PRODUCTION TEAMS

At the heart of every great performance is a team of dedicated individuals working together to make it all possible—and that's where you come in!  SOPA thrives on the generosity of volunteers who bring their time, talents, and energy to every production.

To ensure each show runs smoothly, each family is required to contribute 20 hours of volunteer work per production. If there is more than one actor from the same family, another 10 volunteer hours are required. 

Once the 20 hour obligation is met, volunteers will automatically earn ONE ticket to see any (non-closing) show that session for free. Those cast members in the production who earn 20 hours will automatically receive a free master class voucher. Must be used this class session. If no masterclass is available, you will be able to redeem next session. 

Any hours worked beyond the required 20 will earn Perk Points, which can be redeemed for special rewards and benefits throughout the season as a thank you. 

If you are unable to volunteer your time and choose to contribute monetarily instead, you will need to pay $200 to satisfy your volunteer obligations, plus $100 for any remaining actors from the same family ($300 max total).

Volunteers will not be able to enter the show without a ticket assignment. If you’d like to redeem your points for free tickets, that needs to be done BEFORE the show so your name is on the guest list.

Theater is a powerful way to share beautiful stories, instill confidence in performers, and build community. By volunteering, you’re not just supporting the arts—you’re becoming part of something meaningful and lasting. Thank you!

Please agree and commit to the volunteer requirements to be eligible for participation in the show. Background checks are required for all volunteers over the age of 17.  Hours will be tracked and recorded to help volunteers and show coordinators keep continuity and fairness and distribute Perk Points.

 

 

SOPA AUSTIN
PRODUCTION TEAMS
2025/2026 SEASON

Backstage/Rehearsal Team:
Primarily responsible for helping the Elevate actors stay productive, quiet, and organized. These team members make magic happen behind the scenes. It is a good team to serve on for those who enjoy interacting with the kids, have the patience of a saint, like being a part of the action, and are organized and cool under pressure. Team members should not be afraid to enforce rules, correct behavior, and give clear instructions. 

CARE Team:
This team are the morale-boosting do-gooders of SOPA. They take care of the cast and crew and help create a spirit of familial love and appreciation. They make sure everyone is recognized, feels valued, and stays hydrated and fed. This is a good team for those who are servant-hearted, thoughtful, creative, and organized. 

Cast Party Team:
Where the party’s at! They organize and throw the cast parties at the conclusion of each show. This is a good team for those who are the life of the party, believe in the power of food to bring people together, enjoy planning events, and know how to feed a crowd (or at least set up tables). 

Costuming Team:
Helping transform regular humans into ANYTHING imaginable–no fashion degree required!  This is a good team for those who are creative, can problem solve, take direction well, and enjoy helping turn the show from good into breathtaking! It is a great role for those who already spend time at SOPA during rehearsal. Simple sewing skills are helpful, but not required. There is so much more to do in costuming than sew– you will also organize, hot glue, cut, sort, measure, iron, pin, steam, shop, and make emergency repairs. 

Custodial Team:
Members of Custodial are the real behind the scenes heroes! They save SOPA from embarrassment and germs by making sure the building is clean, presentable, and fresh-smelling. This is a good team for those who value cleanliness, prefer to stay out of the spotlight, and love to listen to a good podcast or rock out to some tunes while working. 

Errands Team:
The backbone of the production! It is perfect for those who like to shop, drive, solve problems, and save the day! Errands team members are organized, helpful, navigational wizards, and can be as flexible as a chameleon in a disco. 

Front of House Team:
This team makes sure the audience experience is enjoyable, welcoming, and memorable. It is a good team for those who are social butterflies, who work well under pressure, have a calming presence, and love to create an unforgettable ambiance.

Fundraising Team:
Primarily responsible for brainstorming and executing fundraising ideas. This is a good team for people who are professional friend-makers, excel in the art of persuasion, show resilience, and dream of being an event planner (or already are!). They can turn a pile of donations into stunningly presented show baskets that will have the patrons clamoring to buy tickets.

Hair and Makeup Team:
Members are the masters of transformation! These team members can translate the Director’s vision into stunning reality. This is a good team for those who like to be a part of the creative process, enjoy getting face time with the actors, and have a skill for applying makeup and doing hair, or open to learning the skill. We are willing to teach those who haven’t learned yet!

Historian/Photography Team 
Be the one that documents history and memories with the click of a shutter. This team can perfectly capture the personality of the actors and the vision of the show. This is a good team for those who have a high-quality camera (a must), enjoy being amongst the actors, have a bad joke or two up their sleeve, and love taking photos. 

Programs Team:
The architects of the audience’s pre-show distraction and guide for essential show details, otherwise known as the Playbill. We are looking for those who have an eagle eye for design, can proofread like an English professor, and are organized and punctual with deadlines. This is a good fit for those who prefer working at home or during unconventional hours. Must have Adobe Illustrator.

Props Team:
The behind the scenes storyteller and show-enhancer! Props are an important part of providing context for the show and helping actors interact with their environment. Members of this team are glue-gun wielding, trash-transforming creative engineers. This is a good team for those who can see usefulness and beauty in the mundane, who are masters of Facebook Marketplace treasure-finding, and who are creative, flexible, and think outside the box. 

Publicity and Marketing Team:
Knows how to bring the crowds! Members of this team help generate excitement and spread the word about upcoming shows. This is a good team for those who are infectiously positive, can charm the pants off a statue, enjoy and are adept at using social media, and don’t have availability to be at SOPA to work. 

