Without the help and support of our volunteers we could not hope to produce the vibrant, high-quality theatre our audiences have come to expect. There are many ways to become involved at the Douglas Morrisson Theatre.

You can view or print the official H.A.R.D. Volunteer Handbook, which is a 5 Meg .pdf file. Once you become a volunteer, you'll receive your own printed copy. You can also download our own DMT Volunteer Handbook, which goes into more detail about our various departments and opportunities than the brief summaries below.

Onstage

We hold auditions for all our productions on a regular basis right here at the theatre. Generally, we announce auditions in our various newsletters and publications, and occasionally in the papers. You can also check out our Auditions page for information on upcoming auditions.

Technical and Backstage

There are many opportunities for volunteering in the technical and backstage aspects of our productions. During our pre-production periods, when we're preparing a show for the stage, you can be involved in any of the following:

 Scenery construction and painting
 Lighting
 Costume construction and maintenance
 Prop building and painting

Once the show opens, we need people to help run the show. These include:

 Assistant stage managers
 Stage crew
 Light board operators
 Followspot operators
 Sound board operator
 Dressers
 Prop crew

Front-of-House

In addition, we can usually use help with various administrative tasks and with greeting and seating our audiences:

 Box Office
 House Managers
 Ushers

Carol Adams, Bob Sommer, Sandy Sommer, and Yvonne Steiner assembling thousands of programs for one of our productions... and they're still smiling!

How Do I Become a Volunteer?

After notifying us of your interest in volunteering and providing us with your phone number and/or e-mail address, you will be contacted by our Volunteer Coordinator, who will arrange a tour of the theatre for you. At that time you will learn about the volunteer opportunities in each of our departments.

If we are able to match your interests and availability with our needs you will be asked to complete a "Volunteer Application" and a "Questionnaire" form. You may return the completed forms to the theatre or mail them to the Morrisson Theatre, c/o H.A.R.D., 1099 E Street, Hayward, CA 9454l.

A completed form must be submitted before any volunteer assignment may be undertaken.

Minors must have their form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Please note that if you are assigned a position where you have direct supervisory authority over children under 18, you will be fingerprinted, at District expense, to determine your eligibility to work with children.

After your application has been processed you will be contacted regarding specific opportunities and assignments.