My Nonprofit Reviews
Chevin
Review for Youth Musical Theater Company, Berkeley, CA, USA
When it comes to YMTC, I have mixed feelings- as do most of the people I've talked to. Theater as a whole always has three sides to consider: The audience, the stage, and everything outside of those two worlds that consists of management, advertising, etc. I have had the luck to be part of all three of these worlds at one point or another in varying capacities ranging from actor to production team. People have commented that YMTC shows are filled with the underserving children of wealthy parents. Yes, many of the students who perform with YMTC were lucky enough to be born into providence, but not all of them, and the strong majority are most certainly deserving of their parts in the production. One person who posted previously said that kids leave YMTC with a sense of entitlement, and that roles can be bought- this is a grossly erroneous claim. Many of the actors that I have worked with have proven time and time again through timeliness, proper decorum, and an ability to receive feedback, that they fully understand what is expected of them as actors. The one person I do know who was part of the YMTC community and had a gross sense of entitlement, had this sense long before entering the community, and after graduating has yet maintain high standing with any group they work with. The process the actors are put through, while extremely condensed and not as well organized, bears a striking resemblance to the processes of professional and college companies I have also worked with. The product, which is more often than not slightly substandard, is one community theater, and should not be judged so harshly as one might judge a regional or commercial theater production. Ticket prices I cannot defend. However the things I learned by watching people work and getting involved myself during the rehearsal and technical processes has been invaluable to me and many others over the years, and I have YMTC to thank for that.
More Feedback
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Try to improve over all organization at the rehearsal level- sometimes people would be waiting around for unnecessarily long periods of time during the early rehearsal process. As things become more specific, organization reaches a heightened level that should have been present earlier on.
Would you volunteer for this group again?
Unsure
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
A lot
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Quite well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Unsure
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
What one change could this group make that would improve your volunteer experience?
Payment for services. While I did approach the company as an alumni and asked if they needed help, it was frustrating to receive no compensation outside 4 comp tickets for over 250 hours of work, while musicians were paid upwards of $300.
Did your volunteer experience have an effect on you? (teaching you a new skill, or introducing new friends, etc.)
I learned many new things and gained a heightened knowledge of what i want to pursue in my field.
