Staff at Annex Theatre

Help Us Make Theatre Happen

Annex Theatre has been making bold new work in Seattle for 40 seasons, and every bit of it is run by volunteers. Nobody here is paid. Everybody here is necessary.

Annex Theatre has been making new, experimental, and occasionally unhinged theatre in Seattle for 40 seasons, and every bit of it is run by volunteers. Nobody here is paid. Everybody here is necessary.

We don’t fit people into fixed job titles. Our work is a pile of tasks that need doing, and we shape roles around who shows up and what they can take on. Some folks own one task. Some take on a whole department. Some mix and match across a few.

Look through the areas below. If something sparks, fill out the form at the bottom and we’ll figure out the right fit together.

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This Isn’t Your Usual Volunteer Gig

Most volunteering at Annex is show up, help out, go home. Helping in our box office, pouring drinks, painting a set for an afternoon. That’s wonderful, that’s absolutely brilliant actually because we always need it.

Staff volunteering is different.

When you join the Annex Theatre staff, you’re taking responsibility for real work that keeps this theatre running. If you take on a task, it’s yours. People are counting on it getting done, because the amazing artists and technicians and our audience deserve all the support and care we can give.

What that means in practice:

  • You own the tasks you take on and see them through.

  • You attend regular staff meetings.

  • You communicate when you’re stuck, behind, or need to hand something off.

  • You commit to a consistent amount of time.

What you can expect from us:
This is still volunteer work, and we know life happens. Jobs change, people get sick, family needs you, ours and others shows eat your calendar. Our world is chaotic and all of us are just trying to make it work and do our best. We’ll always work with you on that. Scale back for a while, swap tasks, take a break. We’ll accommodate everything we can.

We just ask that you come in ready to make a real commitment. That’s what makes this place work.

A variety of needs and skillsets.

There are absolutely needs/roles at Annex that require specific skills among this list, but many of them just need someone reliable who cares. If you’re not sure where you fit, tell us what you’re good at (or curious about) and there might be an opportunity.

The NEEDS

Administrative & Artistic

  • Coordinating auditions and maintaining our audition database

  • Running show post-mortems and folding feedback back into how we work

  • Supporting season planning and new work selection

  • Budget tracking and financial organization

  • Contracts and agreements for artists, vendors, and rentals

  • Grant administration and compliance

Production

  • Scheduling rehearsals, tech, load-in, and strike

  • Budgeting and tracking production costs

  • Recruiting and coordinating designers, stage managers, and crew

  • Set construction and scenic builds

  • Maintaining lighting and sound equipment

  • Keeping rehearsal and performance spaces safe

  • Being a trusted point of contact for artist and crew concerns

  • Livestreaming: camera operation, switching, stream audio, and archiving

Development & Patron Relations

  • Grant writing and reporting

  • Donor outreach, cultivation, and thank-yous

  • Fundraising events and campaigns

  • Business sponsorships

  • Donor database management

  • Caring for our A-List patron members and planning member events

Marketing & Communications

  • Newsletters and email announcements

  • Social media posting, scheduling, and graphics

  • Show campaigns and promotional assets

  • Press releases and media relations

  • Graphic design: posters, postcards, social graphics

  • Website updates, accessibility, and SEO

  • Photography: production photos, headshots, press images, and events

Company & Community

  • Recruiting and engaging Annex Company members

  • Planning the annual Company Retreat

  • Recruiting, onboarding, and thanking volunteers

  • Matching volunteers’ skills to open needs across the theatre

Front of House, Box Office & Bar

  • Staffing and scheduling house volunteers

  • Opening and closing the house

  • Lobby experience, signage, and accessibility accommodations

  • Ticketing accuracy and attendance tracking

  • Bar inventory, ordering, and licensing

  • Recruiting and scheduling volunteer bartenders

Facilities & Rentals

  • Organizing volunteer cleaning and maintenance days

  • Tracking repairs and building upkeep

  • Long-range planning for major repairs and replacements

  • Managing vendors and contractors

  • Safety and code compliance

  • Booking and coordinating space rentals for outside groups

Let us know you are interested