2009 Halloween Staged-Radio Show @ Somerville Theatre: Call for Production Team

[audioboy.livejournal.com]

The Post-Meridian Radio Players—"that outstanding theater of old-time radio thrills" as the Boston Phoenix once wrote—is celebrating their fifth year by collaborating with the Somerville Theatre to put on a grand production called:

The Big Broadcast of October 30th, 1938
Performances: October 29-31, 2009

FEATURING

The Frank Cyrano Byfar Hour
A lost classic from Boston's radio history. Join Frank, Amelia, and Lex Concord and the Minutemen
(aka Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band!), for some Halloween fun!

The War of the Worlds: The Invasion of Boston
Based on the original 1938 production by Orson Welles, adapted for Boston

We're going to need people for all sorts of administrative, staff and tech roles. We're anxious to fill several key positions now so we can begin work on publicity, ad sales, sponsorships and technical planning. Below the cut is a listing of the primary positions. Most of these will have support teams, so if you're interested in being involved but can't commit to the primary position, you'd be most welcome on the team. Queries may be sent to info@pmrp.org.

(Audition Announcements will follow in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned!)

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Administrative, Staff and Technical Positions for BB1938

 We are looking to fill the following positions:

• Co-Producers: We’re looking for 2 additional co-producers to join our first (B.K. DeLong). The 3 roles would divide tasks between them based on their talents. B.K. is not local and thus we’re looking for someone who can be available to attend some rehearsals and liaise in-person with related organizations when necessary.
  
  Because this is such a big show compared to past productions, we've decided to spread out the administrative duties. For example, one co-producer may coordinate with some of the managers, such as Ad Sales & Sponsorship, while another may coordinate with the Publicity Team, and the third may handle sending out the weekly schedule of rehearsals (cast, music and FoleyFX) and other activities, as well as work with our rental and performance spaces to make and confirm reservations and handle any last-minute changes.
  
• Technical Director: This is more coordination-related than hands-on physicality. The person in this position would coordinate with the Lighting Designer/Board Operator, Sound Designer/Board Operator, Stage Managers/Hands, as well as our Costumer, Make-up Artist & Props Master. Nearly akin to a Co-Producer, the T.D. will act as “quartermaster” and keep track of audio and lighting equipment, get updates from the Costumer, Make-up Artist, Props Master and Foley Coordinator to make sure needed items are being acquired or built. The T.D. will work with the Directors of both plays to make sure their needs are being met and keep the Co-Producers up-to-date. Delegation to the roles they oversee will be done as appropriate and needed.
  
• Ad Sales Manager & Sponsorship Manager: These roles are absolutely critical and need to be filled immediately. We will be performing in the 900 seat Somerville Theater for 4 shows and advertising and sponsorship are even more important than when we previously performed in church basements to audiences of 80-100.
  
  The Ad Sales Manager (ASM) would be charged with setting ad rates (with the guidance of the PMRP Supervisory Committee) and overseeing the acquisition of ads for the program. They would work closely with one of our graphic designers to make sure artwork provided by the advertiser is suitable for printing or to create ads where none are available. The ASM would keep their respective Co-Producer updated with regard to budget and spending. Ideally, the person in this position would have experience with ad sales, either professionally or with non-profit theatrical or arts organizations.
  
  The Sponsorship Manager (SM) is a new position, though it is almost identical to the ASM in function. Due to the expense of putting on such a large production as this, obtaining sponsorships is vital to offsetting costs. The SM--with input from the Supervisory Committee--would be responsible for choosing potential sponsors, tailoring offers to each one, and sending out request letters and press kits to them. As with the ASM, the SM would keep their respective Co-Producer updated with regard to budget and spending. Ideally, the person in this position would have experience with acquiring sponsorships, either professionally or with non-profit theatrical or arts organizations.
  
  These two positions will work very closely together, as well as with the Publicity Manager (below), and will be able to recruit their own teams and delegate responsibilities to team members. People to deal with the various regions (Boston, Metro North, Metro West, Metro South, North Shore and South Shore) would be ideal to have for both teams. Crossover membership between the teams would be very likely.
• Publicity Manager (PM) is another supervisory role that we need to fill ASAP. This person will be responsible for planning a more extensive than usual advertising campaign as well as the aggressive calendar to go with it. Publicity efforts will include radio, television and print media, as well as the Web and in-person team-based distribution of posters and postcards.
  
  The PM will be able to recruit and supervise teams of people who will handle everything from Social Networking websites to posting and distributing material from our viral marketing campaign to distribution of our full-color posters and postcards at physical locations. They PM will also make sure their authored, official press releases are distributed through standard media channels, as well as national media (focusing on the unique format and style of the show).
  
  Poster/postcard distribution will include regional weekday or weekend events to hand out postcards, approach local vendors about putting up posters, and leaving stacks of postcards at locations with areas for doing so. Cast and crew would be included in the schedule based on availability, interest, and locale. Publicity schedule would commence shortly after the show is cast.
  
  Again, experience with public relation campaigns, either professionally or with non-profit theatrical or arts organizations, is preferable, but not required.
• Web Content Writer: We will have a dedicated website based on the poster design for the show set up soon (at bb1938.com). We'd like to play up both parts of the show (the Frank Cyrano Byfar Hour as a long lost show from Boston's radio past, and The War of the Worlds as an actual historical event that we are telling the version that is the City of Boston's story), so we want to develop custom content for the site, to be released through the months of September and October. The Web Content Writer would create articles for the different sections of the site based on material provided by the writers. The articles would be reviewed by the production team, then incorporated into the site by the web designer.
  
  Experience with creative writing and fan fiction would be valuable experience and make this role even more fun.
• Other Positions: There are several standard theatrical positions available that do not need to be filled immediately, but can be filled at any time by volunteers or by interested people before or after auditions. These positions include:

• Stage Managers (3): one for each act, if possible
• Assistant Directors (2)
• Production/Rehearsal Assistants (2)
• Light Board Operator
• Assistant Sound Designer
• Sound Board Operator
• Costume Designer
• Makeup Artist(s)
• Props Master
• Stage Hands (2-3)