Ushering Info
07/05/2007
NYTW
Want to see a show for free?
NYTW uses 5 volunteer ushers for each performance. To volunteer usher, call 212-780-9037, Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 6:00pm.
MTC
Volunteer Ushering — To volunteer usher at the Biltmore Theatre, please call the Biltmore Theatre Volunteer Usher line at 212-399-3000, ext. 5463. Volunteers are received on a first come, first served basis and placement is subject to availability. To be added to our ushering e-mail list or make requests to usher via e-mail, please
e-mail volunteer@mtc-nyc.org. To volunteer as an usher for MTC Stage I and Stage II shows, please call
NY City Center directly at 212-247-0430. Press 0 for the operator and ask for the Stage I/II house manager's office. They take calls Tuesdays thru Fridays after 9:30PM. Do not leave a voice message, as they will not return calls. Simply keep calling until you get somebody on the phone and they'll be happy to schedule you. You can also email them at mtchousemanager@nycitycenter.org.
2ST
As a not-for-profit theatre, Second Stage Theatre uses members of the community to help supplement our House Staff. To be a Volunteer Usher for one of our upcoming productions (and to see the show for free) please contact House Manager Joshua Schleifer via e-mail at JSchleifer@2ST.com . Please include your full name and phone number and the productions in which you are interested. Thank you.. Please include your full name and phone number and the productions in which you are interested. Thank you.
Thank you for your interest in ushering at Signature Theatre! Our volunteer ushers are a crucial part of our company. Usher positions are available for all productions at Signature's Peter Norton Space. For more information or to reserve your spot, please call Signature's Box Office at (212) 244-7529 during box office hours (messages regarding usher inquiries will not be returned) or email us at housemanager@signaturetheatre.org.
Ushers for Signature productions are booked beginning approximately one month before the first preview. Responsibilities range from ticket-taking, seating, concessions and assisting the House Manager with other duties. Ushering Jobs are assigned by the House Manager when you arrive for your scheduled date. If you have a job preference, you can inform the House Manager when you arrive, and he/she will try to accommodate you. However, there is no guarantee that your preference will be your assignment.
All ushers should arrive at the theatre 90 minutes before curtain. PLEASE BE PUNCTUAL. This is to allow enough time for you to get settled and receive instructions from the house manager. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late, the House Manager may have been forced to find a replacement for you and there is no guarantee you will be able to stay and usher. It's imperative that you arrive on time.
Dress for ushers is all black. Please adhere to the dress code in order to prevent confusion for the patrons.
We make every effort to seat our ushers. However, seating for ushers is always contingent upon availability. PLEASE, always wait for instructions from house managers as to where to sit.
House Staff (RoundAbout Theatre)
Individuals to work as House Staff/Ushers. Wednesday matinee a must. Other shifts available include Tuesday through Sunday evenings/matinees. Individuals must be customer service oriented. Neat appearance with good communication skills required.
Resumes may be faxed to (212) 869-8817 or email: jobs@roundabouttheatre.org.
No phones calls please. EOE
Playwrights Horizons enlists the services of volunteer ushers for its productions.
You may be added to our ushering list by sending a note to usher@playwrightshorizons.org with "ADD TO LIST" as the subject header; provide your full name, a contact phone number, and mailing address (optional). You will then receive a confirmation e-mail with our ushering policy as well as a schedule of performances that are still open. If you don't have e-mail, you may call us at (212) 564-1235 to inquire regarding current opportunities.
The Dramaturg
Lynley has ideas about being a dramaturg or theater critic. She's trying to test it out.
The really funny thing is watching how Bubba sneaks over and stares at her while she's typing. But when she asks him, he says he doesn't need to use the computer right now.
07/05/2007
Willing to Work for Your Ticket?
{borrowed from an old about.com site}
Several theaters use volunteer ushers, including most Off-Broadway theaters. In exchange for seating paying guests and, in some instances, cleaning up after the show, you get to see the performance. Call the telephone numbers below for information on ushering at a particular theater but, unless otherwise noted, you'll need to visit the box office to reserve a spot as an usher. Don't see a theater you're interested in on our list? Call and ask if they have volunteer ushering. This is just a place to start.
By Kate Appleton
Updated July 2005
Broadway Theaters
The American Airlines Theater
The Roundabout Theatre Company produces shows here. Current production is The Constant Wife .
• 227 W 42nd St.; 212-719-9393; roundabouttheatre.org
Off-Broadway Theaters
Astor Place Theater
Where to catch the long-running Blue Man Group.
• 434 Lafayette St.; 212-254-4370; blueman.com
Century Center Theater
Past shows include The Play about the Baby and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
• 111 E 15th St.; 212-982-6782, ext. 11
The Cherry Lane Theatre
The theatre is home to workshops, readings, and mentoring programs for emerging playwrights. It's a mix of Off-Broadway classics and provocative new works.
• 38 Commerce St.; 212-989-2020; cherrylanetheatre.com
Irish Repertory Theater
Presents works by Irish and Irish-American writers. Call to reserve a spot as an usher.
• 132 W 22nd St.; 212-255-0270; irishrepertorytheatre.com
The Joyce Theater
Hosts high-caliber dance companies from around the world. Call and leave a message on the usher hotline at least two weeks prior to a performance.
• 175 Eighth Ave.; 646-792-8355; joyce.org
Lucille Lortel Theater
This 50-year-old famous theater has a full calendar of performances and workshops . Check the website for specific details on its ushering program
• 322 Eighth Ave., 21st Floor; 212-924-2817; lortel.org
Manhattan Theatre Club
Plays that start here frequently wind up on Broadway. The 2005-2006 season includes Rabbit Hole with Cynthia Nixon.
• City Center: W 55th St. (between Sixth and Seventh Aves.); 212-247-0430; mtc-nyc.org.
New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW)
Notable for its innovative productions, NYTW was the original producer of the Broadway smash hit Rent.
• 79 E 4th St.; 212-780-9037; nytw.org
Playwrights Horizons
Produces new plays and musicals each season, with past productions including I am My Own Wife and James Joyce's The Dead. Don't expect to get a spot as an usher on the week of a performance. Call well in advance.
• 416 W 42nd St.; 212-564-1235. playwrightshorizons.org
Second Stage Theatre
Contact the House manager by email at JSchleifer@SecondStageTheatre
555 W 42nd St.; 212-244-7529; JSchleifer@SecondStageTheatre.com or call the usher hotline and leave a message with the dates of the performance you can work.
• 307 W 43rd St.; 212-787-8302, ext. 216; secondstagetheatre.com
The Signature Theatre Company
Each season the Signature Theatre Company explores the works of a single living playwright. Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel was the 2004-2005 Playwright-in-Residence. (Depending on the house manager, ushers might even be treated to free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate!)
• 555 W 42nd St.; 212-244-7529; signaturetheatre.org
Julia Miles Theatre
Over the past twenty-five years, Women's Project has strived to produce and develop the work of women writers.
• 424 W 55th St.; 22-76-1706; womensproject.org
York Theatre Company
Stages musicals at St. Peter's Church.
• 619 Lexington Ave.; 212-935-5824, ext. 15; yorktheatre.org
The Artistic Manager
Is Bonnie looking for her ticket, or just checking out the couch? - You decide.