Job Title: Front of House Assistant – 7 positions
Work Period:
3 Positions: June 26 to Aug. 20 (8 weeks @ 35 hours/week on average)
4 Positions: July 3 to Aug. 27 (8 weeks @ 35 hours/week on average)
Location: Arts Court Theatre
Tasks and Responsibilities:
The Front of House Assistant will be responsible for customer relations during the main stage performances of the 2023 Classic Theatre Festival. Duties will include: handing out house programs, checking tickets and greeting audience members before each performance; directing audience members to their reserved seats; dealing with any issues that arise with audience members during the performance; ensuring safe entry and exit of audience members into the theatre space; accommodating needs of audience members with special needs (e.g., wheelchairs, assistance devices). They will also staff a concessions area at intermission to provide snacks and beverages to theatre guests, while staffing a used book sale area and ensuring the integrity of the stage in between acts. They will also check theatre seats to ensure numbered tags are in place for each row so that audience members can find their reserved seat; scan the theatre space for any issues that could pose a safety threat (for example, learning to identify and correct trip hazards and ensuring that glow tape is working on all handrails, steps, and row markers).
Supervision of the Front of House Assistant will be conducted by the Associate Producer on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of each shift. In addition to training in front of house services and customer relations, they will also receive training in accessibility guidelines (AODA), sexual harassment rights and responsibilities, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The Front of House Assistant will benefit from instant evaluations that praise work well done and help correct any errors or misperceptions that may exist about a specific task. Part of the training process will emphasize how they can approach supervisors in a safe space to handle any concerns that arise. Members of the Front of House team will gather at the end of each shift to report in, discuss any challenges that arose that day, and discuss potential solutions to any problems that have arisen.
Each Front of House Assistant will be personally mentored by the Associate Producer. That mentoring begins from the first day of training, when roles, responsibilities, and expectations are clearly laid out. They will learn how to work in a group with respect for and trust in one another. The Associate Producer will assist in developing strong communication skills for dealing with members of the public, improvisation skills that assist them in deftly handling unexpected issues that arise in the context of live performance (i.e., getting a patron out of the theatre to the bathroom without interfering with other audience members’ enjoyment of the show, dealing with a hearing aid that is not working, reminding people to turn off cell phones), and problem solving skills to address any issues that arise in the workplace (e.g., how to handle customers who arrive at the theatre in a bad mood), dealing with issues related to health and safety, coming up with creative solutions under tight deadlines). Front of House Assistants will be taught to work as a team, to share lessons learned, to evaluate how each day’s work went, and to raise and discuss any concerns.
This is a training position. However, experience in customer relations is an asset. Superior interpersonal communication skills are a must, as well as being on time for work shift.
Please send a cover letter and resume to Matthew Behrens, Associate Producer: [email protected].