Student Blog: What Do Ushers Do In Musical Theater?

The House Usher. This term may be familiar to those interested in musicals. They are the people responsible for the beginning and end of the performance, and for ensuring the safety of the audience during the performance. If you have ever gone to see a show, you may have encountered an usher inside the theater. They are the people who help with seat guidance inside the theater or check tickets in front of the gate. That's right, they are the house ushers. Due to my interest in the performing arts, I started working as a house usher in a Korean theater this year. In this article, I would like to share my experience working as a house usher in a Korean musical theater.

It is slightly different from theater to theater what Usher does.. But they perform similar duties overall. I will explain this into three parts, before the performance, during the performance, and after the performance.

1. Before the Performance

Before the performance starts, ushers perform three main tasks. First, they check for any special circumstances for the day's performance and inspect the seats. As mentioned earlier, the safety of the audience is the top priority, so they check to see if any chairs are broken or if the facilities inside the seats are functioning properly.

30 minutes before the performance begins, ushers start their most important task. They check tickets and assist the audience in entering the theater in front of the gate. Tickets are divided into mobile tickets that are entered using a QR code or barcode on a phone and paper tickets with a barcode printed on them. At each gate, ushers check the ticket and ensure that the audience enters the gate indicated on their ticket. Although each theater has different characteristics, the theater where I work is divided into three floors, and it is a structure where you cannot go up to a different floor once you go inside the gate. Therefore, the process of checking the floor and gate indicated on the ticket by the usher in front of the gate is necessary to prevent confusion.

2. During the Performance and After the Performance

During the performance, ushers mainly focus on ensuring the safety of the audience. Ushers inside the auditorium keep an eye out for any elements that may make the audience uncomfortable during the performance and respond accordingly. They also check if anyone is breaking the theater's rules, such as bringing in prohibited drinks or food like coke or alcohol, which is often restricted in Korean musical theaters. If an audience member needs to leave for personal reasons during the performance, ushers are there to guide and assist them. Additionally, ushers must be aware of all information related to the performance and theater, as the audience may ask questions before and after the performance. Through this, Usher helps the audience watch the performance as safely and comfortably as possible.

After the performance, ushers inspect the audience area by looking around to make sure there are no lost items left behind by the audience, and that no chairs are stained or broken. And lastly, after a brief meeting to check for any unusual events or lost items for the day, the usher's daily work is completed.

A Life as an Usher

With a great interest in performances, I applied for the job of an usher and I am still working in the theatre. Of course, there are days when it is busy and even the way home can be tiring. But the way to the theatre is always full of joy. This is because of the affection for the performance and art.

While working as an usher, I believe that a performance can only be completed when there are audiences who come to see a good performance, enjoy it together, and share art in one space. Becoming a part of creating a performance is a meaningful experience. I hope that audiences who come to see a performance also have a sense of joy after watching it.

And today, I am also heading to the theater for work with delight.

Photo Credit : Eunsong Yang

(All pictures were taken at the main and second lobby at the theatre.)

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