PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Heather Reichheld
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Nikki Wiltac
HEAD OF LIGHTS/SOUND: Dave Smyth
HEAD OF WARDROBE: Sally Bellamy
HEAD OF PROPS: TBC
HEAD OF SETS & SHOP: Chris Verge
HEAD OF HAIR & MAKEUP: Melinda Campbell
FOH VOLUNTEERS: Caitlin O’Neill
BOX OFFICE: Louise Banfield
COMMITTEE MEMBER: Brian Reichheld
COMMTTEE MEMBER: Dave Kent

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE CONTACT: simcoelittletheatreproducers@gmail.com

LIGHTHOUSE FESTIVAL STAFF

LIGHTHOUSE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR – Derek Ritschel
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER – Don Kearney-Bourque
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR – Caitlin O’Neill
HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR – Bruce Robinson

Simcoe Little Theatre is a community theatre that has been operating since the 1940s. Presenting a wide variety of plays and musicals produced entirely by volunteers, SLT is a vibrant addition to our community and celebrated by many. Providing a safe space for talented actors, directors, backstage and front of house crew to showcase their creativity and build lifelong friendships, SLT brings people together, inspiring creativity, and promoting cultural understanding.

Please visit the SLT gallery in the basement bar of the theatre to learn more about Simcoe Little Theatre’s history and the many volunteers who are involved.

Annually SLT presents three productions as part of their season, which typically includes a musical for the holiday show in December. The SLT Leadership Committee hold a call for people who would like to direct a show and there is a form they fill out to be considered.

The director of each show will assemble their team (stage manager, lights and sound, set designer, wardrobe and props etc.) and then hold open auditions for the roles. Once the three productions have been chosen the performance dates will be confirmed and the schedule will be shared with all volunteers.

SLT also has a special relationship with Young Theatre Players (YTP) who rent the theatre for their classes during the week and then also present two productions each year on the SLT stage. YTP have dedicated storage at SLT and access to the wardrobe, props and set pieces in the shop and receive their own dedicated training for being in the building. SLT is available for other community partners to rent, including Art With Heart, where the agreements are centered around performances only.

SLT are always looking for volunteers to help deliver top tier experiences for our patrons. There are volunteer positions open in all areas of presenting a production from backstage, on stage, in the technical booth and front of house. If you are interested in learning about other volunteer positions please let the Leadership committee know.  

 RELATIONSHIP WITH LIGHTHOUSE FESTIVAL

When closed during the global pandemic from 2020 to 2022 the Board of Directors of SLT were faced with a significant challenge. Owning, maintaining and operating the theatre was a huge expense and it was becoming increasingly challenging to cover those costs. The building also required lots of attention and time which was becoming a burden on the shoulders of the volunteers. While exploring potential partnerships to bring in more revenues SLT approached Lighthouse Festival’s Artistic Director Derek Ritschel for input. Owning their own historical building in Port Dover, Derek was very familiar with the challenges and resources needed to keep a building in top shape. Derek, and Lighthouse Executive Director Nicole Campbell, worked with the SLT Board of Directors on a proposal that would see Lighthouse Festival take on the ownership and upkeep of the building as well as provide the administration role of selling tickets and supporting the box office, marketing the plays and securing sponsorships and donations for SLT. This would free up the SLT volunteers to run the artistic/performance side of the organization – the selection of plays, auditions and casting, rehearsals, set building and set dressing, costumes and props, sound and lights, and the front of house roles. This agreement was struck in June of 2021 and SLT presented their first productions under this arrangement starting April of 2022.

Each production is given a budget to operate with. Knowing that each production may have very different needs in regard to sets, wardrobe, props, and technical equipment budget lines are kept fairly broad and adjusting budget amounts between these lines is not a problem.

The production budget is for production costs only. Expenses related to hospitality, gifts or cast parties are not included in this budget.

All expenses should be tracked on the provided expense tracking spreadsheet (found at bottom of this webpage) and submitted, with original receipts, to the Production Coordinators. The expense report should clearly identify who needs to be reimbursed for what costs and how to reimburse (e-transfer is preferred but cheques can be mailed).

LF/SLT may have partnerships with local retailers where supplies can be borrowed or purchased on account. Check with Production Coordinators for a list of partnering companies. If you use one of these resources you must still collect a receipt and label it correctly with your other receipts.

