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.
