Today the Lobby Vixen is one arctic fox! I, like my foxy brethren, trekked out in the autumn snow and arrived at work early today so that our many concerned patrons would be encouraged to come out and enjoy the show by a real person instead of an answering machine. I was happy to learn from my messages that a large percentage of tonight’s crowd still intended to come out! Someone pointed out to me that we have canceled shows for less snow than this, but that was because of massive cancellations on the customer’s part! If the audience wants to come, we want to put on a show! I quote the great Irving Berlin song, “There’s No Business, Like Show Business,” from Annie Get Your Gun: “The opening when your heart beats like a drum/the closing when the customers won’t come/There’s no business, like show business.”
As I started to plod through the multiple messages that had been left, several of them reminded me of some issues with answering machine etiquette. I want to give customers a professional, easy experience when ordering tickets, but sometimes it is the customers themselves that prevent that from happening. Maybe by reading this you can avoid some of these next time you leave a message!
1. Leave your name. I would love to address you appropriately when I return your call, instead of the less professional, “Hello, this is Vixen I am returning a call from this number.” That makes me feel like one of those people who call back every number that comes up on their caller id, or cell phone, or like a teenager in 1996 returning a call from my pager. But if you leave me a message that says “555-555-5555 I want to order tickets” what else can I say?
2. TMI. That means too much information. Here is an example: “Hi my name is John Doe, we want tickets for Friday’s show, or maybe Saturday’s, I just don’t know because I am going to the doctor Thursday morning to get this boil on my arm checked out since it has started bleeding. So I might not feel up to going out, but if I do, I want to come Friday, if it is still bothering me then Saturday is probably better. It has been bothering me for weeks and this is the first chance I have had to get it checked out and that’s good because I think it is infected…” you get the idea. TMI can also apply to less personal things that just slow down the process of me getting you your tickets. “I might drive, but my friend said she wants to drive, but I don’t like when she drives because she always goes over the speed limit…” Believe me, caring, compassionate Vixen is concerned for your health and safety, but she does not need this information in order to secure your tickets. If you leave this information out of your message my return call will come faster and I won’t need to listen more than once to get the important information (name, date, number of tickets).
3. Leaving multiple messages. It says in the prompt that someone will be here 2 hours before the performance. That means on a Saturday, with a 7:30 show, I will arrive at 5:30. Leaving messages at 8:30am, 10:15am, 1:32pm and 4:56pm yelling because I have yet to return your first call does not move the process any faster. In fact it slows me down because I have to get through 4 messages, where one would have been enough!
4. Speak clearly. Remember that the single most important piece of information you are leaving is your phone number! I can’t count how many messages say, “This is John Doe, that’s D-as-in-dog O E. My phone number is 303-jhirheiughuygherg” And the number gets sped through and dropped. If I can’t call you back, I can’t get your order processed.
Remembering some of these will help you get faster, more competent service! I want to sell you tickets! I want you to come see the show! I want it to be an east process! But I can’t make that happen unless the information I need is left clearly and concisely!
Now, I trek out beyond my own little lobby all the time to catch shows all over town. And I, just like you have to call and speak to a machine to get tickets. So when I leave a message, I use this little rule. I only leave a message that I would want to hear. “Hi! This is Vixen. I would like to purchase 2 tickets for the Saturday performance. Please give me a call back at 303-555-4040. Thanks!” I speak clearly, slowly and I just give the basic info. Remember Name, Date, and Number of Tickets.
Now your amiable arctic fox is going to trek back out into the snow and clear off the icy sidewalks! Keep warm everybody!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Audience is ALIVE!!
I find audiences fascinating. It's probably the reason I got into theatre. Every audience is different, every audience creates a different atmosphere. Some laugh hysterically at everything. Some don't laugh at all. Some cry, some complain, some are mischievous.
