Volunteer at Shakespeare on the Common!

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) is dedicated to artistic excellence, accessibility, and education. We present plays of the highest artistic caliber that celebrate ideas and language to create dialogue around compelling issues of our time. We eliminate barriers – physical, economic, and cultural – to bring live theater to audiences throughout Greater Boston. We cultivate in young artists the value of community engagement, and collaborate with educators to bring literature to life in the classroom.

Shakespeare on the Common serves thousands of people from the Greater Boston community. We believe in making theatre accessible to everyone and remove barriers that might make that a challenge. Between making the production free, offering captioning at every performance, and all of the other access initiatives, CSC serves everyone.

Volunteer responsibilities may include: passing out playbills, setting up and breaking down chairs, collecting surveys, cleaning up at the end of the night, directing patrons to facilities, accessibility services, assisting with rental chair operations, and other duties assigned by the Front of House staff. Volunteers arrive 1.5-2 hours before show time and are finished 15-30 min after the performance ends. All volunteers are invited to view the production from the Friends Section, our reserved donor seating area, when not performing duties and have access to discounted concessions and merchandise. Reach out to us if you have any questions or need a disability-related accommodation to perform our volunteer tasks.

Volunteers are asked to stand and walk for the 2 hours before the show. We are outside in the heat but there are airconditioned trailers for when people need a break from the heat.

For the health and safety of everyone present, we request that all volunteers be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Additionally, please self-screen for symptoms and stay home if you are feeling ill.

Address of Volunteer Opportunity: Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common, 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108

MBTA Line Accessibility: Green Line: Boylston or Park Street stops, Orange Line: Downtown Crossing or Chinatown stops, Red Line: Park Street or Downtown Crossing stops.

At Boston Cares, we recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental values that guide our mission and work. Boston Cares is committed to creating a community where everyone is valued, respected, and can come and participate as their authentic selves. We expect that all volunteers and partners join us in promoting a safe and supportive space for everyone.