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Theater — Front of House

How to Work the Box Office & Will-Call

You're the friendly window where the night begins — selling a few walk-up seats and handing out tickets people already bought online. It's mostly names, cards, and cash, and the House Manager has your back on anything tricky.

Level
Anyone can do it
Time
About 2.5 hours per performance (arrive 90 min before curtain)
Arrive
90 min before curtain
Window opens
60 min before curtain
Will-Call sorted by
Last name, A–Z
Two jobs
Walk-up sales + Will-Call pickup

Quick start

  1. 1

    Set up your window

    Get the cash float, card reader, and the printed Will-Call list. Count the starting cash so your end-of-night total is honest.

  2. 2

    Alphabetize Will-Call

    Sort the pickup tickets by last name before the line forms. When someone gives a name, you find their envelope in seconds.

  3. 3

    Open at 60 minutes

    The window opens to the public one hour before curtain. Greet, take the name or the order, and keep the line moving.

  4. 4

    Run cards, count cash carefully

    Swipe or tap on the reader; for cash, count change back out loud. A calculator and a stack of small bills make this easy.

  5. 5

    Reconcile and hand off

    At the end, count the drawer against your sales sheet and pass the totals to the House Manager or whoever closes the night.

Watch first

Box office & Will-Call basics for volunteersShort walkthroughs of window setup, Will-Call pickup, and cash handling.

For most patrons, you're the very first person they talk to — so a warm 'Welcome in, what's the name?' sets the tone for their whole evening. The work itself is simple: people who bought online come to pick up (that's Will-Call), and a few people walk up wanting seats tonight. You handle both from one window.

  1. 1

    90 min before

    Arrive, collect the cash float, card reader, and printed Will-Call list. Count the starting cash.

  2. 2

    75 min before

    Alphabetize Will-Call envelopes by last name and lay out your change, pens, and sales sheet.

  3. 3

    60 min before

    Open the window. For pickups: get the name, find the envelope, hand it over (ID check is fine for premium or reserved seats).

  4. 4

    Through curtain

    For walk-ups: confirm availability, run the card or take cash, print or hand over the ticket. Keep the line moving.

  5. 5

    After curtain

    Close the window, count the drawer against sales, bag uncollected Will-Call, and hand totals to the House Manager or closer.

Reports to
House Manager
Walk-up window opens
1 hour before curtain
Will-Call filed by
Patron last name
Escalate to HM
Missing names, comps, seat disputes
  • Walk-up sales all logged on the sales sheet
  • Cash drawer counted and matches the sales total
  • Uncollected Will-Call tickets bagged and labeled
  • Card reader and float returned to the right person
  • Window totals handed to the House Manager or closer