I once struck up a conversation with a man from Michigan who regaled me with stories of his crazy hunting days as a teenage in Escanaba. The woman behind him listened intently for quite awhile, then she turned and asked his name. Turned out that they had lived only blocks apart and he had gone to high school with her older sibling. Life had taken both of them out of Michigan, landed them in Denver and had driven them to the theatre on that particular night. They also both were apart of two very large and very raucous groups that night, who then formed into one massive raucous group that seems to influence the energy of the rest of that nights audience. Let's just say, it was a night to remember.
Last night's audience was too. Last night was a bit of a different gig for the theatre. It was a comedy show, something I haven't witnessed here since I started. The energy was very different. It was fun!
I'm reminded of why comedy clubs have two drink minimums. They want you to drink, "the more you drink, the more you'll laugh." Although I do wonder about the occasional onset of the "the more you drink, the more you hassle the comedian." We didn't need either of these. This audience wanted to drink, and they wanted to have fun.
It was I that wasn't prepared. Unfortunately, I ran out of cold beer. That is like comedy show high treason!! And boy did I know it! Some creative thinking got us back up and on the go, but it was a stressful 20 or so minutes. I kept them drinking, and kept them happy! If I learned anything last night, it's to not stand in the way of a comedy crowd when they want some beer.
I didn't catch the comedians, but I know for sure that the crowd was a laugh a minute. In one circumstance as they took my darling patron, a darling stuffed fox and propped it up in provocative positions. Of course, no harm, no foul. And it was sort of funny. And I sure it would have been hilarious if I had been drunk.
Another laugh for me came when someone tried to steal my bar sign. I don't know why he couldn't just read it in place, but he reached out and started to grab it and pull it away from the bar, starting a domino effect and causing chaos on my bar. It was then that he asked if he could take the sign.
They were truly a fun audience, and brought an incredibly interesting atmosphere. And the loved the show. They all came out raving about it, and stuck around for quite awhile afterward. Always a good sign. I wished I had caught the show myself. Sadly though, I spent my night keeping beer cold and thinking of ways to improve my beloved lobby. But ideas abound and said improvements are on the horizon!
I once struck up a conversation with a man from Michigan who regaled me with stories of his crazy hunting days as a teenage in Escanaba. The woman behind him listened intently for quite awhile, then she turned and asked his name. Turned out that they had lived only blocks apart and he had gone to high school with her older sibling. Life had taken both of them out of Michigan, landed them in Denver and had driven them to the theatre on that particular night. They also both were apart of two very large and very raucous groups that night, who then formed into one massive raucous group that seems to influence the energy of the rest of that nights audience. Let's just say, it was a night to remember.
Last night's audience was too. Last night was a bit of a different gig for the theatre. It was a comedy show, something I haven't witnessed here since I started. The energy was very different. It was fun!
I'm reminded of why comedy clubs have two drink minimums. They want you to drink, "the more you drink, the more you'll laugh." Although I do wonder about the occasional onset of the "the more you drink, the more you hassle the comedian." We didn't need either of these. This audience wanted to drink, and they wanted to have fun.
It was I that wasn't prepared. Unfortunately, I ran out of cold beer. That is like comedy show high treason!! And boy did I know it! Some creative thinking got us back up and on the go, but it was a stressful 20 or so minutes. I kept them drinking, and kept them happy! If I learned anything last night, it's to not stand in the way of a comedy crowd when they want some beer.
I didn't catch the comedians, but I know for sure that the crowd was a laugh a minute. In one circumstance as they took my darling patron, a darling stuffed fox and propped it up in provocative positions. Of course, no harm, no foul. And it was sort of funny. And I sure it would have been hilarious if I had been drunk.
Another laugh for me came when someone tried to steal my bar sign. I don't know why he couldn't just read it in place, but he reached out and started to grab it and pull it away from the bar, starting a domino effect and causing chaos on my bar. It was then that he asked if he could take the sign.
