The Bitch of Ushering

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 8:41am

Who here has stories of ushering experiences ranging from freaky to god-awful to "God, I wanna kill that bitch"?

So, I'm ushering at The Company Theatre and this woman who I really don't think was right in the head shows us her ticket and says, "We're sitting together!" That's all she says. See, the seating system of the Company Theatre goes as follows. On one side, you have the even numbers. On the other, you have the odd numbers. Center is everything in between. If your ticket has an odd number, you're sitting on the side with the odd numbers. The only way those two wouldn't be sitting together is if the tickets said they were sitting on opposite sides, which they weren't. And this woman just practically thrust her ticket in my face.

Another time, at the same theatre, after a performance of Ain't Misbehavin', some woman came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I lost a glove." She was one of those middle aged pompous, rich bitches. So I go off to get a flashlight. I come back, open the door, and there's Veronica and Charlie...sorry, wrong story. I come back with a flashlight and she's found another usher. She's even describing the type of glove it is. She says the color, she says the designer. I'm thinking, "Lady, a glove is a glove is a glove is a glove is a glove."

Anyone else have stories like this.

And how about those windbags who don't say thank you when you give them back their ticket stub.

Updated On: 11/25/06 at 08:41 AM

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 9:09am

Bump!

[ILoveWicked330]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 9:50am

Kind of "annoying" story about an usher yesterday (though it was the usher being rude to the people, not the people being rude to him). At High Fidelity in the mezzanine, the guy was seating the people and he obviously didn't realize there was a rear mezz & front mezz until he directed 10 people wrong. There was a guy sitting something like A5 and another person came and had a ticket for A5 & they were saying "you're in my seat, blah". Then the usher said "Let me see the tickets" so he examined them & he's like "You guys have the same seats. I'm not getting involved, go downstairs and see the manager, his name is Joe" And the people looked at each other like "um..." then they realized one had rear mezz & one had front. The usher then directed 3 other people to the wrong mezzanine section.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 10:07am

Here's another story from Ain't Misbehavin'! This woman comes up to me and shows me her ticket. She thinks she's got a ticket for the wrong show. And she does! It's for the 4:00 show. So she asks me what she's supposed to do. I tell her I'm just the usher. I just point her in the direction of the box office. God, just 'cause we take the tickets, they think we can magically change the time on the ticket. They really take our kind for granted, don't they?

[jg4892]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:21am

Well mattbrain, if I lost I designer glove I would want to get it back too.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 11:39am

I've only got two stories - one was being hit on by drunk guys at intermission, and the other was a moron in the front row of the mezz at the St. James who was talking on his cell phone DURING the show. There's only one way to enter that row; from the center stairs, and he was smack in the middle. I had to go creeping around and climbing over things to stage whisper to him to turn the phone off or I would have him kicked out. Everyone around him profusely thanked me.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:00pm

If you don't like your job, then get a new one.

You sound as if you just don't like working with people.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:01pm

Well, I have a few as a house manager including saving a woman whou almost got sucked into a vent.

But Mattbrain, you really need to take an anger management class. A woman asked you what she should do - not for you to magically turn the ticket into the right one. Your job IS to help people and point them in the right direction.

Anyway, since I don't usher I have to deal with the ushers - some of whom can barely make it up the steps.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:03pm

Anyone else have any good ushering stories?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:05pm

Yes, I do. I've ushered at many shows and have always gotten a kick out of sharing the excirment of seeing a show with audience members.

Or do you mean the kind of story that just bashes people?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:07pm

Believe me, I've had many good ushering experiences at the Company Theatre. It's just the bad ones that stand out to me. And you should talk. You're bashing me.

I'll have you know, that woman with the ticket did not seem like a nice woman.

Here's another one:

I'm ushering at Aida. It was during intermission. I was with two of my friends, one of whom was Louisa in that production of The Sound of Music. I'll admit I was definitely talking way too loud. So this woman comes by and shushes me. At first I didn't know what she was shushing me about. But then she comes back, puts her hand on my shoulder, and says to me, "It would be funnier if you weren't so loud. You've got a lot of talent but you're just a bit too loud, sweetie." She's right to quiet me down but where does she get off touching my shoulder and calling me sweetie. I've never even met her.

And you guys need to chill too.

Updated On: 11/25/06 at 12:07 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:18pm

I think you are the one that needs to chill.

Ushering is a tough job, and you have to LEARN how to deal with all types of people.

If you want to take this as a bash, then that's your right. I'm just saying, if you want a job where you are treated with more respect, then go find one.

And if you were talking too loud, then that's your fault. Touching someone on the shoulder is just being kind. I know some folks that would sucker punch you, if you were ruining their theatre experience by blabbing away.

[snazzier]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:33pm

When I was at New World the past couple of times I've always had the same bitch usher. She's rude and obnoxious all the time and always yells at me, even if I'm doing nothing wrong. (I think she's a racist.) She's on this message board too...

[LollyNYC]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:35pm

that new world usher is me, snazzier. im so racist but maybe if you werent asian I wouldnt be so mean. you're kind of asking for it by being from china....

[B3TA07]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:36pm

Is this thread title a spoof on the song from Spring Awakening?

[snazzier]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:37pm

Thank GOD you revealed yourself lolly, now I know exactly who you are.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:39pm

Actually, it is a spoof of the song from Spring Awakening. I was gonna write a song parody. Sorry, Lizzie.

[LollyNYC]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:40pm

next time you show your face at my place of employment im going to...

kiss it.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:51pm

Bump!

[i*heart*fame]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 12:52pm

What is the point in bumping a thread that isn't even halfway down the first page?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 1:01pm

I just *love* making threads on this board.

Sheesh.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 1:03pm

you're kind of asking for it by being from china....

That may be the funniest thing I've ever read on this board!

[PJMPirate]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 1:17pm

Most of the time, ushers are rude. I'm always polite, always smile and say "hi" when I hand them my ticket, and always say thank you, but I still get treated like a sheep they're herding.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/25/06 at 1:20pm

Maybe you're always getting Matt

Posted: 11/25/06 at 1:22pm

Mattbrain, Your stories don't seem at all outrageous to me. They sound like typical customer service issues that come up every day. You're either in the wrong job, or need to tone down your expectations in order to work successfully as an usher. You're going to meet all types of people from all walks of life, and it's just as rude for you to pass judgment on them as it is for them to not say "thank you" to you. Speaking of which, people coming into a theatre are excited and hurried and sometimes their social skills go out the window temporarily in that situation, so just try and understand that.