Volunteer Ushers Sought for A Noise Within's Pasadena Theatre

A Noise Within (ANW) is seeking volunteer ushers for productions of Shakespeare's ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, Tony Kushner's adaptation of Pierre Corneille's THE ILLUSION, and Molière's THE BUNGLER through May 2012 in its stunning new 33,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Pasadena venue. Ushers assist patrons and house staff during evening and matinee performances. No previous experience is necessary, but friendliness and willingness to help people are key attributes. Ushers are usually needed for a minimum of four hours, and call time is 90 minutes prior to curtain. They are invited to take a seat and watch the performance, but assist with tasks prior to the performance, during intermission and following the performance. High school students who may need to fulfill required volunteer hours for school are welcome.

A Noise Within's new 283-seat theatre, which opened last fall for the company's 20th Anniversary Season, accommodates productions both epic and intimate and preserves A Noise Within's unique theatrical communion between actors and audiences, with no seat further from the stage than seven rows. The venue, already being hailed as an arts anchor for East Pasadena, is located in the former Stuart Pharmaceutical building, a historic, mid-century modern masterpiece designed by celebrated architect Edward Durell Stone, known for landmark buildings around the country including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and Radio City Music Hall in New York. Constructed in the mid-1950s, the Stuart Pharmaceutical building was listed on the National Register in 1998 and features a striking landscape garden designed by Thomas Church. The completely new three-story theatre – which retains the building's original façade -- features support facilities, offices, rehearsal space, a classroom, considerable storage for costumes, props and scenery and large restrooms.

A Noise Within (ANW) is the only year-round classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the entire country dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature in the repertory tradition of rotating productions with a resident company of professional artists. Led by Producing Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, A Noise Within has been hailed by critics as a "premiere classical theatre company," and an "outstanding ensemble" whose "vibrantly theatrical" "brilliant productions" are "freshly imagined," "exceptional," "invigorating," "riveting," "brilliantly atmospheric," "inspired," and "masterfully crafted." Founded 20 years ago with a passion for the great classics of world literature, ANW quickly established itself as one of the region's key theatre companies, attracting fiercely loyal audiences and consistently high praise from the media for its productions and as a key force in arts education. The company has presented more than 140 plays from the classics of world literature, each season producing works from authors ranging from Shakespeare and Molière to Ibsen, O'Neill and Shaw to Miller and Williams.

A NOISE WITHIN is located on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Free self parking is located in the Sierra Madre Villa Metro parking structure, with entrances on northbound Sierra Madre Villa Avenue or North Halsted Street. To volunteer, please email volunteers@anoisewithin.org, call 626.356.3107 or visit http://anoisewithin.org/getinvolved_volunteer.html.

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