EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC USHER INFORMATION I. CONCERT OFFICE - ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF Michael Stefiuk, Director of Concert Activities Greg Machin, Ticketing and Box Office Manager Julia Ng, Assistant Director of Concert Activities Joseph Broadus, Patron Services Supervisor & House Manager Ron Stackman, Director of Stage Operations Jules Corcimiglia, Assistant Director of Stage Operations (Kodak Hall) Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Stage Operations (Kilbourn Hall) Michael Dziakonas, Assistant Director of Stage Operations (Hatch Recital Hall) Christine Benincasa, Secretary The Eastman School Concert Office schedules, manages and coordinates ESM events taking place in Kodak Hall, Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Recital Hall, and other school venues. Program production, ticket sales, and most importantly, stage and house management, are coordinated through the Concert Office Department. Supporting its full-time staff of nine, the Concert Office employs a staff of more than 50 student ushers, including at least 10 Head Ushers and 3 House Managers, to help manage events that take place in the school s major performance venues: Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Recital Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, Ray Wright Room and Kodak Hall. All ushering activities are coordinated by the Box Office Staff. II. USHERING - JOB DESCRIPTION As an usher you are greeting your friends, teachers, and the general public. It is important that you be alert, courteous, and professional. You may be the only person from the Eastman School with whom the audience has direct contact; in addition to performing your assigned duties for a particular event, you are representing the School. For this reason we ask that you give 100% of your energy and attention to your ushering assignment. This means that you cannot chat with friends or text on your cellphone when ushering an event. Usher duties include: Preparing the hall by turning up seats, picking up old programs, removing any other litter in the hall, entrance ways, in the aisles, restrooms, or on stage. Stuffing and handing out programs, scanning tickets, counting patrons, seating patrons. Being of general assistance to patrons. Be familiar with details regarding the concert, including the performers, the length of the concert, and the approximate length of each piece. Be familiar with ticket prices and polices. Know where the restrooms and payphones are located. Also, be prepared to answer questions about the School, the hall, upcoming concerts, and where to get additional information about upcoming events. Know the school s policies on smoking, cameras, tape recorders, etc., and remind patrons to turn off cell phones and paging devices. See paragraph VIII for detailed information. Working backstage and onstage (KH and HRH only). You may need to move instruments, coordinate performers, run the lighting board, etc. If you have any physical limitations (i.e., hand or back problems) which would prohibit lifting and/or moving heavy items, let your head usher know. Crowd control; enforcing regulations outlined in paragraph VI. Post-concert duties, such as tear-down and cleaning up of the hall.
III. COMMUNICATION, SCHEDULING, SUBSTITUTES HOW TO CONTACT US All contact details of the usher team can be found online in the Usher Portal and are accessible once you have been logged into the system. Your head usher will be able to reach the Concert Office administration team if it is necessary. HOW WE CONTACT YOU The current schedule is always available and is accessible without logging into the system. It can be viewed in its entirety, by the current day s events, or by events for the following week. Once you have logged into the system, you can view events that you have specifically been scheduled for by selecting Show My Gigs. We use your UR email address both as your username and also as a means to contact you when new information goes out. What this means is that we require you to check your University Email regularly and at least once per day. In order to prepare the initial schedule, a long google poll is sent out to all ushers. As an usher, you are required to fill out the poll based upon your expected availability. We know that your availability can, and regularly does change at a moment s notice. Everybody s does. In order to ensure that you do not let down your colleagues, we require you to keep a close eye on your assigned events and LET US KNOW the moment something changes. This is what a gig looks like in the Usher portal: This gig view includes the date, time, place, event, list of ushers assigned, and the report time. End times listed are always approximate. KH = Kilbourn Hall, HRH = Hatch Recital Hall, EKH = Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Call time is always shown as -**/-** mins prior to the Event Start. The first report time is for the head usher, the second is for the regular ushers. We trust that you can count backwards! The good news is that you do not need to scan through the reams of usher names to see if you have been assigned to a gig. Just log in, click on the Show My Gigs link and scan through. There is also a Today s Gigs and a This Week s Gigs so that you have plenty of ways to confirm if you are required. ASSIGNED GIGS Periodically, and usually at the beginning or midpoint of a semester, you will receive the google poll. The poll is designed to help us ensure that everyone gets a fair amount of work. We cannot start the process of scheduling gigs until everyone has completed it. To that end, when a poll is sent out, a deadline for completion is attached. Failure to complete the poll prior to that deadline will mean that you will not get any gigs assigned to you since the deadline marks the last possible moment we can wait until before starting the scheduling process. CHANGES TO THE EVENT SCHEDULE The concert schedule is always subject to change. Events may be cancelled, re-scheduled or added - frequently at the last minute. This usually occurs beyond the control of the Concert Office. The moment a gig is cancelled, we will remove it from the portal as well as email every usher who is scheduled to work it. Armed with this knowledge, you should check the Today s Gigs as well as Show My Gigs to ensure that your event has not been cancelled. p. 2 / 9