Sets Team:
Members are the magic-makers of the production, primarily responsible for transforming the stage into something other-worldly. They are simultaneously fine artists, master carpenters, and part-time magicians. This is a good team for those who are good with their hands, enjoy manual labor, are proficient in simple engineering, and are strong and competent. The Sets Team also needs people who get excited about a blank canvas and can transform it with paint and imagination. Sets Teams members aren’t afraid to get dirty.

Tech Team:
Members are basically Batman–they work in the shadows, wear all black, and thrive on being a part of the action–all without being seen. This is a perfect role for those who like things that power up, plug in, or make a weird noise. However, you do not need to already know how to do everything–we’ll teach you! This team does most of their work primarily during dress rehearsal week and show week. Most duties include helping with mics and running spotlight or sound cues. 

 

VIP
(Volunteer Incentive Perks) Program

For each additional hour served past the required 20 per show, you will receive 150 Perks Points. These can be redeemed for benefits, discounts, tickets, or SOPA swag.   

Points must be redeemed during the show for which you are volunteering, with the exception of class discounts.

 150 Points 

Concessions ticket

300 Points

SOPA keychain or car decal

450 Points

Snack Shack card

 

750 Points

*NEW VIP seats (Front Row) - One free ticket with option to purchase up to 3 more at ($30 each) - (limited availability - First come first served) 

 

1500 points

Parent/Volunteer Pass: Free admittance for the VIP Pass holder ONLY to each show of that production except for closing show/s. Some shows will have more than one closing night due to more than one cast. 

 

3000 Points

Signed Show Poster

 

3750 Points

50% class/academy month discount

 

4500 Points

VIP table (limited availability - First come first served) 

 

FAQ

Can I transfer my points to another volunteer?

Our reward points program is designed to show our appreciation for your individual contributions. As such, rewards points are non-transferable. This helps us ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the program, allowing us to acknowledge each volunteer’s unique efforts directly.

 

Do my points rollover?

No, your points must be used during and for the show for which you are currently volunteering, with the exception of class discounts. Class discounts must be used within 3 months from the date of earning.

 

What if I forget to log my volunteer hours?

The app allows you to retroactively log hours, but you must be able to specify the projects worked on during those hours. We trust that you will be honest and fair in your reporting.

 

How do I track my hours?

You will need to log your hours on Jibble. If you do not wish to download the app, there is a desktop version. When you fill out the registration paperwork, there will be a link to join Shine On Performing Arts’ Jibble account. Additionally, you will receive an email with the link as well. It is very simple to join. Upon joining, Jibble provides a tour of the interface if you need additional help.

 
How do I redeem my points?

To redeem points, you must email the Volunteer Coordinator, Shaunelle Trenholm, and inform her of your rewards choice(s). She will be in contact to get you the appropriate goods or tickets. Her info is: shaunelle.trenholm@gmail.com 

What if I don’t have enough points for what I want?

If you haven’t earned enough points for the Perk you want, you can purchase points to meet your goal! To purchase points, make a donation to SOPA through the “Donate” link on the website, and you will be awarded 20 points for every dollar ($1) donated.

How many hours are required for multiple members of the same family?

You will need to contribute 20 hours for one participant, or 30 hours for more than one. Hours are rounded to the nearest half hour.

 

Can multiple family members work together to reach the required hours, or does it need to be done by just one parent?

You can absolutely split the responsibility in your family! Everyone has unique talents and skills that we can use, and we know not everyone has time to complete the 20 hours by themselves. We welcome any and all help we can get! Hours are logged by family, not individual. 

Do I have to be at SOPA to log my hours, or can I do volunteer work from home?

Of course you can log hours from home! There are many opportunities to help with the show from all kinds of places around the community, including your home! Just make sure to specify which team or project you are working on. 

Does move-in or set strike count towards my hours?

No, Move-in and Strike are additional normal commitments of putting on a production.

What other things besides move in and strike do not count towards my hours?

You should not log hours for parent meetings or travel time, and simply being at a SOPA building does not count as volunteer work. You must be actively helping. Additionally, you cannot sign up for or log hours at Front of House until at least 15 hours have been recorded if you choose to earn your 20 hours by volunteering for Front of House and beyond. 

Can I just watch the show if I’m volunteering at Front of House?

No. Each person that watches the show must have a ticket, whether that’s earned with Perks Points or purchased. There will be no seats reserved for volunteers. 

What happens if I don’t volunteer enough hours?

If you cannot meet the 20 hour requirement during the show, you may be asked to pay the volunteer fee or your child may be disallowed from acting in a subsequent show or role. Putting on a production is an enormous job, and we need all hands on deck to make every performance amazing!

What if I don’t have any of the skills you’re looking for?

You do. We promise! We need people with all kinds of different skills and abilities, and many tasks require no skill at all! Team leads are willing and eager to teach you what they can, and who knows? Maybe you’ll walk away with a new skill. SOPA is just so grateful for willing helpers! 

 

Consequences:

Adult in charge will talk with the individual, volunteer, adult or student about his/her misbehavior.

Adult in charge will call the parent of the individual, volunteer, adult or student if under 18 and explain the misbehavior of the student. 

Leadership will be notified and will talk with the individual, volunteer, adult or student and if under 18, their parents. 

Artistic Director will be notified, will talk with individual, volunteer, adult or student and if under 18, their parents, and dismissal from the classes/show may result.

Breaking of any rules may result in immediate dismisal of any individual of any age, including, volunteers, staff, parents, siblings, students, etc. If asked to leave, the offending individual will not be allowed to participate in SOPA Austin for 1 calendar year. After the one year break, the board and Artistic Director will revisit the offender and decide together if it is the appropriate time for that individual to participate again.