In May 1973, a group of Coachella Valley business, education and cultural leaders organized as Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc., and committed themselves to the creation of a state-of-the-art performing arts center. Their vision was to enhance and enrich the lives of desert residents by making the performing arts available to as many people as possible.

Vision became reality in January 1988, with the opening of McCallum Theatre. Named for a pioneer desert family, the McCallum has gained acclaim as one of the country's finest presenting theatres by audiences, entertainers and peers alike.

The McCallum Theatre’s mission is to entertain and educate the public by offering a variety of performing arts experiences that reflects the diversity of people, interests, and tastes of the communities and constituents served by the Theatre.

"The McCallum Theatre is here to entertain, to educate, and to enrich."
Bob and Dolores Hope

Like many other not-for-profit performing arts organizations, McCallum Theatre relies heavily on a dedicated volunteer corps to fulfill the many services provided to our patrons and the artists who perform at the Theatre. In addition, the McCallum uses volunteer help to support the Theatre staff.

More than 425 volunteers currently serve as ushers, docents, Green Room attendants, and administrative aides who answer phones, perform data entry, stuff envelopes and do other important tasks. At present there is a waiting list for many of our volunteer activities. However, openings do occur.

If you are interested in volunteering for the McCallum, please download and print the volunteer application form by clicking on the link below.

Volunteer Application Form

Mail or fax the filled out form to:

McCallum Theatre
c/o Jeff Clark, House Manager
73000 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
Fax: (760) 341-9508

The file above is in PDF format. If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed, you can get it here.

On April 7, 1988, a group of dedicated women, led by Erna Schulhofer, formed a support group for the McCallum Theatre called The Muses 100. Many distinguished ladies including Betty Ford, Leonore Annenberg and Dolores Hope were among the first to join. Almost immediately The Muses reached the original goal of 100 members. Shortly thereafter, a new level of The Muses was formed – The Patroness Circle – and today there are more than 325 members.

In the early 2000’s, the organization, now called The Muses & Patroness Circle, voted unanimously that all monies raised would be earmarked for McCallum Theatre Institute, the education division of the Theatre, in support of their various arts education programs. These programs include Open Call Talent Competition, Dance Under the Star Choreography Festival, Aesthetic Education Program, Field Trip Series, Touring Initiative and Summer Session Festival. These varied education and cultural experiences are provided to more than 41,000 children in the Coachella Valley annually. To date, the Muses & Patroness Circle have raised close to $4 million for the McCallum.

Over the years, The Muses have produced a variety of sold-out events in support of the Theatre including “A Theatre Ball.” Another notable event was “Grandma’s Attic” which raised more than any other event in the history of the Muses. Each spring, the Muses produce a beautiful Birthday Lunch on stage at the McCallum and every November an elegant Membership Tea kicks off the season.

The Muses & Patroness Circle welcome women who truly want to help make a difference in the lives of the Coachella Valley’s children. To learn more about joining this team of fun, enthusiastic and passionate women, please call Judi Pofsky-Cohen at (760) 346-6505, Ext. 126.