Wanna be a Star?
    The stage is completely dark.  The curtain is closed, but you can just see a sliver of light underneath it.  You hear the inaudible tones of the audience as they wait for the show to start.  As you take your place on the stage, the scant light slowly fades away and the pulleys for the curtain turn. You stare into darkness for a moment before the stage is drenched in colored lights.

    For those of you who have been on stage, the above may bring a sense of comfort.  Or it may raise your blood pressure.  It might bring back great memories or some traumatic times.  If you've never been on stage, well... here's your chance.

    The Norfolk Community Theatre is an amateur theatre group.  We are not professionals.  We don't have screen actors guild or equity cards. We simply love theatre and we'd love to have you join us.  If you're revisiting a past passion or looking to conquer that fear of hundreds watching your every move, our theatre company wants you!  On our stage.  As soon as possible.

    As with the other areas of the Norfolk Community Theatre, our actors and actresses are volunteers from Norfolk and the surrounding communities.  They graciously give up their evenings for a few weeks so they can help bring live theatre to the rural surroundings of Northeast Nebraska.

    Auditions are held on the theatre stage in the Cox Activity Center (Northeast College) at 7pm on the dates found in the side banner.  No prepared audtion material is necessary; most of our directors ask auditioners to read from the script of the upcoming show.  Scripts can be obtained for perusal by calling Pam @ (402) 844-7347.

    Typically, our productions have a six-week rehearsal schedule.  Add in two weeks of productions and those who grace our stage give up two months of evenings.  For most of our shows, we rehearse on Monday through Thursday evenings.  The rehearsals generally last about two hours and exact times vary from production to production.

    We're always looking for our next star!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running the Shows!
While we aren't putting on the multimillion dollar productions of a Broadway theatre, our shows still need people who are in charge of making sure all of the details get done before the curtain goes up on opening night.  The taskmasters here are our directors and producers.  Each theatre has its own division of labor when it comes to these types of positions.  Here's how we do it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Would anyone go to the theatre if the plays all had naked actors in the dark on a bare stage?  Probably not.  Staging plays takes lots of work.  While the actors and actresses on stage end up at the curtain calls with audiences applauding, countless hours of prep work are needed to get the show ready for an audience.  Sets must be built. Costumes have to be constructed or located. Lights need to be focused.  Each show literally takes hundreds of man- and woman-hours to deliver the finished project.

    Of course there are just as many duties to fulfill once opening night arrives.  Faces need to be made up and props have to be set on the stage. The stage manager coordinates the actors, running crew, light and sound operators, box office staff, and all the others who help make sure the performance goes off without a hitch. At the Norfolk Community Theatre, all of these tasks are completed by volunteers from the community and other parts of Northeast Nebraska.  Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.  From our board of directors to the ushers for our shows, we depend those have the time and desire to lend us a hand.

    If stagefright keeps you from getting up in front of the audience but you still love theatre, have no fear: there are plenty of other areas you can help us put on a show.  No experience is ever required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A Well Oiled Machine
Backstage and onstage aren't the only areas that help make sure our theatregoers have a delightful experience.  We also depend on volunteers to help manage the business side of the theatre.

The Membership Drive
Each summer, we try to get the word about our upcoming season out to as many people as possible. We typically send out mailings, use media placements and depend a lot on word of mouth and direct, personal sales. Both the preparation of the materials and the organization of the incoming responses are time intensive projects.  The more hands we have available to help the better.

Seasonal Box Office Fun
Getting the season off the ground isn't the only task for our box office volunteers.  As the season gets rolling, the jobs shift to show specific duties.  From answering calls for reservations to assigning seats for the shows, our staff helps ensure a smooth ride for those coming to the productions.

We rely on volunteers to take tickets at the door, greet our patrons, usher the audience to the correct seats, and get the show started no more than five minutes late.  (That was a theatre joke.)  Again, we've found there is no such thing as having too many volunteers.  And, there's never experience required to help with our shows. There's no need to worry about a significant time committment when you volunteer to help with the box office.  We're always looking for ushers and helping with that only takes about a half an hour.