They were truly a fun audience, and brought an incredibly interesting atmosphere. And the loved the show. They all came out raving about it, and stuck around for quite awhile afterward. Always a good sign. I wished I had caught the show myself. Sadly though, I spent my night keeping beer cold and thinking of ways to improve my beloved lobby. But ideas abound and said improvements are on the horizon!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
House Managing 101
Silly as it sounds, my job doesn't necessarily come naturally to people. Yes it's relatively simple in theory. Open house, get people seated, pour wine. But I can tell you from personal experience, not everyone is cut out for the job!
When I was still just a wet behind the ears lobby vixen I was working a show with our most established house manager. Notice I didn't say best, I said most established. Read: She'd been there FOREVER! She and I were working at a very busy Christmas show, trying to fill 200 concessions orders in approximately 15 minutes. A woman came up to me at the bar and asked if we take check. I turned to the mature manager to inquire myself if this was an acceptable for of payment, instead she looked past me at the patron and yelled "Yes we take check, now get to the back of the line." Ok, so this lady was outside of the line, yes, but my guess is she was just doing it to make sure of our payment policies before getting in the line. Surely she wasn't going to just order. And had I the chance to politely answer her, I don't doubt that is how it would have happened. But unfortunately she took offense at my cranky co-workers words and complained to the box office. Not everyone can do my job.
It takes finesse. You have to know how to appear as the audience wants. You have to have the answer they are looking for when things go wrong. It's sort of like theatre itself. Know the lines!
Next time you go to see a show, go early. Sit in the lobby and look for the house manager. They probably are dressed nicely, better then the ushers and in some cases, better then the audience. They are usually quiet, but attentive. Sometimes we have name tags or head sets, or maybe just a walkie talkie. Check out the ushers, the lobby, the concessions. All of this is my domain. Chances are, none of what you are seeing was ready that morning. That house manager probably put in an hours worth of work preparing for you.
There is a lot to be done. Not that I am complaining. I love my job. I have turned down other better paying full time jobs to keep this job. I might actually be crazy. But that is for another blog on another day. You CANNOT show up for this job 5 minutes prior to house open. Period. End of sentence.
Which brings me to my very odd day. A few days ago I was house managing a show. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was a show that was in the middle of a lengthy run, I had worked before, my fellow lobby ladies had worked as well. The show ran typically and often very smoothly. I showed up early, to relieve the box office maven working that day. I set up as usual, even got done early and found time to read before anyone showed up. As I prepared to open house a woman walked in baring props. Not out of the ordinary, but a little strange. I asked if I could help her, and informed her that house wasn't open yet. A statement that brings a barrage of different responses, but never this one. She looked me square in the eye and said, "Nope, I'm the house manager."
...right....but I'm the house manager. I know because I work here. And I'm on the payroll. And I've been here for an hour and a half setting up. You can't house manage a house that opens in five minutes.
Truthfully I chalk it all up to confusion. Maybe she meant usher, maybe because she usually is the house manager for the company that is renting out the space. I don't know. I figured maybe I had missed something, maybe we normally have some help. Sadly, I had to inform her that I was the house manager and that I had nothing for her to do.
The odd thing was that when I asked my lovely co-lobby vixens, they hadn't had any such thing happen to them. So I was the only one, on this one night. Weird.
In the end, because I am in the spirit of Halloween, I am going to have to say it was a mysterious ghost house manager, the spirit of a house manager long dead who wanted to revisit her past. Ooooh! Eerie! Of course she was dressed in 2009 garb so it's not exactly the best explanation. But hey, it's fun. And weirder things have happened to me.
When I was still just a wet behind the ears lobby vixen I was working a show with our most established house manager. Notice I didn't say best, I said most established. Read: She'd been there FOREVER! She and I were working at a very busy Christmas show, trying to fill 200 concessions orders in approximately 15 minutes. A woman came up to me at the bar and asked if we take check. I turned to the mature manager to inquire myself if this was an acceptable for of payment, instead she looked past me at the patron and yelled "Yes we take check, now get to the back of the line." Ok, so this lady was outside of the line, yes, but my guess is she was just doing it to make sure of our payment policies before getting in the line. Surely she wasn't going to just order. And had I the chance to politely answer her, I don't doubt that is how it would have happened. But unfortunately she took offense at my cranky co-workers words and complained to the box office. Not everyone can do my job.
