Nashville Repertory Theatre Volunteer Manual

This manual will provide an overview of the opportunities, responsibilities, and logistics of volunteering at Nashville Rep. You will also find a new Volunteer Code of Conduct, which will outline the policies and expectations of the Nashville Rep Volunteer Program. All Rep Volunteers must attend a Nashville Rep Volunteer Orientation prior to actively volunteering at Nashville Repertory Theatre.

1 Nashville Repertory Theatre Volunteer Manual Overview Thank you for volunteering your time and talents to Nashville Repertory Theatre! We are thrilled to have you join our mighty Volunteer Team. This manual will provide an overview of the opportunities, responsibilities, and logistics of volunteering at Nashville Rep. You will also find a new Volunteer Code of Conduct, which will outline the policies and expectations of the Nashville Rep Volunteer Program. Please take some time to read through it before beginning your work with us. We strongly encourage questions, ideas and feedback! As you may know, The Rep s mission is to serve through creating Ah-ha! moments that inspire empathy, prod intellectual and emotional engagement, and expand the creative capacity of audience and artists though the dynamic connection unique to live theatre. We rely on our volunteers to carry out this mission by providing the organization support in the following areas: 1. Greeting at Performances 2. LookIns 3. The Costume Shop 4. The Scene Shop 5. The Prop Shop 6. Special Events 7. Office Support T

2 Getting Started Registration Volunteers may enroll in the Nashville Rep Volunteer Program by filling out the online registration form on the Nashville Repertory Theatre Website at: All volunteers must have a valid address. After attending an orientation, we invite you to sign up to volunteer. Orientation All Rep Volunteers must attend a Nashville Rep Volunteer Orientation prior to actively volunteering at Nashville Repertory Theatre. Orientations will be offered on a biannual basis. Volunteers will be notified of upcoming volunteer orientations via . *Please note that a TPAC Volunteer Orientation does not replace a Nashville Rep Volunteer Orientation, as we are separate organizations. But thanks for supporting another fellow arts organization! Volunteer Liability and Image Release Each season in order to sign up for volunteer opportunities, all Rep Volunteers must read, sign, and submit The Nashville Rep Volunteer Waiver and Release from Liability to the Volunteer Coordinator. This form must be re-signed and renewed at the beginning of each season before volunteers can take on assignments. 2

3 Signing-Up to Volunteer! Signing-Up for Volunteer Opportunities Once The Nashville Rep Volunteer Waiver and Release from Liability has been signed and submitted to the Volunteer Coordinator, volunteers may sign up for volunteer opportunities at The Rep. The Volunteer Coordinator will send out s to all volunteers outlining current opportunities at Nashville Rep. Each volunteer will receive s which reflect volunteer opportunities only in the areas of interest previously indicated by volunteers during online registration. Volunteer s will contain a description of the activity or event as well as a breakdown of volunteer tasks. If you wish to receive volunteer opportunities in additional areas or if you wish to unsubscribe from a particular volunteer area, please notify your Volunteer Coordinator by . Once you sign up for an event or activity, this is considered a confirmation that you will be there. We rely on you to fulfill this commitment. This is an extremely important aspect of volunteering. If you absolutely must cancel, the Volunteer Coordinator as soon as possible, but please let us know at least 48 hours prior to the event or activity. This will allow us to find a replacement volunteer. Even if you find out closer to the event, please let the Volunteer Coordinator know. For more information, please refer to the Attendance Policy in the Volunteer Code of Conduct. 3

4 Volunteer Roles The Rep! Below are overviews seven areas of volunteer support at Nashville Repertory Theatre. Greeting/Playbill Distribution at Performances Love that excitement in the lobby before a Nashville Rep production begins? Get in on the action by volunteering as a greeter! Greeter Volunteers warmly welcome and distribute programs to patrons as they enter Nashville Rep performances. This occurs 45 minutes before main stage productions at TPAC s Andrew Johnson Theatre, the Ingram New Works Festival, and REPAlouds. Volunteer dress for Greeters/Playbill Distributors is business casual. Nice jeans are appropriate. No t-shirts or ripped jeans please. LookIns LookIns are free community events which provide audiences with a behind the scenes look at the upcoming main stage production and a sneak preview of a scene in The Rep s rehearsal space in Studio A. LookIn Volunteers bring food and beverages to these events and are asked to assist with managing the beverage table and clean-up. LookIn Volunteers must wait to enter the rehearsal space until a staff member has opened the doors. All volunteers are required to sign in their dishes on the check-in list provided by the Volunteer Coordinator in order to receive credit for volunteering. The Costume Shop Costume shop volunteers assist with simple sewing projects (ex. hand-sewing labels), costume organization, and laundry. Other projects may be assigned to volunteers with exceptional sewing skills and experience. If you re interested in helping out in the Costume Shop, please contact your Volunteer Coordinator. Dress code is casual. Continued on next page 4

