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Arts & Entertainment

More than a Hundred Sign up to Volunteer at Firehouse Arts Center

Volunteers got a sneak peak at the new theater and arts center set to open this weekend.

The line was out the door to sign in for volunteer orientation at the Firehouse Studio Theater last Saturday. The program is mandatory before you can officially volunteer at the Studio Arts Center.

For most people it was their first chance to get a peek inside the new studio theater, for me, it was my first chance to see orientation in action.

Jane Onojafe, Volunteer and Guest Services Coordinator, and Larry Valenzin, the House Manager led the one-hour program. The studio theater was nearly full to capacity with eager faces of all ages. Valenzin greeted everyone saying, "I see lot's of old faces, and lot's of new faces!"

The orientation included step by step instructions on how to register as a volunteer demonstrated with live feed from the Firehouse website shown on the big screen. There was a description of the roles available and the responsibilities involved, and information on emergency procedures, who to go to in times of trouble, how to manage complaints, and the Firehouse Art Center's green attributes, construction and history.

Once the volunteers have registered and attended orientation they can sign up for their preferred role, ushering, scanning tickets, monitoring the balcony, or welcoming people into the gallery.

Ten things about the Firehouse Arts Center:

  • Food and drink will be allowed in the theater!
  • The studio theater will sometimes be set up to have seating and tables level with the stage, cabaret style.
  • Get to the your show early as your theater ticket let's you into the Art Galleries, which will be open one hour before the performance starts and during intermission.    
  • The old ice-house (to the right of the Firehouse) was originally used by Transcontinental Railroad to load up ice for the trains as the passengers disembarked at Pleasanton.
  • The new part of the Firehouse building meets green building standards and unusually uses wood frame, concrete, masonry and steel construction.
  • The usher's uniform is black pants and a white shirt, but volunteer three times and you get a cool red vest!
  • Every usher will have a little red flashlight that they hold down at their side so as not to annoy everyone – flashlight etiquette, as Jane Onojafe called it.
  • In a crisis, an usher should calmly lead the way out of the exit door to a safe place. Psychologically people feel calmer being led than herded.
  • Ushers will be using new cool scanners for tickets.   
  • 107 people have registered to volunteer already!

Mother and daughter Gen and Joan Evans have been volunteers for the Pleasanton Arts for over twenty years. Joan said she recognized a lot of old friends but noticed a lot of 'newbies' too.

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"The theater is wonderful, there's not a bad seat in the house," she said.

Gen said, "It's a community theater, that's what I love about my hometown. They didn't just tear something down, they did something with it."

For Pallas Wang, the Firehouse was, "really beautiful."

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"It's so great that they can offer a variety of shows with more interactive performances," she said.

Ms. Wang has been volunteering at the Amador Theater for a year and said of the Firehouse Arts Center, "I really want this to be successful. I think as volunteers that should be our mind set."

Melinda and Steve Ballard, husband and wife, said they'd bought a brick to donate, then heard through friends about the opportunity to volunteer. Looking around the building for the first time Melinda Ballard said, "It's fantastic!"

There are still opportunities to volunteer at the Firehouse Arts Center, both in the theater and galleries. Ushers must be over 16 years old and Gallery Attendants must be over 21.

For more information visit www.firehouseartscenter.org or call the Volunteer Hotline (925) 931-4844. To register for an orientation visit:  http://helplendahand.org.

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