As a not-for-profit charity, any remaining amount in the budget goes towards helping the theatre “stay in the black” and can be re-invested back into the building and other production supports.

Marketing & Publicity

The LF Marketing and Communications Manager will handle all marketing and publicity for the shows and the SLT website. This will include ad placement in newspapers, on the radio, social media and other digital placements. They will also promote the season and shows through direct e-mail marketing.

The SLT website will have a dedicated page for each show. This page will include the show graphic, a short description, any content warnings (course language etc.),  photos of the cast, crew and directors. The Director must provide the LF Marketing and Communications Manager with any specific references they would like in the show summary as well as any content warnings that must be included. 

To support the Marketing and Communications Manager, Directors are expected to arrange a time for headshots of the cast and production crew to be taken, provide a Directors quote for promotions and the program, and be open to interviews with media partners. If the Director is not comfortable giving interviews, it is recommended they find another member of the production crew or actors to take up this role as it is very beneficial to promotions.

Any print marketing materials that are created (brochures, posters, postcards) will be made available to the cast and production crew and they are highly encouraged to share them with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours.

The Marketing and Communications Manager will also support in promoting auditions for each production

Show Program 

LF’s Marketing and Communications Manager will be the lead on designing and printing the show programs. The Director will be expected to provide their quote, a full list of actors and production crew members, and any special thanks that should be included.

A draft of the program will be provided to the Director to confirm the spelling and role of all members of the cast and production crew. It is expected that the Director will return the draft with notes to the Marketing and Communications Manager within 48 hours of receiving it to meet print deadlines.

The program will also include recognition of donors to SLT, volunteers, and upcoming shows.

The programs will be delivered to SLT a few days prior to Opening Night and made available for the front of house volunteers.

Pre-Show Speech

The pre-show speech will be recorded a week before Opening Night and include a general welcome, sponsor recognition, reminder about the bar and 50/50 raffle and request to turn cell phones off. If you would like anything added to the speech, please let the Production Coordinators know a minimum of 10 days before Opening Night.

If you would like to make the pre-show speech live for any of the performances, please let the Production Coordinators know and you can be provided a script for the general reminders (bar, 50/50, and cells phones).

Building Access

All directors and stage managers should use the back door to access the theatre for rehearsals and performances. The director will be given the code to the back door and should only share this with their stage manager. No production crew or actors should be in the building without the director or stage manager being present.

For rehearsals, actors and production crew can use the front door once unlocked by the director or stage manager. We ask that for performances, all actors and crew use the back door (once unlocked by the director/stage manager) so the front door can remain locked to patrons until 1 hours before the show starts.

The back door code will be changed after each show to ensure that only those involved in the current show have access to the building.

LF staff, cleaners and the SLT Leadership Team will always have access to the building.

Cleaning, Garbage and Recycling 

When it is the rehearsal period the cleaners come to SLT once a week, when performances are on the cleaners come every other day (Thursday to Sunday).

If shows create an increase of garbage that is beyond what the weekly cleaning can cover, cast and production crew can put their bags of garbage into the dumpster beside the shop doors. The dumpster key is kept at the box office.

We kindly ask that garbage not be left in the auditorium during the rehearsal period as that is not a part of the typical garbage collection as there are no garbage receptacles in the auditorium.

Recycling bins are located on the main lobby level and are taken out each Wednesday morning. All recycling from the theatre, green room, dressing rooms or shop should be brought to the front doors, placed in the proper bins by Tuesday night.

Lift Use

The lift in the theatre is to be used only when absolutely needed. As it is not an elevator, but a platform lift it is not made to sustain consistent daily use. The lift doors are also very sensitive and any pulling or pushing on them when the lift is in motion can trigger the emergency stop, so we ask that all volunteers using the lift are trained on using the lift.

When possible, those in the tech booth should use the ladder entrance from the production room off the theatre. If the lift does stop and will not re-start, there is a procedure to lower the lift to the bottom floor. This will be included in the training.

The lift is serviced four times a year and we have a technician who can come look at the lift when it is having trouble, but they do not offer weekend service and may take up to a week to be able to schedule a service visit.

There is a complete Emergency Procedures Guide included in the appendices of this guide to be reviewed. The Emergencies Guide covers the steps to take if there are power outages, weather cancellations, evacuation and fire plans, and multiple other scenarios.