It takes finesse. You have to know how to appear as the audience wants. You have to have the answer they are looking for when things go wrong. It's sort of like theatre itself. Know the lines!
Next time you go to see a show, go early. Sit in the lobby and look for the house manager. They probably are dressed nicely, better then the ushers and in some cases, better then the audience. They are usually quiet, but attentive. Sometimes we have name tags or head sets, or maybe just a walkie talkie. Check out the ushers, the lobby, the concessions. All of this is my domain. Chances are, none of what you are seeing was ready that morning. That house manager probably put in an hours worth of work preparing for you.
There is a lot to be done. Not that I am complaining. I love my job. I have turned down other better paying full time jobs to keep this job. I might actually be crazy. But that is for another blog on another day. You CANNOT show up for this job 5 minutes prior to house open. Period. End of sentence.
Which brings me to my very odd day. A few days ago I was house managing a show. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was a show that was in the middle of a lengthy run, I had worked before, my fellow lobby ladies had worked as well. The show ran typically and often very smoothly. I showed up early, to relieve the box office maven working that day. I set up as usual, even got done early and found time to read before anyone showed up. As I prepared to open house a woman walked in baring props. Not out of the ordinary, but a little strange. I asked if I could help her, and informed her that house wasn't open yet. A statement that brings a barrage of different responses, but never this one. She looked me square in the eye and said, "Nope, I'm the house manager."
...right....but I'm the house manager. I know because I work here. And I'm on the payroll. And I've been here for an hour and a half setting up. You can't house manage a house that opens in five minutes.
Truthfully I chalk it all up to confusion. Maybe she meant usher, maybe because she usually is the house manager for the company that is renting out the space. I don't know. I figured maybe I had missed something, maybe we normally have some help. Sadly, I had to inform her that I was the house manager and that I had nothing for her to do.
The odd thing was that when I asked my lovely co-lobby vixens, they hadn't had any such thing happen to them. So I was the only one, on this one night. Weird.
In the end, because I am in the spirit of Halloween, I am going to have to say it was a mysterious ghost house manager, the spirit of a house manager long dead who wanted to revisit her past. Ooooh! Eerie! Of course she was dressed in 2009 garb so it's not exactly the best explanation. But hey, it's fun. And weirder things have happened to me.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Vintage Theatre's Fat Pig
Yesterday, your venerable Vixen trotted out to see Vintage Theatre's production of Neil LaBute's Fat Pig, currently playing in the Aurora Fox Studio.
Now I have to be honest and say that I was working. Truthfully, I'm always working. So after I stashed my concessions, locked up my money, and shut the curtains, I sat down and gave myself over to the show. Well mostly. Since I was technically working my senses were alert, my mind racing. Was that the door? Does the stage manager need anything? Should I get that person a cough drop? Luckily this was a small house, and I was able to relax quite a bit.
Going into this show, I have....a certain preconception. I admit that's wrong, I do, but any trained theatre person would do the same thing. This play is one that I keep close to me. The story is about chubby, cheerful and ultimately chucked Helen and her somewhat off-putting relationship with typically tolerant Tom. She's fat, he likes her, but can't face the thought of what the world perceives of him being with her. Don't get me wrong, though it's not a laugh a minute, the show is quite funny. Like your truly, the show is chubby, funny and just the tiniest bit self loathing. Tom's persuaded by his lovely work companions that being with the fat chick is wrong causing Tom to re-evaluate the relationship and Helen. Despite everything, LaBute crafted a brilliant story that leaves you (and your companions) thinking.
