THA1104.

001
HouseManagement

Handbook
For
HouseCrew

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Fall2016
TexasTechUniversity
AshleyMeyer,InstructorofRecord
Front-of-House Crew

The House Crew consists of door attendants, ticket takers, and ushers. It is their
responsibility to ensure the comfort, safety, and control of the audience that attends
events at the facility.

Door attendants open the front doors of the facility and greet the customers.

Ticket takers stand at the entrance to the auditorium and receive the tickets from the
customers, remove and retain the stubs from the tickets, and then pass the customers to
the ushers.

Ushers receive the tickets from the ticket takers, issue show programs, and guide the
audience members to their designated seats.

The House Crew reports to the House Manager.

The members of the House Crew will be appropriately dressed for their duties.
Crewmembers will wear good quality, conservative clothing. All crewmembers are
expected to wear proper footwear for safe working in the theater. (No strapless sandals,
spike heels, worn or dirty tennis shoes, no dirty, worn, or old boots.)

House crewmembers are required to have a working flashlight.

Attendance and Notification

TH A 1104 students will attend all scheduled training sessions. Schedules for training
sessions are to be posted on the callboard in the University Theater at least forty-eight (48) hours
before the session occurs. Students unable to attend training sessions must advise, in writing, the
House Supervisor at least twenty-four (24) hours before the session. The first official training
session will be the day that all practicums are scheduled to first meet.
All THA 1104 students are required to read the call board daily, and are responsible
for any postings made before 5pm.
Crewmembers will be present and ready to work at least one hour before the advertised
starting time of the performance, or at time designated by the House Supervisor/House Manager.

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On opening nights all students enrolled in THA 1104 will attend a meeting upon arrival to
receive special instructions from the House Manager/House Supervisor. Any student not able to
attend this meeting must advise, in writing, the House Manager and the House Supervisor of their
absence at least twenty-four (24) hours before the meeting. Failure to advise the House Manager
and House Supervisor will result in a grade reduction.
During the run of the attraction, at least one member of the House Crew (House Manager
or House Supervisor) will be present in the Lobby throughout the time the audience is in the
facility. The House Crew is on duty until dismissed by the House Manager.
Duties of the House Crew
Door Attendants

As soon as patrons begin arriving, attendants take their posts in the lobby by the main
entrances and are to welcome patrons to the facility. The doors to the facility will
open one hour before advertised curtain time.

Auditorium doors will open one half hour (30 minutes) before advertised curtain time
unless scheduled otherwise by the House Manager.

At the opening of the auditorium, the door Attendants may be reassigned to Ticket
Taker or Ushering duties.

At the conclusion of the performance, attendants will open the doors leading to the
lobby. All House Crew will take positions at the auditorium doors and exits.

Ticket Takers

Ticket Takers assume posts at entrance to the auditorium before the house opens.

Greet patrons as they arrive by saying: Welcome to the (Maedgen, or Lab Theatre or
name of production.) We hope you enjoy the performance. Ask for tickets and check for
correct day, date, time, and performance. If there is a ticketing problem alert the House
Manager immediately. The House Manager will refer the problem to the box Office

Tear off the house stub portion of the ticket and give the remainder to the next available
usher.

Place the house stub portion of ticket in the stub container.

Inform the patron that the Usher (Name) will direct them to their seat.

Close auditorium doors upon signal from House Manager.

At the beginning of each intermission and at the end of the performance, pull back the
draperies and open the doors after the house lights are brought up.

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Ticket Takers remain on duty at the auditorium entrances for the first fifteen minutes of
the performance. Late arrivals will only be seated at the direction of House Manager.

Turn in all ticket stubs to the House Manager, assist in stub count.

During intermissions, Ticket Takers return to the auditorium doors to assist in exit and
return of the audience.

At the conclusion of the performance, all House Crew on duty will take positions at the
theatre and lobby doors to thank the patrons for attending the performance.

Ushers

Before the auditorium opens, Ushers are posted at each entrance.

As each patron arrives, ushers receive tickets from ticket takers, check the day, date, time,
and performance, hand the patron a program and guide the patron the seat indicated upon
the ticket. If there is a ticketing problem alert the House Manager immediately. The
House Manager will refer the problem to the Box Office

Patrons will not be allowed backstage before the performance. Ushers may take any
flowers or gifts for cast or crew backstage.

At least one Usher will remain on duty inside the auditorium entrance for the first 15
minutes of the performance to assist latecomers.

During intermissions, Ushers assist in the exit and return of the audience.

At the conclusion of the performance, all House Crew on duty will take positions at the
theatre and lobby doors to thank patrons for attending the performance.

Seating Late Arrivals

At the discretion of the Director, patrons may be seated in vacant aisle seats at the back of
the theatre. Patrons may claim their original seats during the next intermission. Late seating in
the Lab Theater is disruptive to the production and is usually forbidden. Late arriving customers
with paid tickets should be referred to the House Manager.
Closing the house
All members of the house Crew on duty at the end of the performance shall assist the
audience in exiting the theater. After the auditorium is cleared of audience members the crew
shall walk through the each aisle of the house collecting all programs and debris. Any problems
will be reported to the House Manager.
Crewmembers remain on duty until released by the House Manager.
After dismissal, crewmembers must leave the facility.

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Procedures during Emergency
If an emergency occurs, house staff will stand by exit doors with flashlights to assist
patrons from the building.