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 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Acting |
 Topic: Volunteer Actors( Topic Closed) |
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gaftpres
Star 
Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 80 |
 Posted: 4/06/08 at 11:39pm |
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Are you applying for a non-profit status? If so I believe it must be volunteer. If you plan on applying for grant money etc. be aware of that.
We pay for our summer musical director, choral, orchestra, choreographer, but thats it. ALl board members, and staff are volunteer... actors too.
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Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!
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jayzehr
Celebrity 
Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537 |
Posted: 4/07/08 at 4:26am |
I don't think that question can be answered without more information. There are too many variables.But if you don't already have the money, don't promise anyone a payment based on projected ticket sales. Anything could happen. |
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sethnic
Walk-On 
Joined: 8/23/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Posted: 4/07/08 at 1:53pm |
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Our group is not applying for non-profit status, it's sort of a "pick-up group". The show we have coming up in late June is The Sound of Music, so it has box office appeal.
If we were to promise real salaries to anyone, we could afford maybe two staff. We'd have no orchestra or anything. Not everybody will do a show for the love of it. The problem the poster raised of being fair gets balanced with being sustainable. |
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Creating a new company!
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jayzehr
Celebrity
Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537 |
Posted: 4/07/08 at 6:40pm |
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How does a "pick-up group" work financially speaking? Can you get business sponsors without a 501(c)3? Do you have a group where everyone puts up part of the money? If you're, say, the director or a musician, who is your contract with?
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sethnic
Walk-On
Joined: 8/23/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Posted: 4/08/08 at 4:04am |
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Basically I'm the sole proprietor and investor. When i say "pick-up" group, I mean that we work as a team, but this is my initiative and (hopefully) a future proper business. As of now, I function as a sort of spark to pull people together to make a show.
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Creating a new company!
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jayzehr
Celebrity
Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537 |
Posted: 4/08/08 at 4:47am |
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I hope that works out well for you! The Sound of Music sounds like a fairly safe bet all things considered.
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avgsuperheroine
Player 
Joined: 6/04/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 20 |
Posted: 7/11/08 at 1:17am |
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I would think in a town of 80000 you could find actors who will act for the love of theatre. We fill over 6 shows per year in a town of only 12000 and we don't pay the actors. We pay too many of the other crew members for my liking, but not the actors.
I've also never had a problem with people not showing up, not in 15 years of community theatre work. I'm sure it happens but most people realize there's too many other people depending on them to show up.
Also, why put a cap on what salary you'll make? Or did someone else do that? Exec Dir work huge hours and have a lot of responsibility. With no benefits etc, that kind of salary isn't much for the type of work you'd be doing. Anyway, have fun with the show, I hope you find some great dedicated volunteers!
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jaytee060
Star
Joined: 1/18/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 63 |
Posted: 7/11/08 at 10:48am |
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I don't want to sound negative but it seems like we are discussing "apples and oranges" here. Your group sounds more like a professional or semi-professional theatre to me. Most of us here in the Greenroom work with amateur volunteer organizations. Actors do not get paid...nor do they expect to be paid. If my theatre would encounter an actor who expected money to perform, we would simply and politely imform him that we do not pay.
I thing caution should be taken however. Since you are a new theatre group who has yet to establish a name. Beware high expectations of door receipts. Not every show is THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
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"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"
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MartyW
Celebrity
Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555 |
Posted: 7/13/08 at 6:00pm |
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Don't do it...
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.." |
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chel
Celebrity
Joined: 6/20/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 106 |
Posted: 7/18/08 at 12:41pm |
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If it's community theater then don't pay anyone. Our theater charges $10 per actor as a basic "membership dues" which helps defray the cost of the scripts (especially if they're rented and someone loses it).
A woman called our theater because she wanted a paying position as a costume designer...yeah right. Ours has been doing every show, for the love of it, for over 5 years.
Everything you make from the box-office to the refreshments will need to go back into the show. Rather than spending all the money yourself on the production, which could bite you in the tush (unless you have it to throw out there, which is none of my business),.
Try and get some sponsors if you haven't already. Make a basic program and fill it with local advertisements. Ask for donations from businesses or hold a fundraiser.
But don't pay actors. Our theater only gives a small stipend to the muscians, and everyone else, on up to the Board of Directors, does it for the love of theater.
There's also the fun of it to consider. My fun in being on stage is because I didn't have to have training for it. Me, my neighbor, the local vetrinarian and the college student come out for the fun of it.
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chel
www.windhamtheaterguild.org |
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