Membership

Howick Little Theatre is an Auckland community theatre that was founded in 1954 and is renowned for quality productions. There are lots of opportunities to meet new people and be involved either onstage or off. 

WHY JOIN HLT?

Want to meet new people?

Love the atmosphere of theatre and entertainment?

Ready to spend some of your leisure time at the theatre? 

If you say “YES!” to all of these, then Howick Little Theatre is the place for you. By joining us, you’ll be offering tangible support to your community in a most exciting way. When you pay an adult membership fee, you agree to help with the running of HLT – and there are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Many don't involve a huge commitment in time or energy, but all the tasks, great and small, combine to keep us ticking.

In return for YOUR commitment, we offer you:

• a comprehensive newsletter every month.
• discounted tickets to all shows (a Showcard subscription offers the same discount)
• special bar prices
• no-charge costume hire from our extensive wardrobe
• direct support from our “mentor” scheme, and from the team leaders in your chosen fields of interest
• opportunities to attend acting, directing, designing and technical workshops run by leading New Zealand theatre professionals

On your membership form, you’ll be asked to tick your areas of interest. Here's what they involve:

ACTING/DIRECTING: if you’re  keen to get on stage, there are auditions five times a year and you can audition for any roles that interest you. Once cast, you commit to rehearsals (three a week for usually seven weeks) and the play’s three-week season.

PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR: a satisfying and important administrative role. It involves the “practical matters” necessary to help the director get the show on the road – attending all rehearsals, administering the budget  and ensuring that everything necessary is being done on time. This is an ideal role for a trainee director as you get hands-on experience.

STAGE MANAGER/ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: the person in charge backstage during a production season. This role involves some responsibilities – eg, security and a commitment to the run of the play. Full training is given, and if you haven’t been an SM before, you can “shadow” while working as an assistant.

BACKSTAGE HELPER: organising an efficient backstage layout of props, effecting quick scene changes and costume changes. Usually you work with one or two others and it need not always involve every night of the season.

SET DESIGN: for those with a flair for designing sets, and who have lots of good ideas and a knowledge of theatre.

SOURCING/MAKING PROPS: a role that involves looking for (and sometimes creating) properties for plays in accordance with the playwright or director’s requirements. It’s ideal for someone with time during the day and a car so they can locate, collect, borrow or hire exciting items for the stage setting or actors’ use. It’s a creative “ideas” job for dressing the set. It is often a “job share” with one or more others.

REHEARSAL PROMPT: an important role that involves being familiar with the script and able to read and listen at the same time. You need to be available for most rehearsals. (A prompt is not used during the play season.)

LIGHTING/SOUND DESIGN AND/OR OPERATING: if you enjoy dabbling in the technical side of theatre, there are plenty of opportunities for lighting and sound designers and operators. If you’re a beginner, you’ll be encouraged to “sit in” with our technicians for rehearsals, or even assist during shows as a way of learning the ropes. Full training will be given.

SET CONSTRUCTION & PAINTING: if you like wielding a hammer, screwdriver, electric drill or paintbrush now and then, come along to our Friday night or Sunday morning sessions. This can involve carpentry or set painting.

SET DECOR: an imaginative and creative job that involves finding furniture, curtains, large props and all the finishing touches to make a set look complete – regardless of whether it's a realistic set or not.

WARDROBE – SOURCING/COSTUME DESIGN/SEWING/MAINTENANCE: this role covers a number of areas to do with costumes, including designing "the look" of the costumes needed for a production, then locating them. Sometimes garments will also need to be altered  for specific shows.

FRONT OF HOUSE: being an usher involves greeting audiences and showing them to their seats, making and serving tea and coffee at interval and clearing up after the show. You will be rostered for at least one evening per show, and can also be on the “standby” list in case someone is ill.

BARTENDING: along with serving drinks, you need to handle money and the till. You will be rostered for at least one evening per show (as above). This involves being on hand before the show and at interval. If you work on Friday or Saturday, the bar remains open after the show.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: why not join  “The Team”, which decides on social events and oversees the auditions (five times a year). The Team meets several times a year.

PUBLICITY/MARKETING: you will be able to help promote the theatre through advertising, displays at local festivals and craft fairs, at public or civic promotions and be on hand for special projects, such as our subscription series promotion.

I hope this will help you to decide how YOU can be a valued member of Howick Little Theatre.

If you have ANY questions, please email me:

Rae McGregor
Membership Services