The guide is written primarily for when performances are taking place and audiences would need to be informed of the situation and potentially evacuated. In these cases, the House Manager and the Stage Manager are the primary leads on the processes, with the Stage Manager keeping the audience appraised of the situation.

If rehearsals are taking place, it is the responsibility of the Stage Manager and Director to follow the processes to keep the actors and crew safe.

Whenever an emergency situation arises, the LF Operations Coordinator should be notified once the cast, crew and audience are safe. Incident reports will need to be completed by those in leadership positions.

To help in times of an emergency, quick reference guides (laminated cards on a binder ring) are kept at the box office desk, next to the stage managers podium side stage, and in the greenroom.

The full emergency procedures manual can be found at the bottom of this webpage.

Training

Prior to the first rehearsal of each production LF’s Human Resource Coordinator and Operations Coordinator will contact the director to arrange a welcome and training session. This training session will include emergency procedures, sensitivity training and HR support, and what to expect from their experience with SLT.

Training to use the lift will also be available for those who need to use it. The lift should be used as sparingly as possible but is available for those who need it.

Equipment

LF is open to lending SLT technical equipment for their productions if it is available. Requests need to be submitted through the SLT Leadership team and as early in the planning process as possible. The SLT Leadership team and LF staff are also able to provide training on new or specialized equipment.

Ticket Sales

Lighthouse Festival (LF) provides the administrative support for patrons to buy tickets through the box office in Port Dover. Patrons will be able to purchase tickets online, over the phone or in person in Dover. The Box Office at SLT will be open 1 hour before each performance to purchase tickets and run by an SLT volunteer who has been trained on the ticketing system

Sponsors

The LF Development Officer works with local businesses to secure sponsorships for SLT’s season. These sponsors will be recognized in the program, on posters, on the digital screens in the lobby and bar areas and in the pre-performance speech.

Opening Night Reception

The LF Development Officer will also plan the Opening Night Reception. The reception will include a complimentary glass of sparkling wine for each patron and actor/production crew member, and light appetizers from a local restaurant. The Development Officer, along with other LF staff, will set up the reception following the intermission on opening night. The LF staff will also take the lead on cleaning up the reception at the end of the night.

If requested, a selection of food can be put to the side for the cast/production crew to ensure there is some left for them.

Bar Staff

LF provides bar staff for each performance to run the bar. A selection of wines, beer, coolers, and mixed drinks are available, as well as chips. The bar will be open 45 minutes before each performance and during the 20-minute intermission. The bar will only be open after the performance on Opening Night.

Directors need to book their audition dates and times with the Production Coordinators. We will do our best to accommodate the Directors schedule and work with them around existing bookings at SLT.

When booking audition dates, please also provide all information needed by those looking to attend – contact information, audition requirements, list of characters and chorus, any special notes.

Once the date has been selected the Production Coordinators will let the LF Marketing and Communications Manager know and the audition information will be promoted through direct e-mail, social media and on the website.

Auditions can be held in the auditorium or in the greenroom as needed.

Once the cast and crew have been selected, a complete list of names, contact information and roles needs to be sent to the LF HR Manager and LF Marketing and Communications Manager. 

On the day of performances, the Box Office Volunteer and the House Manager will arrive 1 hour prior to the performance. The Box Office will be open for patrons to purchase tickets and the House Manager will prepare the lobby for patrons. The front of house volunteers (ushers, lift operator, ticket checker, 50/50 seller), and the bar tenders will arrive 45 minutes before the performance starts.

The House Manager and the Lift Operator will remain for the whole performance, while the ushers and ticket checkers will leave after the show has started.

Pre-show – In the 45 minutes prior to the performance starting the bar will be open on the lower level and 50/50 tickets will be sold on the main lobby level. Directors/Stage Managers will have full access to the theatre and stage until 30 minutes before the performance starts, and then the theatre will open for patrons to be seated. The Stage Manager and House Manager will be on headsets so they can communicate with each other.

Intermission – Intermission is set at 20 minutes. During the intermission the bar will be open, and 50/50 tickets will be sold. With 5 minutes remaining in the intermission the 50/50 sales will close, and the House Manager will flick the lights to encourage patrons to move back to the theatre.