EXTRA GIGS With the fluid nature of the event schedule, it is understandable that the google poll will never contain every single gig in a half semester. We accept this because gigs can be scheduled at any moment. One could be added two minutes after the poll is sent out and there would be little we could do about it. As a result, we will often send out requests for usher crews over and above those listed in the poll. Essentially, there is plenty of extra work to pick up if you want it. These gigs are usually filled on a first come, first served basis. The more frequently you check your UR email, the more likely it is you will get the opportunity to pick up the extra work which will subsequently expand your pay packet! Please check Show My Gigs before responding to a request for extra work. You are responsible for ensuring that you are not double booked. CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE When the scheduling has been completed, we will send out an email to the entire usher crew to let you know. I am sure you appreciate that there are a lot of ushers on the team as well as a lot of events to be covered. You should check Show My Gigs to ensure that you have not been erroneously assigned to a gig that you had not signified availability for. We allow two days from the email for corrections to be addressed before moving the responsibility for getting a substitute to you. SUBSTITUTES: We know that your schedule changes every bit as fast as the event schedule. We are well used to it and can respond effectively if given enough time to do so. In the event of a scheduling conflict, YOU are responsible for finding a substitute. This applies to all of your assigned gigs as well as to any additional/substitute gigs that you might have agreed to do. You are welcome to ask all ushers currently employed by the Concert Office to sub for you. You should begin this process the moment you identify any scheduling conflict. For your protection, copy Joe at jbroadus@esm.rochester.edu so that we are aware and can monitor your progress. If nobody responds by the day before the gig, WE NEED TO KNOW! Please start calling other ushers to see if anyone can sub for you. WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND A SUB: Once you have found a sub it is your responsibility to have the gig re-assigned to them. The definition of Reassigned is as follows. An email thread that contains all of the following information is required: 1. The name, date and time of the gig in question. 2. Confirmation from your sub that they have taken the assignment from you. 3. Confirmation from you to your sub that they have successfully accepted your assignment. Once an email containing all of the above information is forwarded to Joe in the box office, your name will be removed from the gig and will be replaced with that of your sub. Both you and your sub will be able to verify this by checking the Show My Gigs link on the portal. It is NOT the responsibility of the House Managers to find you a sub! With the exception of erroneously assigned gigs (see the Check Your Schedule paragraph), it is up to you to find someone to cover. Please note if you have been assigned to a gig it is because you had signaled availability for it. Personal emergencies that affect your ability to come in to work will be considered on a case by case basis, however retroactive notice will likely result in a job performance warning. IV. DRESS CODE Everyone: Semi-formal solid black no pinstripes, logos, insignias, colored rhinestone decorations, or large decorative belt buckles. Jeans, leggings, T-shirts or sneakers are not acceptable! Men: Solid black pants or slacks and shirt/sweater, black shoes (wear shoes that are comfortable and quiet!). Women: Dress, blouse and skirt, or blouse/blazer and pants are all acceptable. Dress for the weather and choose a CONSERVATIVE style (hemline at or below the knee, no see-through clothing, showing midriff or low neckline, etc.). Also please wear comfortable, quiet shoes, as you may be asked to assist with stage moves. p. 3 / 9
