HOUSE MANAGER: PRODUCTION TEAM JOB DESCRIPTION
Service with a Smile; Ushers are the First Impression of the Production
by Tom McLaughlin
September 18, 2005
The house manager is responsible for printing or ordering tickets, selling tickets, organizing and staffing the box office, accounting for the revenue, and organizing the ushers for each performance. The following is a list of specific items which need to be done and a time-frame for accomplishing your tasks.
Before Rehearsals Begin
Begun Done
� ____ ____ Read the play.
� ____ ____ Meet with the director to determine if there is a theme in the play which could be extended into the lobby for atmosphere before patrons enter the world of the play.
� ____ ____ Make a list of items you will need to purchase or locate in order to create the ambience.
� ____ ____ Meet with the school's bookkeeper to learn about your school's procedure for handling and depositing money. Check on your school's discount policy for senior citizens, teachers, school board members, and other special groups.
� ____ ____ Together with the director, make a list of everything your crew needs to do. Discuss refreshments during intermission. Make a production time line establishing deadline dates.
During The First Weeks Of The Rehearsal Period
� ____ ____ Organize a crew for box office and a crew of ushers.
� ____ ____ Order the tickets from a ticket company or have a contest to design an original ticket. If you have an original design, take the camera-ready ticket to a printer. Determine the cost of the tickets.
� ____ ____ Prepare a budget a present it to the director for approval.
� ____ ____ Complete a school purchase order form and it to the bookkeeper.
� ____ ____ Take the ticket and the purchase order to the printer.
� ____ ____ Prepare copies of the following: house seating chart, house display chart for each performance, ticket numbering chart, box office procedures, guidelines for ushers and phone order forms if you use them. You may want to make multiple copies to give to each person selling tickets and each usher.
During The Mid-Rehearsal Period
� ____ ____ Call a meeting with your crew. Explain all procedures and expectations to them.
� ____ ____ Either assign people dates and times to staff the box office or post a list and have individuals volunteer staff time. Assign ushers to door duty for specific performances.
� ____ ____ Together with your crew, discuss the director's plans for creating an atmosphere before the audience enters the world of the play. Assign specific jobs to specific jobs to specific crew members.
� ____ ____ Compliment and thank your crew.
During Technical Week
� ____ ____ Pick up from the bookkeeper any forms you will need.
� ____ ____ Meet with your crew and set up the lobby atmosphere.
� ____ ____ Arrange the tickets in their containers.
� ____ ____ Arrange all house charts.
� ____ ____ If the end of each time slot, pick up the cash box and turn it in to the bookkeeper or director.
� ____ ____ At the end of the day, balance money collected against tickets sold. Sort money. Fill our deposit forms and turn the money in to the bookkeeper of director.
� ____ ____ Meet with the program editor to coordinate when the programs will be picked up from the printer and where they are to be delivered and deposited.
� ____ ____ Organize the intermission refreshments and post a list of salespeople.
� ____ ____ Buy concession items.
� ____ ____ Check on the necessity for security or parking lot attendants. Contact them if they are needed.
During Technical Week cont.
� ____ ____ Compliment and thank your crew.
During the Run Of The Show
� ____ ____ Stop at the bank and get enough singles and quarters to make change for patrons.
� ____ ____ Call all members or your crews. Remind them of the times they are to staff the box office or the day they are to serve as ushers for the show. Post a list of the above as well.
� ____ ____ Meet your box office crew 1 hour prior to curtain time each night of the show. Quickly review all procedures with them.
� ____ ____ Meet with your crew of ushers 50 minutes prior to curtain time each night of the show. Quickly review all procedures with them. Explain where the ushers can obtain more programs if needed.
� ____ ____ Post signs indicating the location of rest rooms and water fountains.
� ____ ____ Check with the stage manager and/or director before you open the house for the audience.
� ____ ____ Three minutes before curtain, blink lights in the lobby or ring a bell as notice that the play is about to begin.
� ____ ____ About 1/2 hour after the opening curtain, begin sorting the money collected at that performance. Fill out all forms needed by the bookkeeper. Give the cash box to the director after everything is organized.
� ____ ____ Set up and monitor the intermission concession table (if you plan to offer refreshments). KEEP CONCESSION MONEY SEPARATE FROM TICKET MONEY.
� ____ ____ Three minutes before the end of intermission, blink the lights in the lobby or ring a bell as notice that the play is about to resume.
� ____ ____ Before closing night write a letter to the person who will have your position for the next show. Give that person advice based on your experience. File the letter in your 3-ring binder behind your job description.
� ____ ____ Compliment and thank your crew.
During Strike
� ____ ____ Strike the lobby display. Make arrangements for returning anything which needs to be returned. Store or discard all other items.
� ____ ____ Clean the box office.
� ____ ____ Justify tickets sold with money collected. Fill out the final financial forms needed b y the bookkeeper. Make copies of all forms for the director.
� ____ ____ Compliment and thank your crew.
