With Growth Comes...GROWTH!

Anyone who is a member of our community has recognized by now that the list of shows at BDACT has grown in recent years. We’re making the most of our wonderful Fine Arts Center.  It seems like there is some group using most of our rooms most of the time. Practicing songs, either vocally or instrumentally. Rehearsing scenes. Building sets. Creating costumes. Selecting props. Auditioning. Attending class. Stocking the concession stand. Answering phones and assisting with ticket purchases. Stopping by to participate in a community event. Installing new audio equipment or programming lighting plots. Construction, painting, and organizing in the new soon-to-open BDACT history room. Choosing shows for next season’s performances. Meetings of the staff, the selection committee, and the board of directors.

And of course, audiences pour in week after week to experience the wonderful fruits of our efforts. The parking lot is seldom empty and often packed. The building is rarely quiet and often filled with conversation, music, and laughter. We’re proud to be able to be part of this exciting and busy community theater and honored that so many community members and businesses support us with their financial support, their time, and their presence at our events.

But with that growth comes many other things. Here is a list of what some would call, “good problems to have.” We like to think of them as opportunities!

The opportunity for volunteers.  BDACT is, after all, a volunteer-driven community theater. Without volunteers, we simply couldn’t survive. It’s been this way since our founding in 1964. We have volunteers at all levels, from novice to seasoned. We have opportunities to volunteer in so many capacities that it’s impossible for us to have too many volunteers!.

Go back and reread that first paragraph. Nearly everything I’ve listed is done by volunteers. We have a very small but mighty staff, and every one of those folks volunteer outside their working hours. Whether you’ve volunteered with us before or know absolutely nothing about theater and are just willing to learn something new, please reach out to us. There is a volunteer tab on our website. Click there, and you’re on your way to being part of the fun!

The opportunity for production teams.  Each show or event requires a production staff. These are the members of the team who make things happen. This list includes directors, assistant directors, stage managers, producers, set designers and builders, costume leads, props leads, and many other positions, including lighting and audio people.

As a community theater these positions are all filled by volunteers as well. Some positions offer an honorarium. Don’t let the title of the job intimidate you. We will start by having you work on the team with others who have done this before. You’ll learn by doing, and have a great deal of fun in the process. You’ll feel a sense of pride when you see the finished project, knowing you contributed to its success.

The opportunity for teachers.  We’ve added new classes in the past few years and are adding more soon. We always need people willing to take some time to share what they know and love with people interested in learning. Teachers are paid for time spent in class hours. Do you have a skill or some experience in any of the things listed at the beginning of this blog?  Contact us at (920)885-6891, or at [email protected]. We’d love to hear your ideas to help us grow our educational opportunities.

The opportunity for sponsors and patrons.  Our next season is going to be our biggest and most ambitious ever!  We’ll have many more opportunities for businesses to sponsor our shows and events, getting your name and logo in our playbills and other marketing materials. This is a great opportunity to associate your business with a long-standing community organization with broad regional support!  As a nonprofit 501C(3) Corporation, we rely on patron contributions and sponsor support to provide low cost performing arts to the community and maintain the BDACT Fine Arts Center. We enjoy over 40,000 website visitors, 20,000 audience members and 1,000 volunteers on an annual basis.

So, as you see, growth here at BDACT not only means more shows and events for more people in the community to enjoy, it also means growth in opportunities for you to get involved. We’d love you to join our family by sharing your skills and developing more. From patrons to directors, from teachers to painters, and from serving on a committee, to running the lights, to selling tickets, we need you.

Please contact us today about the exciting opportunities awaiting you in our next season!