volunteer for PCSF

Updated 12/20/20

PCSF is a 100% volunteer organization. It only runs if people generously commit their own time and energy to "owning" programs and tasks. Without individuals taking ownership, programs will likely be reduced, postponed or eliminated.

Scene Night

Right now, we need to find two people who want to run our Scene Night program.

Time: Each month, it takes about six hours of prep (finding actors, casting, distributing scripts, etc.) and six hours of attendance time (actual facilitation of the two, three-hour workshops). These two sets of tasks can be divided between two people or co-managed by two people. (It also demands that at least one volunteer is available on 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings to run and facilitate the program). Having two owners of this key program will cut the individual time commitment in half and offer flexibility on who does what based on individual skill sets and interests.

Benefits: You will make a lot of connections with very talented local actors, you will learn a LOT about playwriting and how to think about playwriting.

Skill Sets Needed: Email proficiency, organization skills, Zoom proficiency, feedback facilitation skills. If needed, you will get training help on Zoom and Facilitation.

It is our intent to continue Scene Nights in 2021, at the same rate of two per month. However, if we do not find owners for this program, we may only have one each month, and/or occasionally have to skip a month.

Spring And Fall Reading Series

Another program that needs at least one (and ideally, 2 or 3) people to produce is our Reading Series program. The program time demands vary from month to month, depending on where we are in the production calendar.

Time: In season, (when the plays are being presented), it requires about 5 hours a week—this may last 6-7 weeks. But outside the season, there are months where no time commitment is required. Again, having more than one owner would cut the per-person time demands in significantly.

Benefits: You will establish strong connections with actors, directors, theatre owners (when we are allowed back in theatres!) and you will learn a lot about auditions, casting, and what it takes to produce a play reading.

Skill Sets Needed: email proficiency, organization skills, Zoom and Submittable proficiency. If needed, you will get training help on Zoom and Submittable.

PCSF will honor our commitment to our 2021 Spring Reading Series, as members have already submitted plays for this important program. However, unless we find people to run the program going forward, we will likely postpone the Fall 2021 reading series. (And yes, we are also looking for volunteers to run the 2021 Spring Series).

These are our two most pressing, current needs for your time and energy. These two programs most immediately impact our ability to provide program service to the level we have in the past. But there are others as well:

PCSF Playoffs

We do want to continue our five-year tradition of producing 24 short plays for audience voting. In 2020, this was an extremely successful online presentation. But we will need two producers for this event.

Time: April through June. it requires about 5 hours a week per producer, depending on how responsibilities are shared. In July (when the plays will presented), it requires about 10 hours per week.

Benefits: Similar to Reading Series producers: you will establish strong connections with actors, directors, theatre owners, and you will learn a lot about auditions, casting, and what it takes to produce a play reading.

Skill Set needed: Email proficiency, organization skills, Zoom and Submittable proficiency. If needed, you will get training help on Zoom and Submittable.

Best of PCSF

Assuming we execute Playoffs, it leads to the full production of eight short plays in November. I believe that we will be able to stage this event back in a theatre by then, (fingers crossed) but we will also probably offer an online viewing option as well.

We need two producers for this event, as well.

Time: August through November. It requires about 5 hours a week per producer, depending on how responsibilities are shared. In November (when the plays will be presented), it requires about 10 hours per week.

Benefits: Similar to Reading Series producers: you will establish strong connections with actors, directors, theatre owners, and you will learn a lot about auditions, casting, and what it takes to produce a play reading.

Skill Set Needed: Email proficiency, organization skills, Zoom and Submittable proficiency. If needed, you will get training help on Zoom and Submittable.

Social Media

This may seem less important to PCSF and our mission, but it does represent an opportunity that PCSF has under utilized. We need at least one person, but ideally 2-3 people, who are already well-versed in Facebook, Twitter and other social media, and who would enjoy keeping our social media presence updated and fresh.

The benefits to PCSF would be increased exposure for readings and events, as well as value added information for our membership and followers.

We currently do not have the expertise to effectively use our Social Media accounts. If you do, and you enjoy connecting with a large group of our followers over these platforms, here's your chance to do so and to help PCSF at the same time.

In Closing

In the past, a relatively small number of individuals have volunteered and owned the programs which we all have enjoyed. I hope going forward that many PCSF members will consider helping our organization re-build and continue to provide all the benefits we have in the past.

I also hope you can help us find non-members who would be interested in volunteering. We do not require PCSF membership to take responsibility for a PCSF program. We only require true interest and commitment.

If you are thinking, "But I'm not sure if I know how to run a Scene Night" or "I've never used Submittable" or any of the other things that might make you hesitate to take on a program, well... I did not know how to do any of that stuff either.

You will get all the help you need to ensure that you both learn and succeed. In an organization like PCSF, our volunteers are the most valuable asset we have. We must protect them and make them heroes.

PCSF has been here over 40 years, and I have no doubt it will be here for years to come. Over the decades of its existence, PCSF has gone through peaks and valleys of activity – always commensurate with the amount of committed time and energy of its volunteers.

I have no doubt that you will get at least ten dollars worth of value from PCSF in 2021. But my hope is that you get a lot more than that as we fill the many volunteer slots to run our events. If that happens, your $10 membership for 2021 will be the best bargain of the New Year.

As I said in the beginning, this is a re-building year. If 2021 is a "valley" year for PCSF, it will be temporary. But the depth and duration of the valley is determined by whether individuals among us can (and will) take responsibility in PCSF.

The Bottom Line

So, if you are interested in volunteering for any of the above roles, or have any questions as to what might be required, etc., please email rod@playwrightscentersf.org sooner rather than later.