Volunteer Reward Program

We know that it’s not always financially feasible to take all the great classes you want to at BATS, so we have created a way to help alleviate costs: our Volunteer Rewards Program!

What exactly is the Volunteer Rewards Program?

The basic premise of the program is this: If you find a class you would like to take but need financial help to attend, you can volunteer to help at Friday and Saturday night BATS company shows in order to offset the cost of your class. 

Who is eligible for this program?

Anyone who has successfully completed at least one BATS class series with consistent attendance can sign up to participate.  

We have limited shifts available in the box office, so be sure to sign up early to ensure your space. 

What classes are eligible for this program?

This program is only valid for classes that include twelve or more hours of instruction time. The ratio of hours worked to hours of instruction will be roughly one-to-one. Online and in person classes are eligible, as long as you can come to the Bayfront Theater to fulfill your volunteer commitments.

Classes can be spread over several weeks, or a weekend intensive. Intro and F1 classes generally are not eligible, since you must have taken one full class series with BATS to be eligible. 

What is a volunteer session like?

Volunteers arrive at the Bayfront Theater at Fort Mason an hour before the beginning of the show. All company performances on Fridays and Saturdays begin at 8pm, so this means your call time will be 7pm!

You spend the first half hour of your shift setting up the lobby and prepping for concession sales that night — making sure the space is clean and learning or reviewing our pricing and point of sale system.

Once the house is open (around 7:30pm), you will help check the audience in at the box office. At intermission, you will help sell concessions. There will be some light trash pick-up after the performance ends to keep our theater clean, and then you’ll be free to go home around 10pm. Your shift will run about three hours in total. 

How do I get involved?

Great question! Here are the exact steps, in more detail: 

1. Identify the class that you would like to take. This includes the name, coach, start date, and location. You can see all listings at improv.org/school.
2. Fill out the following form: https://yes.improv.org/widgets/vrp

Then…

1. Wait for a confirmation email! The school administrator will be checking to see if you correctly followed steps 1-2. And the production supervisor will be reviewing your requested dates to see if they are available. If there are any conflicts, the production supervisor will be in touch to propose alternate dates and finalize your volunteer schedule.
2. Once your volunteer shifts have been confirmed, follow emailed instructions from the registrar for how to enroll in your class. At this point, it will be up to you to show up for your first shift! More information will be sent to you regarding your class about 48 hours before it is set to begin. You will receive confirmation on your successful enrollment via Eventbrite. 

Please take careful note: Once you commit to your volunteer dates, they are set — you cannot change them. However,

• If you are sick, please do not come to work at the theater. You will have one allowed absence for illness, but you must make up that shift at another time, and it must be before your class concludes. You must contact the production supervisor by 9am the day of the show if you will be out due to illness. If you begin to feel sick later in the day please contact the production supervisor immediately.
• If you miss one shift without notifying anyone, or if you miss a second shift for any reason, your volunteer dates will be forfeit, and you’ll lose your spot in the class. Our front of house staff keeps track of volunteers for the shows each night, so we will be informed if you do not show up.

Why? In the past, we’ve found that it feels easy to cancel or change dates when you know you’ll be taking a tuition-free class down the line.  But if you don’t show up one evening, that’s a spot that another student could have volunteered. In order to keep the program open and accessible to as many students as possible, you must be reliable in your volunteer shifts.  Please treat them as you would any other meeting or promise.

E-mail bats@improv.org with any questions!