Vintage's productions is quite good, though lacking in a few key areas. The acting is fine, though nothing special. I was moved to tears during the last 10 minutes, in part because I had grown to care for Helen, but the other part is from my own repressed memories of rejection. I know...whine, whine, whine. Back to the review...my favorite by far was Carter, played brilliantly by James O'Hagen Murphy. The role requires him to be a complete, soul less jerk, but James brought a different light to the character and an almost childlike sweetness that nearly made you forgive his cruel words.
My favorite thing about the technical side was easily the set design. The white circular stage with a back wall of giant white balloon was sheer brilliance. It focused the attention on the message of the play and the message director Linda Suttle was trying to send, with out distracting. It also served as a screen for the projector, although I rarely paid attention to what was being projected. The greatest part of the set, was the way it allowed for such a dynamic lighting plot. The lighting design, by Jen Orf was nothing short of fantastic. I love her usage of color. The only down side to the set were the hydrolics used to elevate a small portion of the stage to become a bed. Though the effect was beautiful once it was in place, the sound of the hydraulics took me out of the play and in a way, broke the fourth wall.
The rest of the show was great! The costumes were great, I loved the use of blue. The sound was predictable, but not distracting. My only real complaint is the running crew. Though efficient and great during scene changes, I felt that they were needlessly loud during the show. My theatre dork radar went off all night long as I heard people shuffling and moving things all around the theatre. I know that they are volunteers, but there must be some level of professionalism, surely! I feel for the stage manager.
In the end I have to say that I truly enjoyed the show, and it's is absolutely worth your money! Of course I saw the show for free, I'm the Lobby Vixen. The show runs weekends from now until Nov. 1.
Check out Vintage Theatre at: www.vintagetheatre.com
Check out the Aurora Fox and purchase tickets at: www.aurorafox.org
Now I have to be honest and say that I was working. Truthfully, I'm always working. So after I stashed my concessions, locked up my money, and shut the curtains, I sat down and gave myself over to the show. Well mostly. Since I was technically working my senses were alert, my mind racing. Was that the door? Does the stage manager need anything? Should I get that person a cough drop? Luckily this was a small house, and I was able to relax quite a bit.
Going into this show, I have....a certain preconception. I admit that's wrong, I do, but any trained theatre person would do the same thing. This play is one that I keep close to me. The story is about chubby, cheerful and ultimately chucked Helen and her somewhat off-putting relationship with typically tolerant Tom. She's fat, he likes her, but can't face the thought of what the world perceives of him being with her. Don't get me wrong, though it's not a laugh a minute, the show is quite funny. Like your truly, the show is chubby, funny and just the tiniest bit self loathing. Tom's persuaded by his lovely work companions that being with the fat chick is wrong causing Tom to re-evaluate the relationship and Helen. Despite everything, LaBute crafted a brilliant story that leaves you (and your companions) thinking.
Vintage's productions is quite good, though lacking in a few key areas. The acting is fine, though nothing special. I was moved to tears during the last 10 minutes, in part because I had grown to care for Helen, but the other part is from my own repressed memories of rejection. I know...whine, whine, whine. Back to the review...my favorite by far was Carter, played brilliantly by James O'Hagen Murphy. The role requires him to be a complete, soul less jerk, but James brought a different light to the character and an almost childlike sweetness that nearly made you forgive his cruel words.
My favorite thing about the technical side was easily the set design. The white circular stage with a back wall of giant white balloon was sheer brilliance. It focused the attention on the message of the play and the message director Linda Suttle was trying to send, with out distracting. It also served as a screen for the projector, although I rarely paid attention to what was being projected. The greatest part of the set, was the way it allowed for such a dynamic lighting plot. The lighting design, by Jen Orf was nothing short of fantastic. I love her usage of color. The only down side to the set were the hydrolics used to elevate a small portion of the stage to become a bed. Though the effect was beautiful once it was in place, the sound of the hydraulics took me out of the play and in a way, broke the fourth wall.