Usher Tags: your Head Usher will hand you an usher tag. This tag should be worn visibly on your UPPER-LEFT chest area. Return your nametag to the Head Usher at the end of each event. NOTE: The Head Usher has the responsibility and authority to dismiss you from your evening duties without pay if you do not dress within the above guidelines. If there are any questions about dress, ask the House Manager in advance of the event. V. GENERAL CONCERT PROCEDURES All Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Recital Hall and Kodak Hall events are staffed with one to nine ushers, including a Head Usher (HU), who is in charge of administrating all ushering and staging activities at the event. REPORT TIME AND LOCATION Your report time for each gig is indicated on the portal. It is shown as a number of minutes or hours/minutes prior to the event. Head Ushers are expected to arrive 15 minutes earlier that regular ushers. For Kilbourn Hall events, report to the KH lobby. For Hatch Recital Hall, report to Wolk Atrium. For Kodak Hall events, report to the side lobby of the theatre, off of Lowry Hall. Report times are generally 1 hour prior to larger events such as guest, faculty and ensemble concerts, and 45 minutes - ½ hour prior to events such as student recitals. LATE ARRIVAL/NO SHOW Promptness is expected on all occasions. You are welcome to arrive early if you wish, as most head ushers assign concert duties in order of usher arrivals, however you will only be paid from the starting time of the shift, which is the call time listed on the portal. Consistent late arrival may result in your being dropped from the usher crew and your gigs being reassigned to another usher. Absences without arranging for a substitute cannot be permitted, regardless of the circumstances. At some point, it will be your senior degree recital. Please take a moment to think about how you would feel if no-one turned up to run your event. There is a policy for monitoring late and/or non-arrival for an event which is listed at the end of this document. We do not want you to fail and as such, you will be given every opportunity to succeed before any decision to drop you from the team. BEFORE THE DOORS OPEN Each gig starts with a short briefing where the Head Usher assigns a position to each usher, goes through the various tasks and gives specific info about the event. One or two of the ushers may be placed outside the doors to answer questions etc. before the hall opens. The Head Usher will let you know when it is time to open. Generally, the halls open to the public no later than a ½ hour before concert starts. For student recitals, the halls generally open 10 minutes before start. BEFORE AND DURING THE CONCERT When the doors open, ushers hand out programs, count patrons (using a clicker), assist with seating, and scan tickets. Please keeps the line moving efficiently. Ushers are required to stand during the entire event, including intermissions. Only at certain occasions, determined by the Head Usher, will ushers be allowed to sit. It is important that ushers stay in their assigned positions while on duty, and that they are plainly visible to the audience throughout the event. During intermission stay at your post unless directed otherwise by the head usher. ***NOTE ON PHONES: While you are allowed to have your phone on your person when working, non jobrelated use is strictly prohibited. Any usher seen using their phone will receive a job performance warning in accordance with the policy at the end of this document, and any subsequent job performance issues may result in dismissal from the staff. PATRON CONCERNS Answer patron questions as well as you can (see general info under paragraph VII), or refer them to the Head Usher (or to Mike, Greg, Julia or Joe if they are present). Notify your Head Usher and subsequently assist whenever you have a handicapped patron or another patron who might require special assistance. p. 4 / 9
AFTER THE CONCERT Post-concert procedures are generally brief, but important. Ushers go through the hall, put seats back up and collect programs and other discarded items. Lost articles are turned over to the Head Usher. Assist with tear down of stage setups if necessary. When done, please wait to be dismissed by the Head Usher. Depending on the crowd and the staffing situation, the Head Usher is sometimes able to release one or two of the ushers early. He or she will let you know about this at each particular event. *** Early dismissal is not guaranteed for all gigs, so if you need to leave early, be sure to coordinate this with the House Manager in advance of the event. TIMEKEEPING All ushers must log in their hours in HRMS using the student computer available in the Concert Office or a personal mobile device connected to the ESM Wireless network prior to leaving the venue. The Head Ushers will provide you with the hours to be reported as they appear on the head usher report. You will need your NetID and password to log in. Access to HRMS can be easily found by going to esm.rochester.edu, selecting Current Students from the menu underneath the top banner, and further choosing HRMS/PeopleSoft to access the login screen. If you do not log your hours you cannot be paid for them! Pay periods run on a two week cycle from Sunday through to Saturday. On the Monday after a pay cycle is completed, your timekeeper will validate your hours. If your hours are not entered prior to this moment, you will incur a warning from him in accordance with the disciplinary process. A FEW POINTERS ABOUT WORKING BACKSTAGE IN KILBOURN HALL If you are asked to help out with any stage changes, keep in mind the following: Pianos: No fewer than two people should move either of the Steinway pianos! Close the piano lid before any moves. The utmost care should be given at all times when loading a piano on or off the elevator. Always place the protective covers on the piano; any contact between the piano and the elevator could result in case damage. It is extremely important to place the metal ramp securely on the floor, and ensure that both wheels are on the ramp, before loading a piano (or any other object) into the elevator. Load the piano from the back end first; keyboard goes in last. The aim in moving pianos is to avoid any contact with any object, including the sides of the elevator. Lights: Rule number one - never leave the hall in the dark (i.e. always first bring up the light you