What to Expect While Ushering

Check-In

Usher check-in will begin 90 minutes before curtain at the box office. Once you have checked in, you are officially on duty. If you are given a lobby assignment, you will head to the lobby to give directions and answer any questions for patrons. Lobby ushers are on duty as soon as they check in so they can attend to patrons’ needs as they go through the building. If you are assigned to work in the theater, you will head straight into the theater to either stuff programs or familiarize yourself with the space. Once the house is open, you will help seat patrons, give directions, and make sure that food is not brought into the theater.

During the Performance

During the performance, ushers will be directed by the House Manager whether to stand in the back of the theater or to take a seat. Select ushers will help with seating late patrons throughout the theater. Your House Manager will go over the late seating breaks with you at the beginning of your shift, as they differ between productions. Please be sure to only seat patrons during the designated breaks. At intermission, please return to your original positions to assist patrons with directions and to ensure that no food is brought into the theater.

After the Performance

All ushers should go back to their original positions to take care of patrons and thank them for coming. Be sure that all walkers, canes, etc. are returned to the patrons to whom they belong. Aisle ushers are asked to stay inside the theater until all patrons have safely left their section. There is no need to pick up programs from your sections unless the house manager asks you to do so. Please check out at the Visitor Services desk. You will turn in your usher badges and flashlights to the Visitors Services House Manager.

Dress Code

Arena Stage requires a professional-looking, uniform appearance by our ushers. All ushers should adhere to the following dress code while on duty:

Solid white (not off-white) dress shirt – either short-sleeved or long-sleeved.
Black dress pants or skirts.
Comfortable solid, black, close-toed shoes.
Optional: Solid black sport coats, jackets, or sweaters.
Optional: Ties and bowties.

Watching Performances

One of the many perks of ushering for Arena Stage is attending the shows. Ushering at Arena Stage is a 100% volunteer position, and being compensated with seats or standing room to a performance is not guaranteed. While we will do our best to try to accommodate anyone ushering; there will be performances where this is impossible, due to sellouts and fire-code laws prohibiting standing room.

Usher Attendance

Ushering is a privilege, not a right. Ensuring that the House Managers have enough ushers to fully staff a performance is vital to the show’s success. If you must end up cancelling an usher shift, please let the House Managers know at least 24 hours in advance so that they can find replacement ushers. We do understand that unexpected life events do come up, so if it is not possible to let us know 24 hours ahead of time, you will receive a check-in email from the House Managers. 3 no-shows will result in removal from the remainder of the season. Constant cancellations will result in a call from a House Manager to inquire on the ushers interest in continuing as an usher at Arena Stage.

House Rules

Ushers are our eyes and ears inside the theater during the show. House Managers do not see the shows with the ushers, so it is your job to help us to enforce our house rules while the performance is in progress. Please see below a list of the rules we enforce for all performances:

Children under 5 are not admitted. Exceptions are made at the house manager’s discretion.
Cameras and Video Recording are not allowed during the performance.
Cellphones, alerts, alarms, and other smart devices must be turned off before entering the theater and after intermission.
Tickets for late members of a party must be left at the Box Office.
Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the building. If a patron has a dessert or a “doggie bag” from a restaurant, it will be held in the Visitors Service Desk until intermission or the end of the performance.
Drinks with a lid may be taken into the theater. Food is not permitted in the theater.
Assisted listening devices for patrons are available in the Lower Lobby at the Visitors Services Desk.
GalaPro Closed Captioning Devices are typically availible at the Visitors Services desk starting the second Friday of a show's run.
Taxi or rideshare reservations must be made before the show at the Visitors Services Desk.
Report immediately to the house manager any accidents, sick patrons, restrooms out of order/out of supplies, etc. No fall is too small!
Any suspicious character should be reported to the house manager immediately.

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