Announcement Archive 2016-17

JULY EVENTS - posted June 13, 2017

Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, July 15 and 16: In its 39th year, the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival comes to the Opera House for the first time with two programs, one each weekend.

Saturday, July 22: Last at the Opera House in 2011, Youth Speaks returns with Brave New Voices Grand Slam Finals.

Usher for these three programs, or volunteer for all five dates, and celebrate the diversity of the Bay Area.

FALL OPERA SEASON - first posted June 6, 2017

Scheduling for the Merola Grand Finale (on Saturday, August 19) and the Fall Opera Season will open on July 7. Messages with an usher's start date will be sent on July 3. Start dates reflect a volunteer's frequency (especially for long runs), reliability, and versatility. Scheduling depends on ushers fulfilling their commitments.

LA BOHÈME: THANK-YOU VOUCHERS - posted May 30, 2017

To thank volunteers for their help, the Opera is offering vouchers for the La bohème dress rehearsal on Wednesday, June 7, 6:00pm. While supplies last, ushers may use PRESTO to signup for one or two vouchers.

CITY HALL LIGHTING - first posted April 5, 2017

There is now, finally, a web page that publishes the reasons for the lighting of City Hall. Follow the link on the OHUG navigation sidebar to the left.

(This update posted 4/20)

SUMMER OPERA SEASON - first posted April 2, 2017

Scheduling for the Summer Opera Season opened on April 21. Messages with an usher's start date were sent on April 19. Start dates reflect a volunteer's frequency (especially for long runs), reliability, and versatility. Scheduling depends on ushers fulfilling their commitments.​

(This update posted 4/22)

DRINKS IN THE OPERA HOUSE - posted January 7, 2017

On January 7, Jamye sent a message thanking all OHUG volunteers for all their help and work in 2016 and announcing a six-month trial period during which beverages will be allowed into the auditorium under very specific conditions. If you want a copy, after checking your spam folder please send e-mail to <ushers@sfopera.com>. The full text of the announcement is also available HERE as a PDF.

OTHER EVENTS DURING BALLET SEASON - first posted December 29, 2016

Available for scheduling are:

   Shen Yun

   Saturday, December 31 to Sunday, January 8 - report times 11:30am, 12:30pm, or 6pm

   10th Annual Crunchies Awards

   Monday, February 6 - report time 6pm

   SF Ballet's Sensorium

   Tuesday, March 21 - report time 7pm

   Added Swan Lake

   Saturday, April 15 - report time 5:30pm

   Easter Service: Reality SF

   Sunday, April 16 - report time 8:45am

   The Goldman Prize Ceremony

   Monday, April 24 - report time 4pm

   Cinderella Rehearsal

   Friday, April 28 - report time 12noon

   Children's Day: Presidio Dance Theatre

   Monday, May 1 - report times 9am and 10:30am​

    (first posted 12/29/16, with additional events added during Ballet Season; this is a conflated version )

BALLET SEASON 2017 - posted December 18, 2016

On December 20, invitations to signup for San Francisco Ballet Repertory Season, 2017, will be sent. These messages will tell ushers when they may begin scheduling. The dates are staggered, the earliest being December 23. Starting dates reflect a volunteer's frequency, reliability, and versatility. Scheduling depends on ushers fulfilling their commitments. Volunteers who cancel a Nutcracker performance without adding another (even if they still usher for four) will have their Ballet signups reviewed.

TRAFFIC CHANGES ON VAN NESS - posted October 25, 2016

Construction for the Van Ness Improvement Project is underway, and so the way people travel Van Ness Avenue will be changing. While there is no apparent work near the Opera House yet, there will be some issues for drivers (and, thus, pedestrians) in the area.

For one thing, Van Ness is being reduced from three to two lanes of travel in each direction. Also, most left turns from Van Ness are being removed. The only left turns permitted will be southbound at Broadway and northbound at Lombard. And a left turn northbound at Hayes Street will be in place until April 2017.

If you are walking across Van Ness, please be aware that drivers may be doing some strange things until the new traffic patterns and routes sink in. For more information, click HERE.

NUTCRACKER 2016 - posted October 17, 2016

On November 1, invitations to signup for Nutcracker performances will be sent. These letters will say when ushers may begin scheduling. The dates will be staggered, the earliest being November 4. Volunteers’ starting dates will be determined by their frequency and quality of ushering.

On October 17, Jamye sent e-mail clarifying her expectations about ushering duties after final curtain. The text of that message is HERE; if you didn't get it, please send e-mail to <ushers@sfopera.com>.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN: THE HUNGER TOUR - posted October 1, 2016

Scheduling for Anthony Bourdain: The Hunger Tour will begin Friday, October 14 for volunteers who were able to signup for Fall Opera before July 14. This event will be held at the Opera House on Wednesday, November 16, report time 6:00pm.

Requests will be processed on October 17. If any spaces remain the event will be open to other volunteers.

FALL OPERA SEASON, 2016 - posted June 30, 2016

Scheduling for the Fall Opera Season will open on July 8. On July 5, volunteers will be informed by e-mail of the date on which they may begin scheduling. Starting dates are staggered, and reflect a volunteer's schedule (frequency), ushering quality (excellence wherever assigned), and help during Nutcracker. Details can be found on the General Information page.

