Volunteer Ushers

[jenn328]

Posted: 5/17/21 at 10:07am

Pre-pandemic I volunteered at about a dozen theaters (mostly off-Broadway).  Has anyone heard anything about which theaters will still allow volunteers?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/17/21 at 10:37am

I was a volunteer usher too - I haven't heard anything, but then again, I haven't reached out to find anything out. Volunteer usher programs have always been case-by-case depending on the theatre, and I imagine that will remain true moving forward. Our best bet is probably to reach out to each theatre individually to ask them for updates on their plans. I personally think it's too early to do that, so I'm holding off - but if you decided to give it a try, please report back. 

I definitely hope they keep up these programs, but who knows? On one hand, they may be reticent to have a revolving door of ushers, because it increases the chance of COVID exposure for the staff. But then again, if it's safe enough for a a full-capacity audience, it should be safe enough for volunteer ushers, as the former is much more of a liability. Also, they might need that free labor to maintain operations after the financial hit COVID took. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/17/21 at 12:24pm

JBroadway said: "it increases the chance of COVID exposure for the staff."

How? Vaccination will be required. I know it is going to take us a while to wrap our heads around this movement in the tectonic plates of the pandemic, but by fall I suspect most everyone will have (re)adjusted. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/17/21 at 12:36pm

HogansHero said: "JBroadway said: "it increases the chance of COVID exposure for the staff."

How? Vaccination will be required. I know it is going to take us a while to wrap our heads around this movement in the tectonic plates of the pandemic, but by fall I suspect most everyone will have (re)adjusted."

 

 

I think you're probably right, but I worry they won't see it that way. Similar to how cleaning protocols have been shown to be largely unnecessary, but businesses continue to implement them anyway because it would look bad not to - I worry that they will cut volunteer ushers as an elegant way to appear more COVID safe. 

I guess I'm playing devil's advocate, possibly to prepare myself for potential disappointment. I feel like some of these V.U programs were already on thin ice. 

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/17/21 at 1:03pm

I think this is part and parcel of the reset we are going to be going through between now and the fall. I saw a friend over the weekend who had not (until then) been on the subway since March of last year. I ate indoors for the first time recently (because I don't like long waits, and it looked "safe". It's baby steps and in that sense I think the theatre timetable is going to prove a positive one.