Reflections from a Broadway Usher
A call to action - helping theatergoers help themselves
I love when lights dim. It always means that something special is about to happen. Even if it's just me turning my overhead light off and putting my little lamp on so I can read before bed. I relish in that moment. Now that I think of it - my mom has always been good at setting the mood. She is still big on lighting candles and I would have more than a few dollars to my name if I bet on each time she has said “this should be a dimmer”. Ambience and mood always fosters a sense of togetherness and calm.
Entering a space that features live entertainment is a moment of awe. A hush comes over the crowd when the house lights go out and the show is about to start. The theater is a sacred place to me. I would argue that there is no one more hardworking than the Broadway actor. 8 shows a week is an incredible feat and while I haven’t made my Broadway debut (yet!), I have had the opportunity to see the same shows over and over and over again in my (survival) job as a Broadway usher.
This week marks my final week of work before my theater goes dark to undergo some much needed renovations. The experience of the front of house staff is so unique. I’ve gotten to rub elbows with reputable actors - some were lovely and some were less than kind. I’ve witnessed stage magic and fight calls and seen shows grow. I’ve seen an understudy quickly come on stage after illness took a lead actor out right after the opening monologue. I’ve been able to spot errors and line flubs and choreography mishaps that no one else would catch just because I know the show so well after so many viewings. This job keeps me sharp and hopeful and still invigorates me. I love being a part of the Broadway experience.
One thing that does give me pause though - is the general public. All of you! Raise your hand if you have ever been to a Broadway show!?! I am not calling you out dear reader but working with theatergoers has its challenges. I am of the mind that a customer service job builds character and let me tell you - I have character and I have seen some characters on stage and off. Some people just shouldn’t be in public if they refuse to turn their brains on. To avoid this becoming a full blown rant, I would love to detail a few insights for you to consider on your next visit to the theater.
Let’s remember that going to the theater is really the same as going to a sporting event, a concert, a movie and even boarding a flight. There will be security. There will be a queue. There will be hoards of people. There could be some confusion. Some questions might need to be asked. But I implore you dear reader - empower yourselves and take in your surroundings!
ADMIT ONE
If you have gotten into a theater it means that you probably got your ticket scanned. Your ticket is a souvenir. Your ticket is proof of attendance. It is your holy grail. It is your “you can pass go” card. But beyond all of that - your ticket lists your seating information. This is crucial. Has it ever occurred to you to maybe take a look at it? You, the ticket holder, are armed with so much pertinent information that I, your lowly usher, am not aware of. I swear - I ask people where they are sitting and they look at me as if I am speaking in tongues. I fear that some every day theater goers are not familiar with something called the alphabet.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the chronic shoving of a phone or piece of paper in my face. When a patron approaches me, sometimes they do not say hello but proceed to just hold their phone up to me as if I am the one who needs to unlock their phone with Face ID. Having a device repeatedly shoved in your face is unpleasant. It’s rude and sometimes the brightness on their device burns my cornea. It’s helpful for us to verify the seat location ourselves even after you’ve told us the details but just hold out the paper or phone like you would if you were showing a friend a picture or someone’s dating profile. Try to make it a less aggressive gesture.
I guarantee that when you get to your gate for a flight, you know your boarding group and which seat (aisle or window) you are in. I bet when you go to a Knicks game you are aware of your section and row and seat number. At movie theaters, on planes, at games - you seat yourself. We know you can do it! When you enter a theater, take in the information that is presented to you. I guarantee you will make your ushers day and streamline the process for all of the fellow theater goers around you if you simply just know what your seat location is. We will gladly help you get there of course.
And PSA: the ticket takers are not the best people to ask your questions. Just get inside the theater and then everything will be revealed. You will meet many staff people along the way to support you.
Also - once you get your ticket scanned (digital or paper) know that you’ll probably need to refer to it again before you get seated. Don’t throw it in your bag or log out of the ticket app or forget where you put it. I’ve seen people lose their ticket 5 minutes after it was scanned. It is truly a comedy of errors.
CONTEXT CLUES
The front of house staff assumes that you have been outside before. This means that perhaps you have been to a restaurant or museum at least once in your life. Unlike airplane travel, there will be no demonstration to show you where the emergency exits are or how to help your neighbor in a crisis. I ask of you my humble intelligent reader, use context clues!
