Packed theaters, pushy customers, and free front-row seats to live performances — ushering at the Shea Center is anything but boring for me.

Since spring 2023, I’ve been working at the Shea Center, when I was new to everything around campus. My job as an usher is to help customers find their seats within the auditorium of the Shea Center along with interacting with the customers and telling them where their seats are from the tickets they purchase for the following shows, guide the audience in and out of the auditorium with flashlights so they won’t trip walking up and down the stairs when they need to exit, or when the show and or performances for the upcoming events end and during intermissions.

It’s a pretty decent job, and you also have the benefit of watching the show along with the audience. There are times when people enter parts of the auditorium that aren’t available and still sit there, which is very annoying. Along with that, at the end of the show, there are times when people in the front rows try to get on the stage to ask the performers questions or to say hello, which is not only unprofessional but also quite dangerous. 

It’s pretty annoying to tell others not to sit there. They respond with uninterested faces and tell me that they know the performers. These types of things happen mostly on Middays. 

No matter how many times I tell them this, they still don’t follow directions, which can be stressful and frustrating. They think they can just sit anywhere and not be held accountable.

In the past, I told a customer that he wasn’t allowed to sit in a specific part of the auditorium. After that, he told me that he was a staff member and continued to explain that it was rude to interrupt someone watching a show. I walked out of the auditorium in shame and tears, but I wouldn’t have had to do that if he had been sitting in the right section. 

During specific events at the Shea Center, where the auditorium is packed with over 900 people, I feel really out of place, and my anxiety skyrockets. Once, I had to walk out due to the large number of people attending the event. The other Ushers and employees are friendly and helpful whenever things get rough or too much for me to handle. I’m glad I can get help or directions when I need them.

There were also some events where I worked in concessions. In concessions, I must give customers the snack or beverage item(s) they choose to purchase, based on current events at the box office of the Shea Center, while also interacting with them, providing customer service, and handling transactions. Even though I rarely work in concessions, there was one time when a lot of customers were buying snacks, water, and coffee, and I felt a little under pressure from their demands.

Other than that, the job is pretty good if you’re interested in music and theater and want to see free shows. 

As a federal work-study student who cannot work more days due to my academic schedule, I recommend this position to those who love attending musical and theatrical events at the Shea Center.