House Manager

Job Duties

A Theatre House Manager is in charge of managing the auditorium (or “house”) and assisting the audience before, during, and after a live performance. The House Manager is the head of the Front of House team and is often the public face of the theatre during the run of a show. In the day-to-day operation of a production, the Stage Manager is responsible for everything that happens on and backstage while the House Manager is responsible for everything that happens in the theatre lobby and auditorium. It is important that the House Manager and the Stage Manager remain in communication with one another as there are often issues that arise that affect both of their departments.

Depending on the size of the theatre, there may be an entire team of workers in place around the House Manager to care for the audience and make them feel at home. Other positions on the Front of House team can include:

• Assistant House Manager
• Box Office Employee
• Usher
• Bartender / Concessions
• Merchandise Salesperson

It is the House Manager’s job to make sure all these people are working together smoothly to create a safe, comfortable, and inviting environment for all the theatre’s guests.

The daily duties of a Theatre House Manager are as follows:

Prior to the commencement of seating, the House Manager must ensure that the theatre auditorium, theatre lobby, and yes, even the theatre bathrooms are clean and in good order. The House Manager checks in with the rest of the Front of House team and double checks all the lobby supplies, which may include programs, assisted listening devices, ticket scanners, and walkie-talkies. If the theatre has a rotating group of volunteer ushers, the House Manager is often in charge of training them before the show and ensuring that they have all the equipment they need (programs, flashlights, etc.).

The House Manager is then responsible for overseeing the seating of the audience members in a speedy and efficient manner while simultaneously handling any issues or disputes that might arise. Other pre-show tasks include helping any audience members who might require additional assistance, seeing to any audience VIP’s, and helping other Front of House employees if they need support. The House Manager must maintain clear and unobstructed aisles in the auditorium (no bags or coats blocking where people might need to walk later). Occasionally the House Manager may need to coordinate with the Box Office Manager if there are unclaimed tickets or other seating issues.

Finally, once the audience is seated, the House Manager gives the house over to the Stage Manager, signifying to the production team that the audience is ready and the performance can begin!

During the performance the House Manager is in charge of late-arrivals and late-seating and must address any audience problems that come up. At intermission the House Manager is once again a friendly and helpful face to address audience problems or complaints. At the end of intermission, the bathrooms must be checked and the House once again given over to Stage Management. After the show the House Manager must make sure all audience members exit the theatre safely. Sometimes a House Manager will write a House Report outlining the specifics of that night’s performance. The House Manager is often one of the last people out of the building at the end of the night and is sometimes responsible for doing an inventory of supplies, turning off lights, and locking the theatre doors. Within the organizational hierarchy, the House Manager usually answers to the theatre Company Manager or General Manager.

Depending on the organization, the House Manager may be legally responsible for all the visitors to the theater building (ie, the audience) and is sometimes required to be registered with the local fire department as a Fire Guard for places of temporary assembly. Regardless, the House Manager should have a thorough understanding of the building’s legal capacity, emergency protocols, and exit routes.