If you see a lot of people using a particular doorway, you can probably assume that the doorway in question leads to the bathroom. Basically every Broadway theater is laid out in the same way. Even if you do not frequent the theater, take a look around and acquaint yourself with your surroundings. I’ve had so many people walk right past the bar/concession and proceed to ask me where the bar is. It is hard to answer the question without sounding condescending but it alas right there.
Obviously, I am working in a service capacity. I am there to answer questions. If someone asks where the bathroom is, I tell them with my charming smile. But keep in mind that we get asked the same questions over and over and over again. It helps us if you help yourself by taking in the room and making some inferences that 9 times out of 10 will support you with your question.
In general, when all else fails, just be kind. Do not give me attitude mister!!!! I have had audience members treat me like the dirt on their shoe! I would say there is also an eye contact problem running rampant. If you are kind, I genuinely want to help you. I love theater! I love that you are here and are ready to take in one of our most important art forms. There are audience members that I’ve had wonderful chats with. I’ve even had a random patron buy me M&M’s during intermission unprompted!! But it behooves you to use your brain, read the signs, have your eyes open, and enter the space acknowledging those around you.
ASK AND YOU (COULD) RECEIVE
Ask and you shall receive reminds me of a quip one of the adored substitute teachers in my elementary school would say - If you’re good, I'm great. If you’re bad, I'm awful. Isn’t that a great line? I’ve never forgotten it after all these years.
Like any customer service job, if you are awesome, we can make things happen for you. Folks have come up to me with all kinds of complaints. The guy next to me smells. The woman next to me is wearing too much perfume. Or is chewing too loudly. The woman next to me is coughing too much (COVID anxiety in full effect). The man in front of me is really tall. The ice in the drink of the person next to me is too loud (not joking - this was said to me!). I just had knee surgery and my leg is bothering me. My back is hurting. I have heard every excuse in the book of excuses.
We are in the business of making patrons happy and enhancing your theater experience. If we can help, we will try our best. We are not able to move you to another seating level though. So if you buy a mezzanine ticket, we can only make adjustments for you within that mezz level. There have been some patrons who purposely buy a cheap mezz ticket and try to get moved to the orchestra. That ain't happening and we are onto you!!
When I spoke to my colleagues earlier this week, my friend Julia made a great point - just let us help you! Don’t say you know where you are going if you don’t. You are not going to impress us by trying to seat yourself. I don’t want to see you wandering around confused because you were too proud to ask a question. As ushers, we also get the brunt of a lot of audience dissatisfaction. Remember that we do not make the policies or design the theater. I can’t help it if you are mad about the bathroom line or that there isn’t a second bar downstairs. My colleagues and I had nothing to do with that. But we are happy to show you where another bathroom is or where the bar is actually located!
We can make accommodations and adjustments depending on the size of the audience that particular night. Genuine requests are followed by a genuine attempt to solve your problem and remedy the situation in question. We got you!
In my role, an overarching theme is a state of inattentiveness. I would be very curious to learn about the neuroscience behind releasing yourself from a task simply because you know someone is there to help you. It is akin to learned helplessness. If there is a slight adjustment in awareness, things would operate much more smoothly. Having said that, 8 times a week in over 40 theaters in the Theatre District, thousands of people are being seated for the wonderful experience of live entertainment. The Broadway ushers are unsung heroes of the theater community. I see my job as a liaison to the actors directly. By doing my job well, I help ensure that the actors can do theirs. We are all working together.
Being a part of this experience buoys me. Some patrons arrive giddy because they are truly so excited to see their favorite actor perform. Some people want multiple Playbills to commemorate the day! I love that New Yorkers can come to a show at any age. Seeing older folks come to the theatre affirms that NYC is a great place to grow old. Some shows are family-friendly and knowing that I am somehow a part of a little kid’s first Broadway show experience fills me with delight. I will never forget the first few shows I saw in my youth. I was buzzing from the moment the lights went down.
Me and many of my fellow ushers are theater lovers and theater makers with hopes and dreams of being on the other side of that stage. Living in New York and having access to live theater is such a gift. Respect that gift by reviewing your ticket, taking in the venue and please please please try to arrive on time and turn your phone off! We can’t wait to have you!