Volunteer

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 2019

A PLACE FOR YOU

We asked the newest member of our team, Artistic Director Benny Sato Ambush, what he finds special about Venice Theatre and why he believes you should join us. After his first couple of months on the job, here’s what Benny had to say about the benefits of volunteering and engaging with us.

Theatre is the greatest, most democratic of art forms because it can contain all the art forms. At its center is storytelling. And who doesn’t love a good story?

Beyond the visible onstage actors, many unseen skills are necessary for the collaborative magic of theatre-making. Venice Theatre, a community theatre, truly involves the greater Venice community in all aspects of ‘putting on the show.’ Mentored by experienced professional staff, community volunteers are trained in a broad range of theatre-making skills: acting, singing, dancing, auditioning, improvisation, directing, set building, costume making, stage managing, and the like. We work with nearly all ages - from first graders to the forever young. Venice Theatre relies on these partnerships. Besides the fun involved, engaging with us can offer great benefits in all aspects of your life such as building the selfconfidence to present yourself confidently in public, honing your ability to focus, learning how to think quickly on your feet, solving problems imaginatively, strengthening your social intelligence by working with a diverse community of people, making choices, thinking originally and critically, exercising empathy, and perhaps most importantly, better understanding yourself and who you are. Said simply, community engagement at Venice Theatre is human development. Join us - we have a place for you.”

Please go toVeniceTheatre.org/volunteer to learn about these opportunities and others, and to fill out an application. Performers interested in auditioning should visit VeniceTheatre.org/audition.

MEET MADELINE MCGRAIL

Volunteer Manager and Human Resources Director

Venice Theatre has been part of my life since moving to Venice 43 years ago. Whether taking class, performing on stage, working backstage, or attending performances, Venice “Little” Theatre became home; a place of joy and safety to explore, express, and even escape the turbulence of life.

The people in this community make VT home to so many. After years of traveling to pursue my education and explore various professional opportunities, I am honored to be back home as a full-time member of the theatre staff. What I love most is every day I get to connect with people who contribute their time and talents to the success of Venice Theatre. I get to hear their stories, learn from them, and become part of the VT story as each person adds another thread to the tapestry that makes us strong.

On February 24th of 2020, I stepped into the position of Volunteer Manager and Human Resources Director. On Friday, March 13th the world came to a halt and has been ever-changing since. Due to the nature of my job, I was charged with leading the theatre’s Covid-19 Task Force. It has been a baptism of fire. Taking on the behemoth task of understanding and keeping current on the science behind the pandemic has been manageable only with the support of Venice Theatre’s leadership, staff, and a team of dedicated individuals from the community and medical field. The goal of the task force was and remains keeping everyone as safe as possible throughout the transition to this new paradigm we are living.

My favorite quote has guided me through this time. Hungarian physicist, Edward Teller said: “When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”