House Management
House Management refers to overseeing the public areas and audience experience in theaters, concert halls, and performance venues. It's like being the host of a very large party, making sure everything runs smoothly for the audience before, during, and after performances. This role involves managing front-of-house staff (like ushers and ticket-takers), ensuring audience safety and comfort, and handling any patron issues that arise during events. You might see this position called "Front of House Management" or "Audience Services Management" as well. It's a crucial role that bridges the gap between the performance itself and the audience experience.
Examples in Resumes
Supervised team of 20 ushers as House Management staff at city opera house
Led House Manager position for 200+ performances annually
Coordinated Front of House Management for multiple Broadway touring shows
Typical job title: "House Managers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find House Managers
Professional Organizations
Job Boards
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you handle a situation where you're understaffed for a sold-out performance?
Expected Answer: Should discuss prioritizing essential positions, emergency staffing procedures, cross-training strategies, and maintaining safety and service standards with limited resources.
Q: Describe your experience with creating and managing house management budgets.
Expected Answer: Should explain experience with staff scheduling costs, supplies management, training programs, and balancing customer service needs with financial constraints.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you handle difficult patrons?
Expected Answer: Should describe de-escalation techniques, knowledge of venue policies, when to involve security, and maintaining professionalism while ensuring other patrons' experiences aren't disrupted.
Q: What's your approach to training new ushers?
Expected Answer: Should discuss creating training materials, emergency procedures, customer service standards, and methods for ensuring consistency across different staff members.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What are the key responsibilities of house management?
Expected Answer: Should mention patron safety, seating, program distribution, managing ushers, handling complaints, and ensuring smooth show operation.
Q: How would you handle a patron arriving late to a performance?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate knowledge of late seating policies, quiet entrance procedures, and balancing individual patron needs with minimal disruption to the performance and other audience members.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic crowd management
- Customer service experience
- Understanding of theatre protocols
- Basic emergency procedures
Mid (2-5 years)
- Staff supervision and training
- Conflict resolution
- Event coordination
- Budget tracking
Senior (5+ years)
- Strategic planning
- Department management
- Policy development
- Crisis management
Red Flags to Watch For
- No live event or customer service experience
- Poor communication skills
- Inability to work evenings and weekends
- No experience managing teams
- Lack of problem-solving examples in high-stress situations
