Box Office & House

… serving the most important people …

“Although the theater is not life, it is composed of fragments or imitations of life, and people on both sides of the footlight have to unite to make the fragments whole and the imitations genuine.”

-Brooks Atksinson

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House Manager

Position Overview

Maximize the enjoyment of the show for the audience. Reduce or eliminate all outside distractions. Provide for audience member needs. Establish the house environment to add to the impact of the performance.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Create lobby displays. Communicate with the director, dramaturgy and designers to determine what should be displayed.

  • Secure ushers to assist in seating. Post a sign up sheet on the callboard and announce your need for ushers one week before the show opens. The average show has 4 ushers.

  • Email a reminder to ushers one or two days before they are scheduled. Give them details of what to wear, time to arrive, etc.

  • Arrive 45 minutes before the house opens.

  • Work with the box office manager to accommodate special seating requests, specifically preparing handicap accessible seating. Contact TD if chairs need removed. Removed chairs should be stored under the proscenium seating and replaced whenever they are not needed.

  • Prepare house headsets to communicate with stage manager.

  • Check the house and lobby for tidiness before opening the house.

  • Change the backstage hallway sign to say “Show in Progress.”

  • Turn lobby light levels to “Show.”  Turn on coat closet and vestibule lights. All switches are located in the box office.

  • Turn house sound on in lobby. Black control box in box office should be set to optimal level () and toggled to the correct theatre space. Check that the chime is working.

  • Check that the loop system is on and working. Test with a headset from the box office.

  • Distribute USHER pins and duties (holding doors, handing out programs, seating people, etc.) to ushers.

  • Open the house approximately ½ hour prior to each performance as the stage manager notifies you that the house is ready. (Turn on TV monitor in lobby when the house is open.)

  • Direct people as necessary in the lobby. Especially guide people to lines for the box office as it can be congested near the entrance doors.

  • Remind ushers to direct patrons to concession area.  Food may be taken into the Black Box.

  • Work with the box office manager to fill vacant seats with those on the wait list.

  • Close the doors to the house and communicate with stage manager when the house is ready.

  • Keep 1 or 2 ushers through intermission. Make sure you get the USHER pins back.

  • Open the house at intermission. Page the lobby a few minutes before intermission ends. Close the house and notify the stage manager to begin the next act.

  • Open the doors when the show is over.

  • Check the house at the end of each performance. Recycle programs and bring lost and found to the box office.

  • Take down lobby display at strike. Be sure to return anything borrowed for the display.

  • Record TPE hours for ushers.

    Children’s Show special duties for daytime performances:

  • Buses should drop off children in theatre loop. Direct them to the parking near Jaycee Park.

  • Assist the Ushers in seating children.

  • Collect payment from schools ($1 per child). Some schools will indicate that they have or will mail a check to the theatre office. Notify the department secretary of such arrangements.

  • Make sure all schools are present and accounted for before closing the house.

Calendar and Deadlines

  • 7 weeks before opening -

  • 6 weeks before opening -

  • 5 weeks before opening -

  • 4 weeks before opening -

  • 3 weeks before opening -

  • 2 weeks before opening -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Friday -

  • Saturday -

  • Monday -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Performances -

  • Strike -

Tips and Tricks

  • Each TPE student is required to usher once per semester.

  • Simple outfits (e.g. flamboyant hats) for the Ushers can make the seating process more fun for the children coming to see a Children’s Show.

  • Paging the Lobby:  You can use the lobby chime to alert people in the lobby when it is time to return to their seats. Both sound towers need to be on (Proscenium and Black Box). There is a red lobby chime button in the box office and both control booths. If it doesn’t seem to work, refer to the House manager Sound Instructions located in the box office and at I:\Theater\Handbook\House Manager Sound Instructions.

  • Headset: A wireless headset is available that works in the house system. The stage manager will help you set it up. Be sure to store it in a secure place after each performance.

  • Loop System: This hearing system works for people with special hearing aids. Others can acquire a headset from the box office. Make sure it is working before opening the house.

