If you’ve been to a Broadway, off-Broadway, or touring production lately, you’ve probably heard the speech at curtain call asking for donations to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Shows offer unique items, anything from autographed Playbills and posters all the way to photos on stage with the cast. More common are the red buckets that beckon you as you leave the theater Sometimes cast members will hold these buckets, thanking the audience for their time and contributions. The people that hold these buckets but are not listed in your Playbill are volunteers: they are the bucket brigade.
Last year, I was lucky enough to be a part of the brigade after an evening performance of The Best Man. I had seen a tweet from the official BC/EFA Twitter account asking for volunteers a few weeks prior. I responded because I had easy access to New York City and it sounded like a unique experience. I was put on the the bucket brigade mailing list and received weekly emails with surveys asking for my availability. As a volunteer, you aren’t allowed to request specific shows to assist, but you are able to request days, times, and the number of shows you are able to help in a week. I was finally open for a date/time and was sent my mission — be at the at Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre at 9:25PM.
I arrived at my destination to meet with three other members of the brigade, many who were able to volunteer every night at various shows. One went into the stage door to find a pile of red buckets for us to use, as instructed. As the thunder of applause filled the air, we positioned ourselves between each doorway as to get full coverage yet allowing the audience to leave the theater. Once the doors opened, people poured toward us, and surprised us with their generosity.
When I see a show and donations are solicited, I usually put a dollar or two into the bucket, unless I’m spending more for an item. I had many audience members putting in singles, but also fives, tens, twenties and even one hundred dollar bills. I was so amazed by the giving hearts of these theatergoers. Just think, you possibly spent well over one hundred dollars for a ticket to the show and now you’re giving another hundred dollars to charity. The bucket continued to fill up, as did the ones for the other volunteers. By the end, all buckets were overflowing. I would say I had at least two thousand dollars in my one bucket, multiplied by four, that’s eight thousand dollars in the matter of minutes. That was just one night of collecting — shows collect for six weeks twice a year, and this fundraising is in addition to the other charity events that happen throughout the year. The experience gave me such faith in the human heart and I would definitely love to be a part of the bucket brigade again in the future.
Want to volunteer with the bucket brigade? Keep an eye on the BC/EFA Twitter account in the fall and late winter when collections begin , or tweet them your interest in helping out!
Photo via Stage Door Dish