid to do so. That's the trick.
What's the first step?
I urge key leadership personnel-the artistic director, board members, the drama teacher and the core leadership of the drama club-to create job descriptions for all necessary tasks.
The descriptions should summarize the tasks and responsibilities of a particular job and the skills, knowledge and experience required to accomplish the job, as well as the length and kind of training provided by the theater. And, very important, the name of the individual to whom you'll be reporting-set designer, technical director, house manager and so on. This helps volunteers understand there is a plan for their work and that accountability is a norm of the theater group.
I'm not much of a handyman, but my son has asked me to help out a bit in the theater. What should I expect?
You should expect to be informed how many hours the theater would like you to be on site and what aspects of backstage work are available to you-set construction, scene painting, hanging and focusing lights and so on. What tools you'll be using and any special training you'll receive. And the rules of the shop-how tools are cleaned and stored.
Very precise.
Absolutely. The devil's in the details. Precise information is needed for volunteers in every area, especially where they are part of the team-selling program ads, distributing posters, answering phones, getting out a mailing, crewing backstage during performances, even groundskeeping. Confusion and miscommunication eat up too much precious time. A volunteer comes to the theater to make a contribution, not to be misused.
I understand Topeka Civic auditions volunteers as well as actors.
We do. We interview prospective volunteers-including board members-to see why they want to be part of the theater. What their personal goals are. What skills, talent, knowledge and/or experience they feel they can bring to the table. It's the same as casting actors in the roles best suited for them. Many theaters have developed volunteer brochures containing all the volunteer jobs available. They're handed out to anyone expressing an interest in volunteering. Once volunteers are matched with their assignments, they should be provided with a volunteer handbook containing the job description, a brief history of the theater, its mission and goals and the names and addresses of key people in the organization. They need to realize they have joined a wonderful "family" that has its act together and that will appreciate their contribution.
You have a favorite piece of advice about giving everyone an "A" for their contribution. How does that work?
It's a concept I've borrowed from Ben Zander, who discovered that when he announced at the beginning of the semester to his music students at the New England Conservatory an "A" on their report card, something magical happened. His students relaxed. They began to play better, with more imagination and a sense of adventure. In short, they were eager to learn. As they experienced more joy and less competitiveness, he saw that their faces were lit up and their eyes were shining. He came to realize his students and his orchestra members had a sense of possibility in themselves where there was none before.
We all perform better when we're valued and allowed to grow.
Every time we encourage a volunteer to be part of our theater operation, every time we give someone a responsibility just a tad more than they've ever had before, every time we ask someone's opinion and really listen to it and let it affect our thinking, every time we respect another person's effort-even if it isn't the way we would have done
it-we are giving people an A. The more we do it, the more shining eyes we will see.
How are your volunteers evaluated?
All department heads are responsible for supervising their own volunteers. At this time, evaluation is pretty informal-I like to think of it as a two-way conversation about their experience. Each department head also chooses which volunteers will receive special recognition at the end of the year.
How do volunteers get their two cents in?
One of the best ways to get a volunteer's assessment is to have the person complete a simple questionnaire asking for a sincere and honest reaction to the volunteer's experience with the theater.
What kinds of questions might be asked?
Well, several questions along the lines of, "This volunteer job has been satisfying for me because ... The major frustrations in this job have been ... The training I received for this position included ... I would have been able to do this job better if ...The major accomplishments which have been achieved through this volunteer job include ... (and) ... A person following me in this job needs to know ..." Other questions, too, of course. But these give you an idea. I suggest the leaders of the theater group and the volunteers together come up with a list of questions that will unlock important information that will help the theater group more effectively attain its goals.
OK. The task has been completed, or the season has come to an end. How do you reward the volunteer?
At the end of every show, each volunteer should receive a thank you note from the theater. It's best if it can be from the director, but some theaters have volunteer coordinators who write the notes. They should be handwritten. If they are computer printed, then a brief handwritten note should be included. It's also great if the board of directors finds a way to thank each company for their work on that show-a gift on opening night, or a note to the company on closing night. Most theaters have some kind of end-of-year celebration-a picnic, or elegant dinner, or awards ceremony where not only actors are recognized, but volunteers in each department are singled out for special notice.
Any last thoughts on the development of strong theater groups?
I'd like to see each theater participant put the needs of the theater first. It depresses me to see how many personal agendas are at work in many of our theater groups-people who always need to be in the spotlight, always need to play the lead role or who always feel the need to be in charge, no matter if someone else is better and available to do the job. These people are using the theater for their own personal aggrandizement. They can keep a theater group from growing and may ultimately lead to the theater's demise.
And I'd like to see all of us becoming better listeners. theater is a collaborative venture, but too many of us don't listen to our colleagues. How many of us can really listen to what another person is saying without mentally preparing our rebuttal? How many of us can let everyone, including ourselves, be "partly right?" How many of us can help the group reach a consensus? Are we really seeking better ways of solving problems, or are we afraid of change and how that change might affect our status in the hierarchy? How many of us care about consensus, as opposed to majority rule? We have to listen openly for the best idea for improving the quality of theater, regardless of who offers it. Each member of the theater, especially the volunteers, should be treated as crucial to the success of the entire venture.
Many thanks for chatting with us, Twink. Thanks, too, for your passionate commitment to theater.
Thank you for inviting me.
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