The rest of the show was great! The costumes were great, I loved the use of blue. The sound was predictable, but not distracting. My only real complaint is the running crew. Though efficient and great during scene changes, I felt that they were needlessly loud during the show. My theatre dork radar went off all night long as I heard people shuffling and moving things all around the theatre. I know that they are volunteers, but there must be some level of professionalism, surely! I feel for the stage manager.
In the end I have to say that I truly enjoyed the show, and it's is absolutely worth your money! Of course I saw the show for free, I'm the Lobby Vixen. The show runs weekends from now until Nov. 1.
Check out Vintage Theatre at: www.vintagetheatre.com
Check out the Aurora Fox and purchase tickets at: www.aurorafox.org
Lobby Vixen is on the Hunt!
And she is prowling the lobby for the truth! I am going to be showing the truth of theatre from my cozy little seat in the lobby where I claim the title of "House Manager."
For those unknown to the intricacies of the theatre world, the house manager is the person who runs the lobby. We are high commanders of the front of house. I open the doors, clean and make the theatre presentable, stock the concessions, sell you wine, give you a cookie, take your coat, stash your flowers, sell you another glass of wine, train the ushers, take your tickets, give you a program, remind the ushers that they should be taking tickets and handing programs, closing up, watching the house, defending the theatre from the vagrants and gypsies, opening the doors for intermission, sell you yet another glass of wine, point out the bathroom, sell you a fundraise item, close the doors for act 2, count the tickets, count the money, get the actors after the show, cut you off from the wine, sell you a cup of coffee, point you towards the producer, send you on your way with a “hope to see you next time,” put away everything, make the ushers clean the house, clean up after the ushers, lock the doors and head home. Or is it like when you were in grade school and you thought your teachers lived at school? I assure you, I am not some mythical creature that lives in the lobby. Although, it does feel like that sometimes!
In truth, you shouldn’t see me or know my existence outside of picking up your tickets and ordering your wine. That is the mark of a good theatre experience. If you’ve had to talk to be, it’s probably because you had a problem of some kind. We don’t like that. Now sometimes these problems are mine or the theatres fault. Sometimes they are not. I am going to show you the theatre experience from my side, and review the shows from my quiet little corner of the lobby.
Now, I must explain my name. A Vixen is a female fox, and I am like a female fox, quietly stalking through the lobby, observing behavior. Beware, next time you hit your favorite theater, the Lobby Vixen maybe be stalking near by. First stop? Vintage Theatre's Fat Pig!
For those unknown to the intricacies of the theatre world, the house manager is the person who runs the lobby. We are high commanders of the front of house. I open the doors, clean and make the theatre presentable, stock the concessions, sell you wine, give you a cookie, take your coat, stash your flowers, sell you another glass of wine, train the ushers, take your tickets, give you a program, remind the ushers that they should be taking tickets and handing programs, closing up, watching the house, defending the theatre from the vagrants and gypsies, opening the doors for intermission, sell you yet another glass of wine, point out the bathroom, sell you a fundraise item, close the doors for act 2, count the tickets, count the money, get the actors after the show, cut you off from the wine, sell you a cup of coffee, point you towards the producer, send you on your way with a “hope to see you next time,” put away everything, make the ushers clean the house, clean up after the ushers, lock the doors and head home. Or is it like when you were in grade school and you thought your teachers lived at school? I assure you, I am not some mythical creature that lives in the lobby. Although, it does feel like that sometimes!
In truth, you shouldn’t see me or know my existence outside of picking up your tickets and ordering your wine. That is the mark of a good theatre experience. If you’ve had to talk to be, it’s probably because you had a problem of some kind. We don’t like that. Now sometimes these problems are mine or the theatres fault. Sometimes they are not. I am going to show you the theatre experience from my side, and review the shows from my quiet little corner of the lobby.
Now, I must explain my name. A Vixen is a female fox, and I am like a female fox, quietly stalking through the lobby, observing behavior. Beware, next time you hit your favorite theater, the Lobby Vixen maybe be stalking near by. First stop? Vintage Theatre's Fat Pig!
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