5 Volunteer Roles The Rep! (Continued) The Scene Shop Volunteers may sign up for select dates to assist with Load-Ins and Loud-Outs of sets and props to and from TPAC s Andrew Johnson Theatre. The Volunteer Coordinator will provide volunteers with the Load-In/Load-Out schedule. Volunteers with relevant specialized skills or experience in set construction will be interviewed by the Technical Director on an as needed basis and may be assigned simple builds as appropriate. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator if you have relevant expertise and would like to be involved in special projects. Closed-toe shoes are required to be worn while volunteering in The Scene Shop. Hair must be worn up to avoid injury! The Prop Shop Volunteers in The Rep s Prop Shop play an important role in maintaining the vast inventory of props. Under the direction of the Props Master, volunteers take pictures and measurements of props and make notes about their condition. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested in coming in regularly on weekly or biweekly basis to help in The Prop Shop. Special projects may be assigned, as needed, by the Props Master to individuals who volunteer regularly. Closed-toe shoes are required to be worn while volunteering in The Prop Shop. lorem ipsum Continued on next page 5

6 Volunteer Roles The Rep! (Continued) Special Events The Rep has a full calendar of special events and we depend on our volunteers to make them go smoothly. Special event volunteers typically assist with event set-up, greeting, and registration. The Volunteer Coordinator will specify dress code in the initial volunteer for the event. Events will typically fall on weekend evenings. Special projects will be assigned by the Development Coordinator on an as needed basis to volunteers with a special interest in fundraising. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if interested. *Interview required. Office Support Want to pull back the curtain and see how The Rep gets down to business? Come volunteer at the office! We typically use office volunteers to assist with marketing or development mailings. This is a huge help to our small administrative staff, and it can be a fun way to get to make a new friend who loves theatre as much as you. Other office volunteer opportunities include manning the door to the NPT building and directing actors to Studio A during the audition process. Office volunteers are called in on an as needed basis, but if you are interested in becoming more involved on a regular basis, please contact The Volunteer Coordinator. 6

7 Volunteer Recognition Volunteer Recognition We love our amazing volunteers at Nashville Rep! To show our appreciation for your time and talents, The Rep will award theatre tickets, as available, to volunteers. After your volunteer service is completed, the Volunteer Coordinator will send you a link via to a webpage where you will be able to request your volunteer tickets. The number of tickets you are eligible for will be calculated by the following formulas: Greeting/Playbill Distribution for 1 Show = 1 free ticket and 1 half-price ticket to the performance at which you are volunteering (Tickets may exchanged for other performances of the same production after greeting/playbill distribution is complete.) Volunteering at 1 LookIn = 2 free tickets to preview performances of the upcoming production OR 1 free ticket and 1 half-price ticket to a Tuesday- Thursday performance of the upcoming production Volunteering at 1 Special Event = 2 free tickets to preview performances of the current production OR 1 free ticket and 1 half-price ticket to any performance of the current production 2 hours Volunteering in the Costume, Scene or Prop Shops = 1 free ticket to a Tuesday-Thursday performance. (Maximum tickets earned = 2 tickets for 4 hours or more.) 2 hours of Office Volunteering = 1 free ticket to a Tuesday-Thursday performance. (Maximum tickets earned = 2 tickets for 4 hours or more.) **Please note that all volunteers are REQUIRED TO SIGN-IN upon arrival on a volunteer check-in sheet provided by a Nashville Rep staff member in order to receive credit for volunteer hours. For more information, please see the Check-In Policy in the Volunteer Code of Conduct. 7