Ushering

Volunteering as an usher is a great way for theatre-lovers to support Steppenwolf while seeing one of our shows for free – we're always looking for friendly people to help us welcome our audience to productions in our theaters!

Frequency

We offer the best level of customer service when we work with volunteers on an ongoing basis; they’re able to acquaint themselves with the nuances of the way the theatre runs, and are able to make our patrons’ experience that much better.

If you’re interested in supporting the theatre by volunteering a handful of times over the course of the season, we’d love to have you. If you’re simply interested in seeing a popular show for free, though, we encourage you to purchase a ticket – there are lots of discounted ways of doing so.

Performances

We offer two usher slots* for each performance of our mainstage shows, and two usher slots for each performance of our LookOut shows. We highly encourage ushers to volunteer for both programs; our LookOut programming is always changing, and offers a wide variety of unique experiences for ushers and audiences.

*For our mainstage shows, we reserve eight usher slots for The Saints usher corps. We recommend checking them out if you’re interested in being a frequent usher for all kinds of performance art, all over the city!

Duties & Attire

Ushers are typically called to the theater 75 minutes prior to the curtain time of a production, and are expected (unless otherwise noted) to wear clean, pressed, all-black clothing.

Duties include learning about the seating chart and theater protocol through a brief orientation; using an electronic scanner to record attendance; handing out programs, helping guests find their seats; picking up the theater space following the performance; and, most importantly, helping make each patron's stay as pleasant as possible.

While prior experience as an usher isn't necessary, it is important that volunteers:

• Display a warm, friendly demeanor and enjoy working with people
• Be able and willing to learn how to efficiently use the theatre's electronic ticket scanners
• Be flexible and willing to undertake different duties each time you usher

How to Sign Up

We accept ushering sign-ups year round.

When e-mailing a request to usher, please make it easy to schedule you (we receive hundreds of e-mails) by always including:

• Name(s) of usher(s)
• If you are a new or returning usher
• Contact information for each usher (street address, zip code, e-mail and phone number)
• Whether you’re interested in ushering for our mainstage shows, our LookOut programming, or both!

When you've got all of the above information ready, please e-mail usher@steppenwolf.org. 

other VOLUNTEER opportunities

We LOVE hearing from enthusiastic people who are willing to give their time and energy to our commitment towards making meaningful theatre. In the past Steppenwolf volunteers have helped with projects in Development, Education and Administration.

If you’d like to help support our accessibility programming for people with disabilities, there our opportunities to serve as a sighted guide for our Audio Description/Touch Tour performances. 

For volunteers who know American Sign Language, there our opportunities to serve as an usher for performances featuring ASL Interpretation.

If you are interested in getting to know more about volunteering with Steppenwolf, please send your name, resume and area of interest to volunteers@steppenwolf.org. Thank you!