want switch on; then, bring down the light that goes off). Be familiar with the location and basic operation of the lighting panels in both Kilbourn and Hatch Recital Halls. You might never have to actively adjust the lights, but you need to know how to do so if there is an emergency. Regardless of the circumstances, ushers are NOT allowed to serve as page turners or participate in the performance in any way. HEAD USHER NO-SHOW The Head Usher is scheduled to arrive at least 1 hour prior to bigger events and 45 minutes before student recitals and smaller concerts. In the rare event of a Head Usher no-show, please consult the portal. Once logged in, you can access the private numbers of all the Head Ushers (which are only to be used in the event of a HU no-show!). Find the number of your Head Usher and try to get a hold of him/her. If you are unable to reach this person, call the House Managers or other HUs on staff to see if any of them might be willing to come in and cover the concert. If all else fails, call Security and ask them to unlock the hall (so you can perform the standard pre-concert duties). VI. HALL REGULATIONS Ushers are responsible for enforcing the following regulations in the halls: No food or drink (except for bottled water) is allowed in any of the halls including attached lobby areas. p. 5 / 9
Smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas of the Eastman School of Music. With the exception of student and ECMS recitals, taping, filming, or photographing of a performance is NOT permitted in any of the halls (ESPECIALLY JAZZ FEST), unless prior approval has been granted from the Concert Office (Ex. They have a Media Pass). Flash photography is not permitted under any circumstances. Ushers are to inform patrons of this policy if cameras or recording equipment are brought to a concert. The Head Usher will advise you of any exceptions for a given event. Latecomers are allowed to quietly move to the top of the stairs during a performance, but should never be seated while a performance is in progress. The appropriate time for seating is usually between pieces (the Head Usher will inform you about this at the beginning of each event). Under no circumstances may ushers permit anyone, or any object (including wheelchairs) to block staircases, aisles or fire exits. This includes sitting or standing in stairways during performances. Patrons may stand at the top of the stairs only until the end of the piece, at which point they must either take a seat or leave. USHERS MUST ENFORCE THESE RULES. Fire Code prohibits patrons sitting/standing on stairs or on any of the carpeted areas. In the event that the house is getting filled to capacity the need for standing room might arise. Hatch recital hall has NO standing room capacity, so once the hall is filled to 221 patrons, the venue is officially full and nobody else can be admitted until those already inside the hall leave. Kilbourn Hall can accommodate up to 30 standing room patrons, splitting them about 5-7 each into the lower entrances (voms) and 14-20 behind the last row of seats. o Those standing in the voms have to stand single file to obey fire code, and the head of the first person cannot rise above the banister or in any way interfere with the view of the seated patrons above. o Those standing behind the last row of seats have to keep clear of the fire exit doors leading to Cominsky Promenade on the 2 nd floor, and cannot be allowed to sit on the stairs, also due to fire safety regulations. o It is the Head Usher s and Concert Office staff decision whether standing room will be allowed and at what point those patrons will be admitted. For ticketed events with standing room, those patrons who purchase standing room tickets will typically have them clearly marked by the box office staff to reflect their status as non-seated, and further will be asked to wait until a few minutes before the start of the concert in order to be admitted to the venue. This is done to prevent issues with standing room patrons taking apparently empty seats of those who have yet to arrive in the venue. VII. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Be prepared for emergencies. Immediately inform your Head Usher if you encounter situations, such as: someone becomes ill or injured problems handling difficult or threatening patrons unwanted people entering from the street problems with ESM facilities (light failure, water leaks, fire alarm) Do not hesitate to contact U/R Security in the Main Hall or by calling x5-3333, if you need assistance. Call x13 in the event of an emergency. The security officer is trained to handle situations like the ones above; you are not! Assess and deal with the situation as best you can. Stay calm, and try to keep patrons/coworkers calm. EVACUATION OF THE HALL In the event of an evacuation, the audience will be notified by the Head Usher (KH and HRH) or the Stage Manager (EKH). If there is a fire alarm, the hall is to be evacuated immediately, whether it is a real emergency or not. Open all doors, and direct people all the way out of the building through the nearest emergency exit. Stay calm. In Kilbourn and Hatch Recital Halls, emergency exits are situated at the right p. 6 / 9
