Opera House Ushers Group

You have reached space on the Internet devoted to the volunteer ushers at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House. OHUG was established to

• inform prospective volunteers about the ushering program

• disseminate information to current volunteers.

Interested in ushering?  Do you sometimes wonder how the ushers at the Opera House got the opportunity to volunteer?

There is a long history of volunteers assisting at and, in return, seeing SF Ballet and SF Opera performances.  And new ushers are more than welcome.  Please e-mail Sharon to help carry on the tradition!

SF OPERA SEASON SIGNUPS    (posted 5/1/24)

Scheduling for San Francisco Opera's 2024 summer season opened on Friday, April 26.

On April 24, active volunteers with a PRESTO-usable email address were sent a message with their starting date. These messages often go to a spam- or junk-mail folder, so please check there before reporting that you didn't get that e-mail.  Messages to some e-mail providers (see below) will not go through.  Users may view their starting date in PRESTO by clicking on the Registration Info link once they are signed in.

STILL RELEVANT:  IF  YOU USE CERTAIN E-MAIL PROVIDERS   (first posted 4/10/23)

If you use a Hotmail, Outlook, or Live e-mail address , this posting is for you!   These are Microsoft Network (MSN) addresses. 

And now it appears that some Apple e-mail addresses (such as icloud.com and me.com) are similarly affected.

After repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stay off MSN's blocking list, PRESTO is no longer supporting these addresses.  And now heightened security by some e-mail providers has made it difficult for PRESTO to get messages out as a 3rd pary mailer.  

If you want to receive automatic e-mail related to your scheduling (such as schedule reminders or notices of open performances), you will need to change the e-mail address associated with your  PRESTO account. 

When general notices are sent to volunteers, an announcement is usually posted on this OHUG website.  You can remain informed by reading summaries of such notices here.  But you will not get personalized information, such as reminders of your schedule, or short-notice alerts, unless you provide an e-mail address that works for PREST).  

Addresses of users whose messages bounce back are being removed from PRESTO mailing lists.

(revised 4/26/24)

SF BALLET SEASON SIGNUPS    (posted 12/27/23)

Scheduling for San Francisco Ballet's 2024 season will open on Friday, December 29.

On December 26, active volunteers were sent a message with their start date. These messages often go to a spam- or junk-mail folder, so please check there before reporting that you didn't get that e-mail.  Messages to some e-mail providers (see below) will not go through.

NUTCRACKER  AND  SHEN YUN  SCHEDULING   (posted 11/2/23)

Nutcracker (December 13-31) and Shen Yun (January 4-7, four performances) return to the Opera House. 

Information about scheduling was e-mailed on October 31.  Volunteers who missed the mailing and have ushered this Fall are asked to look for it in any Spam/Junk folder before asking for another copy.   Volunteers using Hotmail--or related Microsoft products such as MSN--should read the post "DO YOU USE A MSN E-MAIL ADDRESS?"

Please consider being a part of the magic: sign up for Nutcracker!  

BACKSTAGE TOURS   (posted 8/18/23)

Jamye is grateful to everyone who has helped make the Opera House an open and welcoming place for all of our patrons. A backstage tour is being offered to volunteers who ushered at least twenty shifts in the past twelve months. On August 14 these ushers were notified by email that they may sign up in PRESTO Group & Event Manager.

SCHEDULING FOR FALL OPERA   (posted 7/4/23)

PRESTO Group & Event Manager opens on July 7 for ushers who volunteered most frequently in the past calendar year. Those who ushered during that time have been sent the date when they may begin scheduling. And those who ushered at least 20 shifts have been given a little more information about the backstage tours.

Volunteers using Hotmail--or related products such as MSN--should read the post "DO YOU USE A MSN E-MAIL ADDRESS? below, added  April 23.

Other news:

• The Dress Code has been updated.  Click here.  

• This Summer the Opera offered post-performance escorted walks to BART and two garages: https://www.sfopera.com/visit/directions-and-parking

• Entering your shifts into your calendar can be easy with Subscribe via URL Use this URL:  https://prestogem.com/vo/sfopera/signups/exc/653

More info is here: https://prestogem.com/vo/sfopera/groups/h_pers#cal

Note that deleting a shift from your calendar does not cancel your shift in PRESTO. 

FOR YOUR SAFETY   (first posted 11/14/15)

As the last audience members and OHUG volunteers were leaving Don Giovanni on June 26, 2022, there was an unconfirmed report of a shooting at the Pride/City Hall celebration.  The Opera House briefly went into lock-down, and the party across the street came to an abrupt end. 

This near-miss "situation" reminds us all that we need to be prepared for disruptive events.  All ushers are still urged to view, or view again, at least one of the following videos.

Surviving an Active Shooter

Run. Hide. Fight.

Both cover much of the same ground. The first is almost 10 minutes long, and contains scenes of a very violent nature; the second video is 6 minutes long.

Also, while volunteering: if you see any thing, or activity, that is suspicious or seems out-of-place, please say something to your head usher or any staff member nearby.    

(revised 2/22/16, 10/3/17, 11/10/17, 3/10/18, 6/27/22)

NEW TIP CARD AVAILABLE   (posted 10/4/21)

A revised pocket-sized tip card, including some hints that may help answer guests' questions, has been available here since the end of September.  It integrates the modified floor plan in place since the seat update that concluded this summer.  If you find it useful and print it out, it may be good practice to also check the Changes page in the Ushers' Toolkit.  

USHERING ELSEWHERE   (latest version 1/1/22)

Please also note that we have standing invitations to help out by ushering for organizations such as SF Playhouse,  the Lark Theater in Larkspur, New Century Chamber Orchestra, and the SF Bach Choir.  For details, click here.

WHAT IS PERMITTED IN THE THEATER?   (first posted 3/9/18)

The San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center has a web page that outlines what is permitted and prohibited in the different venues, and that includes the Opera House of course. Click here for those lists.

Bags, parcels, backpacks or luggage larger than 15" x 18" are among those items not permitted into the theater. These can be left at the complimentary coat-check in the north and south lobbies off the main lobby.  (Currently, only North Coat Check is in operation.  10/4/21)

And again: if you see anything suspicious or seems out-of-place while volunteering, please remember to say something to your head usher or any staff member nearby.

Thank you!   (revised 7/10/18, 7/10/19, 10/4/21)

USHERS & STAGE HANDS IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE   (first posted 3/22/22)

IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which  represents both stagehands and staff ushers at the Opera House, has made a $25k grant to assist in humanitarian relief for Ukraine and refugees fleeing the war there.  This assistance is being handled through the International and European Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).   

You may individually show solidarity with Ukrainian workers by going to iatse.net/ukr.  (Right now, a 20-Euro contribution amounts to about $21.20, plus any Euro-conversion fee your banking/credit company may charge).

If you are otherwise interested in supporting the needs of refugees and those still inside Ukraine, Charity Navigator has produced a list of highly-rated nonprofits engaged in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding region. 

Note: Information posted here earlier on the response of opera and ballet companies to the invasion of Ukraine is now gathered on its own page.

(revised 5/19/22)