Just prior to the second act starting the House Manager will let the Stage Manager know that we are about to draw the 50/50 winner. The House Manager or 50/50 Volunteer will stand near the front of the theatre and pull the winning ticket in front of the audience, making sure that the winner is in attendance. The winner will be asked to meet the House Manager at the Box Office desk at the end of the show to get their winning cheque.

End of Show – At the end of the performance the House Manager and Lift Operator will help patrons exit the theatre and then do a quick sweep of the theatre for left over programs and garbage. They will also close the theatre doors and turn off the theatre house lights.

The House Manager will check all washrooms, close down the lobby and bar and lock the front door. If actors (and family members) remain in the lobby, greenroom or dressing rooms at this point, the House Manager will connect with the Stage Manager to hand over final close-up duties. It is then the Stage Managers responsibility to make sure all lights are turned off, double check the front door is locked and lock the back door.

At the conclusion of your production, it is expected that you will return all used spaces to their original state. This includes removing all wardrobe, props and personal items from the dressing rooms. Returning all wardrobe and prop items to their storage locations and placing all newly purchased wardrobe or prop items together in a tidy manner for the SLT Leadership team to inventory and then store appropriately.

The side stage, backstage and catwalk area above the shop should be cleared, with any large set pieces stored in the shop appropriately. Any newly purchased set pieces should be photographed and sent to the SLT Leadership committee to determine if it should be kept or donated.

The stage should be cleared of any sets, risers or drops. If painted for your production, the stage floor should be returned to black and the back wall returned to white.

Complimentary Tickets 

To recognize and celebrate the volunteers who make SLT possible, each member of the cast and crew will receive two complimentary tickets for any SLT main season show ($48 value). These tickets can be used for friends and family to attend the show their loved one is in, or for the cast/crew member to see an SLT show later in the season.

The complimentary tickets will be added to each cast/crew members ticket account once their full information has been provided to the LF Human Resources Coordinator.

Recognition

Community Theatre cannot exist without the hundreds of volunteers who give their time to bring incredible plays and musicals to the stage. To recognize all of the volunteers involved in the productions, running the front of house and the box office, helping in the shop and technical booths plus any other volunteers who contribute to the success of Simcoe Little Theatre, an end of season party will be held for everyone to celebrate together.

Every volunteer will receive an invitation to this end of season party following the final production in May.

Simcoe Little Theatre strives to establish community partnerships that will support our productions. Below are listed the current partnerships in place that directors may choose to take advantage of. 

Simcoe Re-Store: The Re-Store has graciously offered to lend SLT any item from their store which can then be returned at the conclusion of the show. The Re-Store will be provided with a list of approved crew members who would be visiting the store to borrow items. They have a requisition forms at the front desk, where items can be signed out and signed for. The expectation is that they are returned in the same condition once the production is over. 

For every performance the Front of House volunteers will fulfill the following roles: 
Box Office 
House Manager
Ticket Checker
Usher 
Lift Operator
50/50 Ticket Sales 

The Box Office volunteer will be at the theatre 2 hours before the show to sell tickets and help any patrons that forgot their tickets. They will wait 15 minutes after the performance starts to help any late attendees take their seats and then they will leave. 

The House Manager will have a headset and be able to communicate with the stage manager and the tech booth. This will help when communicating about show starts, intermission and show ends, but is also critical for the emergency procedures. The House Manager will pull the 50/50 winner at the end of intermission in the theatre just before act II begins. The winner will be instructed to meet the House Manager at the end of the performance at the box office desk. The House Manager will arrive an hour before the show and stay for the duration of the performance. 

The ticket checkers and ushers will arrive 45 minutes before the show starts to support patrons who generally arrive starting 30 minutes before the performance. These roles will then leave after the show has started. 

The lift operator will arrive 45 minutes before the performance starts and assist any patrons who need to use the lift to get to the auditorium. The lift operator will stay for the entire performance, acting as the second support for the emergency procedures. 

The 50/50 ticket seller will sell tickets in the lobby prior to the performance beginning and during intermission. At the end of intermission the sales will be counted and the tickets handed over to the House Manager to pull the winner in the theatre. 

Dress Rehearsal: To show appreciation for the front of house volunteers we highly recommend that the volunteers are invited to attend the dress rehearsal. This allows the volunteers a chance to see the show and gives your cast a taste of performing for an audience. The director just needs to confirm with the production coordinators that this is approved and the invitation will be sent to the volunteers.