If you’ve ever seen a show at the IU Auditorium, you’ve most likely been greeted by smiling students wearing white button-down shirts and black pants. Maybe they helped you find your seat. Maybe they handed you a program. Maybe all they did was answer a question you had.
Patrons see these ushers every time they attend an event at the auditorium, and these students are vital to the workings of the auditorium.
The volunteer ushering program at IU Auditorium has allowed students to get a look behind the curtain while helping patrons since the auditorium opened in 1941. Through the program, students learn skills in customer service, see what goes on behind the scenes at the auditorium and meet like-minded people, Mary Higdon, the assistant guest services manager at the IU Auditorium said.
Sophomore Liam Commons started ushering his freshman year of college.
“When I ushered for my very first show, ‘Les Misérables,’ I ended up liking it so much that I ushered for four different shows,” Commons said. “I got the chance to be a stage guard for one of them which was such a cool experience because between the matinee and evening show I chatted with the pit orchestra and I got them to sign my program.”
Ushers arrive at the auditorium an hour before doors open to go over information about the show and practice seating.
Half an hour before the show begins, the ushers take their places and begin greeting guests. During this time, ushers show patrons to their seats and answer any questions guests may have. It is the usher’s duty to create a hospitable atmosphere that makes guests feel welcomed and calm, even when seating an auditorium of up to 3,200 people can get hectic.
After the show begins, ushers assist with late seating. This can be the most stressful part of ushering, as they must show patrons to their seats in the dark while a show is happening without disturbing any guests who are already settled in. Once the late seating period is over, ushers get to enjoy the show from the balcony for free, a great perk of the program for theater enthusiasts.
“Cost is definitely a barrier for some people to be able to go to shows and so giving people the opportunity to give back to their community, help lead people to their seats, that kind of thing, so that we can eliminate cost as a barrier is a really big benefit,” Commons said.
As the assistant guest services manager, Higdon’s role requires her to oversee both the volunteer ushers and student managers. She helps set up events, assigns students to different positions across the auditorium and is a point of contact for everyone, from volunteers, employees and talent, throughout the shows.
During her freshman year of college, she was drawn to the ushering program as a way to meet people outside of her elementary education major. She did theater in high school and wanted to help people while staying connected to theater while in college.
“When I found the auditorium, it was a great way to get guest service experience while also having some really awesome shows and being able to connect to people that weren’t just in my school,” Higdon said. “I’ve met some of my best friends here, just through the different programs that we do.”
Destinee Clayton, the guest services manager at the auditorium, said ushers are vital to the type of customer service the auditorium likes to provide.
“The ‘plus one’ customer service that’s not only just meeting those expectations, but going above and beyond, so, you know, making someone feel as if they’re a friend,” Clayton said.
Ushers are a big part of this service because they are there at every show. She said many patrons come back again and again, and like to get to know the ushers.
This connection built between patrons and ushers, sometimes over several years, creates a warm and familiar environment that adds to the quality of guests’ experience at the auditorium, Higdon said.
The auditorium encourages ushers to work five shows a semester, but they can always do more or less.
“I think it’s just a low commitment and possibly fun role that gives you access to the arts and also helps you provide that for other people,” Clayton said.
“I’m of the ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ kind of mentality,” Higdon said. “Come to a call out, come to our usher training, you’ll see how fun and exciting it can be to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
The ushering program’s callout meeting is Sept. 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the auditorium. The program’s usher training session will be Sept. 29 at 6 p.m., also at the auditorium. You can find more information about ushering on the auditorium's website or by emailing both audfloat@iu.edu and housemgr@iu.edu.