and left sides and at the back of the hall. In Kodak Hall, emergency exits are situated at the left side and at the back on all three levels. All exits are marked with glowing red signs. After everyone has cleared the building, Security will let you know when it is safe to re-enter the hall. It is important that you notify the Head Usher if you encounter exit signs that are not working, blocked evacuation routes etc. Never allow people to sit in aisles or in staircases! VIII. GENERAL INFORMATION PAYROLL INFORMATION Ushers are paid on an hourly basis. Paychecks are cut every two weeks and can be picked up at the information window in the Main Hall of the School on Fridays after 12:00pm. The paycheck will not include any gigs that you have worked in the week immediately preceding the Friday you pick up the check, but will include the two weeks before that. If you wish to set up direct deposit into your bank account, please login to PeopleSoft at https://psportal.its.rochester.edu. Your NetID and Password should allow you access to the system. You can monitor your paychecks and setup direct deposit through this online system. UPCOMING EVENTS If patrons have specific questions about upcoming events please refer patrons to the Concert Office web page (esm.rochester.edu) or to the Concert Office (274-1109) open M-F 9:00 am 4:00 pm. BOX OFFICE AND TICKETS All tickets operations for Eastman events are processed through the Eastman Theatre Box Office located on the first floor of the Wolk Atrium in the Eastman East Wing. This includes tickets for all Eastman series, guest concerts, and RPO events. The box office will open one hour prior to the start of any ticketed performance and remain open 30 minutes after the concert start. For Hatch Recital Hall shows the box office will operate from the Wolk Atrium location and for Kilbourn Hall performances they will use the satellite box office located in Lowry Hall. ***Jazz Festival tickets are handled by the Jazz Fest ticket shop located in Messinger Hall, on the corner of Gibbs and East Ave. Ticketing will fall into two categories: general admission or assigned seating. For general admission events all patrons pay a flat price and can sit anywhere in the hall on a first-come-first-served basis. For assigned seating events, patrons pay varied rates depending on the location of the seats purchased and ushers are responsible for directing patrons to their designated seating area. Head ushers will review reading of tickets and hall maps prior to all assigned seating events. PAY PHONES Pay phones are located to the right of the Main Hall next to the stairs leading to the basement. RESTROOMS Restrooms are located in the Kilbourn Hall lobby area, as well as in the basement, mezzanine and balcony levels of the Kodak Hall, and all three levels of the Eastman East Wing. If the house is not opened, patrons should be directed to other restrooms in the Main Building or the EEW. A fully accessible restroom is located next to the KH greenroom and in the Rosevear Gallery off the Oval Lobby of Kodak Hall. Please offer to take patrons to these facilities. ELEVATORS Elevators are available for access to upper levels in Hatch Recital Hall and Kodak Hall only. The elevators are located in Wolk Atrium, in the East Wing, as well as off the Main Lobby area of the theatre (ET classroom elevator). EASTMAN The Eastman School of Music was originally endowed by and named after George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of the Eastman Kodak Company. The Eastman School and Theatre were built in 1921-1922. Their purpose was to enrich community life and contribute to the educational resources of the University of Rochester. The school has only had 6 directors in its history; Howard Hanson, Walter Hendl, Robert Freeman, James Undercofler, Douglas Lowry, and Jamal Rossi the current dean and director. Enrollment is p. 7 / 9
approximately 800 students (450 undergraduates & 350 graduates). The students come from all around the world and 80% are on scholarship. KILBOURN HALL Kilbourn Hall is three stories high and seats 450 people, or 399 people with the stage extension. It was opened in 1921 and named after George Eastman s mother, Maria Kilbourn Eastman. The architecture is Venetian Renaissance style. A 4-manual, 90-rank Skinner organ is located in the hall, though it is currently awaiting repairs. EASTMAN THEATRE Opened in 1922, the 3,375-seat Eastman Theatre was built as a center for music, dance, and silent film with live orchestral and organ accompaniment and for the enrichment of community life (which is inscribed on the Theatre s façade). The Victorian Renaissance architecture and décor are typical for the 1920s. Eastman Theatre was renovated in 1972, 2004 and most recently in 2009. The most visible parts of the recent renovations were a new custom shell that allows for more flexibility on stage, has greatly improved the Theatre s acoustics, and mirrors the beauty of the Theatre s interior. The renovations also include a greatly improved orchestra pit, box seats on the Orchestra and Mezzanine; a new computer-controlled rigging system; dramatically improved stage lighting; a refinished stage floor; new carpeting throughout the theatre; reupholstered furniture; new hall seats; and completely renovated Wegmans Gallery on the Orchestra level. Overall, these renovations are designed to enhance the concert experience for the audience and performers alike. Currently Kodak Hall seats 2,326. Hatch Recital Hall Opened as part of the Eastman East Wing in 2010, the 222-seat recital hall was built to accommodate the increasing number of student, faculty, and chamber performances taking place throughout the year at the Eastman School. The hall features a state-of-the art sound system, Internet 2 capabilities for interactive events, and acoustic panels which can be adjusted to fit the type of performance taking place. The recital hall is also completely sound isolated from the rest of the building, allowing multiple events to take place around the Eastman East Wing. p. 8 / 9