General Information

  • Volunteer Opportunities / Responsibilities: Volunteers are a vital part of the Revels family. It’s a great, fun way to become part of the Revels circle. There are a variety of ways to get involved, so you can match your age, experience, and availability to what suits you. Volunteers are also eligible to sing with our May Revels chorus in the spring!

    There are two major areas of volunteer opportunities:

    Front of House – Lend your talents to tasks that support overall Revels efforts and draw folks to performances: event planning and preparation, marketing and publicity, fundraising, and public relations as a Revels Representative. There are opportunities year-round!

    Behind-the-Scenes Production – During the fall, get crafty at Wednesday Night Work Parties. Or during the Christmas Revels production, help make the on-stage magic happen by joining crews for props, wardrobe, stitchers, makeup, hair, and backstage.

    Front of House Volunteers

    Event Planning and Preparation - Are you the life of the party, or a Martha Stewart-wannabe? Do you love to organize and get all the details down … just so? If so, Washington Revels needs your help on our special events. From cast parties to Galas, from working with the venues to setting up the food, from making sure everything looks just right to much, much more – we need your special touch.

    Marketing & Publicity - Love to spread the word? Then help us promote all of our incredible productions, big and small, as well as our educational and special programs. We need volunteers to write press releases, contact the media, hang up posters, and even post event info on various community and school list serves. Some events are ticketed and some are free – but every one of them needs your help to make sure the community knows what’s happening and when, along with what they might be missing if they don’t attend.

    Fundraising - Are you good with green, or love to network? Ticket sales alone don’t cover our costs, so Washington Revels relies on the support of companies, foundations, and individuals like you. Whether it’s researching grant opportunities, writing a sponsorship pitch, soliciting auction donations, or thanking donors, all of it helps to grow the Revels circle ever wider. Every dollar you raise for Washington Revels goes directly into putting on the events, programs and educational services that that you love and that make us such a unique performing arts community for participants in the DC/MD/VA area.

    Revels Representatives - Got the gift of gab? Be a spokesperson at any of the wide variety of performances we present – and it’s simple, really! You sit at our information table and respond to inquiries from interested folks, or simply wander through the crowd passing out a brochure to event attendees and answering their questions. From your own experience, you tell others about our performances, our volunteer opportunities, our marvelous inter-generational community. We’ll have plenty of materials on hand to share, but it’s your personal touch that makes all the difference. At some events we will be selling CDs or a few other items, so you’ll handle those transactions, too. (Staff are always nearby to help you out.)

    Behind-the-Scenes Production Volunteers

    Wednesday Night Work Parties - Our Wednesday night volunteers come together while the chorus rehearses, working (and chatting and laughing) on projects ranging from preparing mailings to constructing props to creating small items to be sold at the shows. No special experience or talents are needed and no specific time commitment is necessary—come when you can and stay as long as you like! We are a very fun, casual, and friendly group (if we do say so ourselves!). It’s a great way to get to know other volunteers and cast members, all while listening to the beautiful music from rehearsals.

    Backstage Crew - Set the stage … literally! The backstage crew sets each act and during the show makes sure all cast members get the prop they need, when they need it. This vital crew consists of six to eight members (adults or high school aged teens). Members of the crew need to attend at least one of the weekend rehearsals in November, every tech week rehearsal, and every show. Because of the small size of the crew, slots for new volunteers are limited, but please let us know if you are interested.

    Revels Retail - Love to shop? Well so does our audience … help us sell books, CDs, T-shirts, ornaments, and other tremendous Revels merchandise before and after the show and even in between (during intermission). It’s a great way to connect directly with our audience members – you are the first to hear all the compliments! Sellers should be adults or high school-age teens. A two-show minimum commitment is required and we ask that you attend one training session before the production begins. Additionally, we ask you to arrive at least one hour before show time to help set up and to familiarize yourself with the merchandise. During the performance you will be able to watch the show.

    Props Running Crew - This crew manages the props, setting the stage for each act and making sure cast members get what they need when they need it during the show. The crew consists of about eight members (adults, teens, and older kids, generally 12 years old and up); members must attend at least one of the weekend rehearsals (preferably in November), every Lisner week rehearsal, and every show. We will make every effort to work around one or two conflicts, but would prefer you commit to the entire run. If possible, the crew may get the opportunity to watch one show from the audience, but you can watch every show from the wings! Please Note: Because of the small size of the crew, slots for new volunteers are few but please contact the office if you are interested.

    Wardrobe Crew - No wardrobe malfunctions here. Our wardrobe crew assists chorus members and principals with their costumes during the show run as well as during tech week, the costume parade and dress rehearsal. During the run of the show, this crew assists the wardrobe mistress with costume preparation and making minor repairs such as sewing buttons, snaps or fixing hems, and checking that all chorus members' costumes are complete before they go on stage. Basic sewing skills are helpful but not required. Crew members working at the theater are asked to volunteer for at least one tech week rehearsal night and two performances during the run of the show. Wardrobe crew needs to be at the theater two hours before show time and can leave after all the chorus members are in costume.

    Stitchers - A stitch in time saves nine. This important group does light sewing on costumes during the months of October and November. The sewing includes removing or adding trims, minor repairs, changing buttons or snaps and changing hems. Let us know if you are interested and we will notify you of all of the upcoming “sewing bees” taking place at the Revels office.

    Makeup Crew - The smell of the greasepaint … This crew helps the teen and adult chorus, and sometimes the principal actors and musicians, put on their stage makeup before each show and check for needed touch-ups during intermission. No experience is necessary as training is provided. A minimum commitment of two shows is needed, plus attendance during most of the tech week rehearsals. Because makeup is completed before the cast goes onstage, you get to see most of the show and the results of your work!

    Hair Crew - Straight or curly, pouffed or floppy … the hair crew assists the chorus, and sometimes the principal actors, to prepare their hair styles based on instructions from the hair designer. While we are not recruiting a whole crew this year, if you have experience in the field, we would love to hear from you.

    Even more …
    Haven’t found anything that strikes your fancy yet? (Really?) Washington Revels is always looking for videographers, drivers, loaders, office help, event help, and more. Let us know you want to volunteer and have no worry, we will find a place for your efforts!
  • Types of Volunteers Needed: individual/adult; individual/high school; families with children; adult groups of less than 5; adult groups of 6 or more, including corporate teams
  • Hours Needed: business hours during the week; evenings during the week; daytime on the weekend