During every event at Popejoy Hall, a small army of people hand out programs, take tickets and help patrons find their seats.
And some do it all for free.
The Popejoy Volunteer Program was founded in 1996 by Laura Maness and is in its sixth season this year.
Maness came to Albuquerque 15 years ago from White Plains, N.Y., and began working for Popejoy six years ago. She works as a house manager and volunteer program coordinator.
After observing the operation of several shows, Maness said she realized Popejoy was in need of a program that aimed to serve the community. She said it lacked the characteristics of a professional theater in its front-of-house operations.
"We wanted a diverse population for the volunteer core and we didn't want to be spending so much money," Maness said. "If this was going to be a professional theater, it needed to be run that way."
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The program began with more than 75 volunteers. It now has more than 200 volunteers and 50 of them are from the original crew.
Dave Bentley, a retired chemist and current volunteer for Popejoy, was part of the first group and has been a house manager for about three years.
Bentley assigns volunteer positions throughout the theater and is responsible for making sure they do their jobs.
"The volunteers allow Popejoy to provide cultural opportunities at a cheaper cost to the city of Albuquerque," he said. "Without the volunteers, we would have to go out and hire people to come work for every show."
During graduate school in 1992, Laurel Humphrey became a volunteer in Civitans, an organization that helps people with developmental disabilities.
"It really got me out of the house and gave me a break from studying," she said. "It was good for my mental health."
Humphrey began the volunteer program at Popejoy in 1996 and was in the first group trained.
She said volunteering at Popejoy was a wonderful opportunity she didn't want to miss.
"I consider it a privilege to be a volunteer," Humphrey said. "I feel like I'm an ambassador for Popejoy and for UNM."
Suz Moss, a nurse for Presbyterian Hospital, also is among the original group of volunteers at Popejoy.
Moss said one of her favorite parts of the job involves interacting with patrons and other volunteers.
"Every one brings their own uniqueness to Popejoy and you meet new people at every show," she said. "If you start talking to them, you realize that each one is very interesting."
Moss said she feels she is providing multiple services as a volunteer.
"Popejoy and the volunteers are both benefiting from this program," she said. "Popejoy saves money and we are doing good for the community."
The program also has four house managers, including Maness, and five student floor managers.
Maness said the volunteer program is open to anyone 18 and older and people can call throughout the year to sign up for training.
"We send out postcards and make phone calls about our dates of training, which take place at the end of the summer," she said.
During the three to six hour training period, volunteers get a tour of Popejoy and the Center for the Arts. They learn how to find seats, read tickets and receive evacuation and emergency medical training.
Maness said once training is completed, volunteers are required to follow certain criteria.
"Volunteers need to be at two shows per month and take an annual quiz regarding material in the volunteer manual, which is a summary of everything they learned during training," Maness said.
Maness said the floor managers, who are students from UNM, are also an essential part of the volunteer equation.
She said they are responsible for groups of volunteers and are the eyes and ears of the house manager.
Josh Norman, a junior majoring in undergraduate studies, became a floor manager in the fall of 2000.
Norman said the volunteers are an integral part of the operation of Popejoy and are not always appreciated.
"The volunteers put up with a lot of crap from the patrons," he said. "Patrons don't realize they are here volunteering their time."
Norman said a lot of the volunteers come to enjoy the shows but some come out of the kindness of their hearts.
"Overall, the volunteer program is indispensable and we wouldn't be able to do it without them," he said. "Otherwise, we'd have to pay about 30 people every show."