Dramaturg

Position Overview

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Preparation – Pre-Rehearsal

    • Read the script several times.

    • Gather ideas of how lighting can help tell the story through intensity, color, angle, texture, etc.

    • Find moments in which lighting can be bold and memorable (they don’t have to exist)

    • Search for images that can help evoke your ideas to people who don’t understand lighting

    • Craft a design statement (paragraph) to help others understand and ground your design work

Calendar and Deadlines

  • 7 weeks before opening -

  • 6 weeks before opening -

  • 5 weeks before opening -

  • 4 weeks before opening -

  • 3 weeks before opening -

  • 2 weeks before opening -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Friday -

  • Saturday -

  • Monday -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Performances -

  • Strike -

Tips and Tricks

  • There are no tips. Everything is hard.

Tools, Resources, and Documents

  • There are no tips. Everything is hard.

Publicity

Position Overview

Guarantee that community (both college and greater Orange City) is aware and excited about the upcoming production and know how to reserve tickets. Develop marketing materials consistent with the show concept. These materials usually include posters, fliers, and emails.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Preparation – Pre-Rehearsal

    • Read the script several times.

    • Gather ideas of how lighting can help tell the story through intensity, color, angle, texture, etc.

    • Find moments in which lighting can be bold and memorable (they don’t have to exist)

    • Search for images that can help evoke your ideas to people who don’t understand lighting

    • Craft a design statement (paragraph) to help others understand and ground your design work

Calendar and Deadlines

  • 7 weeks before opening -

  • 6 weeks before opening -

  • 5 weeks before opening -

  • 4 weeks before opening -

  • 3 weeks before opening -

  • 2 weeks before opening -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Friday -

  • Saturday -

  • Monday -

  • Tuesday -

  • Wednesday -

  • Performances -

  • Strike -

Tips and Tricks

  • There are no tips. Everything is hard.

Tools, Resources, and Documents

  • There are no tips. Everything is hard.

Box Office

Position Overview

Manage ticket sales and reservations. Coordinate seating with the House Manager and Ushers on the nights of performances.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Decide upon schedule, who will operate the box office when.

  • Help manage the box office at every performance.

  • Take show reservations via phone, email, and online.

  • Guarantee enough money for the change box - $75 total. Request funds from Department Secretary.

  • Ensure posters are hung for all performances.

  • Update Visual Signage that is used on box office TV.

Calendar and Deadlines

  • 4 weeks before opening – Obtain the artwork for the printing of the poster.

  • 3 weeks before opening – Arrange the printing of the show posters.

  • 2 weeks before opening – Hang posters around campus and the community.

  • 10 days before opening – Take show reservations via phone and email.

  • Days of performance – Guarantee enough money for the change box

  • After each performance – Change box office voicemail at the end of each show. Give dates of upcoming show and when the box office will open. When box office opens change voicemail to reflect times it is open for current show.

  • Between Performances – As reservations are made, mark envelopes as instructed during training and file by performance date.

  • End of Show – Give income from box office to Theatre Secretary with patron envelopes from performance

Tips and Tricks

  • Traditional Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 4-9pm; noon-5pm on Saturday. The first day is reserved only for Theatre Patrons.

  • The House usually opens 30 minutes before each schedule performance. Most people arrive 15 minutes prior to performance.

  • Audience members who arrive late are not allowed to enter the show mid-performance; unless determined otherwise as the discretion of the Box Office Manager.

  • Be prepared for an occasional irritated person. Must demonstrate significant amounts of patience.

Usher

Position Overview

Greets patrons and assists them in finding their seats. Assists guests with locating exits and amenities such as restrooms and concession areas. Assists guests with limited mobility or other special needs to and from their seats. Ensures that aisles, walkways, and designated seating areas are clear, clean, and safe.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • When to show up

  • Dress

  • Watching the show

  • When may you leave

  • Finding seats

  • Greeting patrons

  • Scanning tickets

  • Handicap seats

  • Hearing assist

  • Food in the theatre

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