All volunteer guidesTeam Scout

Theater — Front of House

How to Run Front of House as House Manager

You're the calm captain of the lobby and the audience. It's far less daunting than it sounds — you set the team up before doors, make a few clear calls during the show, and lock up after. Curtain is your North Star, and every task hangs off it.

Level
A little practice
Time
About 3 hours per performance (arrive 90 min before curtain)
Arrive
90 min before curtain
Doors open
30 min before (the 'half hour')
Your call
All late seating
You leave
Last — lights off, doors locked

Quick start

  1. 1

    Walk the house first

    Lobby, restrooms, and auditorium clean and lit. A quick loop the moment you arrive catches problems while there's still time to fix them.

  2. 2

    Huddle your team

    Gather ushers, box office, and concessions. Share tonight's run time, intermission length, and where the exits are. Two minutes here prevents a dozen questions later.

  3. 3

    Open the house on the SM's word

    The stage manager tells you when the set is ready and safe. Only then do you open doors — usually 30 minutes before curtain, the 'half hour.'

  4. 4

    Hold latecomers, then seat them your way

    Latecomers wait with you in the lobby. You decide the safe moment to slip them into back or easy-access seats.

  5. 5

    Close it down

    Final supply count, cash check-in, lights off, doors locked. You're the last one out, and that's by design.

Think of yourself as the host of a big house party where the main event is on stage. Everything an audience member feels in the lobby — welcomed, safe, oriented — flows from how you set up your volunteers and how calmly you handle the unexpected. You don't need theater experience. You need to arrive early, communicate clearly, and stay unflappable.

  1. 1

    90 min before

    Arrive, walk the lobby, restrooms, and auditorium. Confirm everything is clean, lit, and stocked (programs, supplies).

  2. 2

    60 min before

    Brief your front-of-house team: run time, intermission length, exit locations, and the late-seating plan. Confirm box office and concessions are set.

  3. 3

    30 min before (the 'half hour')

    On the stage manager's 'house is open,' open the doors. Ushers greet, tear tickets, and seat. You float and watch the flow.

  4. 4

    Curtain

    Doors close. Hold any latecomers with you in the lobby until you judge a safe seating moment.

  5. 5

    Intermission

    Reopen restrooms and concessions, settle latecomers into their real seats, and reset for Act Two.

  6. 6

    After the show

    Help clear the house, do a final supply and cash check-in with your team, switch off lobby lights, and lock up.

Reports to
Theater management / producer
Partners with
Stage Manager (the curtain is the line)
Leads
Ushers, box office, concessions, greeters
Owns
Patron safety + all late-seating calls
  • Latecomers moved to their correct seats at intermission
  • Restrooms and auditorium swept for lost items and trash
  • Concessions and box office cash reconciled and handed off
  • Supply count done (programs, flashlights, first-aid)
  • Lobby and auditorium lights off
  • All doors locked and you're the last one out