JENUFA: THANK-YOU TICKETS - posted June 23, 2016

To thank volunteers for their help, the Opera is offering each usher up to two tickets for one of the last three performances Jenůfa. Instructions are in the form on PRESTO. Deadline is 1:30pm the day before the selected performance. Questions should be directed to <ushers@sfopera.com> not to the Box Office.

BUS STOPS CLOSEST TO OPERA HOUSE CLOSED - posted May 26, 2016

Starting Saturday, June 4, bus stops on Van Ness are being consolidated by Muni as part of the beginning of construction for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lanes. This will mean the loss of the stops at Grove Street. The Van Ness bus stops closest to the Opera House will be at McAllister (at that corner of City Hall for buses moving up Van Ness from Market Street, and in front of the War Memorial Veterans Building for buses going toward Market).

Construction is expected to continue through 2018. For more information, click HERE.

JENUFA: THANK-YOU VOUCHERS - posted May 23, 2016

To thank volunteers for their help, the Opera is offering vouchers for the open dress rehearsal of Jenůfa on Saturday, June 11, 2:00pm. While supplies last, ushers may use PRESTO to signup for one or two vouchers. PRESTO will also allow some ushers, depending on the quality and quantity of their volunteering in the past year to signup for and/or request one or two additional vouchers. Requests will be processed on June 4, unless vouchers are gone earlier. Volunteer ushers should check PRESTO for the status of their request, and for voucher pick-up instructions, which will be posted on the sign-up form on June 4.

To attend the rehearsal using these vouchers, which are transferable, volunteers need not usher for a performance of Jenůfa.

VOLUNTEER USHER POLICIES - posted April 7, 2016

This revised statement of what is expected of volunteer ushers will soon be incorporated in the General Information section.

Scheduling:

All ushers now sign up as ‘usher’ and are expected to stay for an entire shift. If you do need to leave earlier, check with your supervisor. She or he will release you when able to do so. (This is the end of the tiered sign up system.)

[The House Manage sent e-mail to clarify the  policy for end-of-performance duties on October 17, 2016.

The full text is available here.]

Briefing:

Be prepared to attend a House Manager briefing at report time unless told otherwise. After this briefing, report immediately to your supervisor in your assigned position. These briefings are not optional. Please be prompt.

Seating:

When using usher seating please keep your badge on. If a patron offers you a ticket remove your badge when you sit in that seat. Never should you ask a patron if they have an extra ticket or ask if you can have their extra ticket, they must offer it willingly. Please do not seat yourself in any unauthorized sections. Crossing over a patron to take a seat is strictly forbidden. When it comes time to get seated, line up along the wall aisle you want to go down, allow patrons easy access to hurry down to their seats last minute. The door or aisle usher will signal when you may go down the aisle.

Seating by Section:

  Orchestra - Seating down both wall aisles and in Row ZZ

  Boxes - Never allowed

  Grand Tier - Never allowed

  Dress Circle - Seating down the north wall aisle or in Row L if available; sitting on stairs not allowed.

  Balcony Circle/Balcony - Seating down both wall aisles; sitting on stairs not allowed.

Alcohol:

Consuming alcohol is forbidden from the moment you check into the Opera House for your shift to the moment you exit the Opera House. Even if you are released from duty, you are not to consume alcohol on the premises. If you come to the Opera House on a comp or patron ticket, and not as a volunteer, enjoy your libations, but please remember that you are still associated with the Opera House so drink responsibly.

(These policies were incorporated into the information on the General Information page on 5/29/2016.)

TOURS OF WILSEY CENTER FOR OPERA - posted March 28, 2016

During the months of April and May, there will be free 20-minute tours of the new Diane B. Wilsey Center on Mondays from noon to 2:00pm. The tours begin in the lobby of the War Memorial Veterans Building, next door to the Opera House.    (posted 3/28; revised 3/31)

SUMMER OPERA SEASON . . .

Scheduling for the Summer Opera Season will open on April 1. On March 26, volunteers will be informed by e-mail of the date on which they may begin scheduling. Starting dates are staggered, and reflect a volunteer's schedule (frequency) and ushering quality (excellence wherever assigned). Details can be found on the General Information page.

New for Summer Opera:

- At the end of performances ushers are expected to return to their intermission post for about ten minutes to say goodbye to the patrons, unless otherwise excused by their supervisor.

- The dress code is revised.

- Because of an upgrade to PRESTO, short-notice openings will be shown on the same page as other openings.

. . . AND A BALLET FAREWELL - both first posted March 19, 2016

On their starting dates, volunteers may also schedule (as long as space is available) for the special farewell performance SF Ballet is presenting on Sunday evening, April 17 (report time 5:30pm). The Ballet will be honoring three of SF Ballet’s most celebrated principal male dancers: Joan Boada, Pascal Molat, and Gennadi Nedvigin.

SPRING EVENTS - posted February 29, 2016

Scheduling is open for the following Spring events:

Sensorium

Wednesday, March 23 - report time 7:00pm

Easter Service: Reality SF

Sunday, March 27 - report time 9:00am

The Goldman Prize Ceremony

Monday, April 18 - report time 3:30pm

Children's Day: Presidio Dance Theatre

Monday, May 2 - report times 9:00am and 10:30am

CHANGE IN REPORT TIME FOR MARCH 9 MATINÉE - posted February 29, 2016

Those ushering for San Francisco Ballet's Community Matinée on Wednesday, March 9, should notice that the report time has been moved 30 minutes earlier, to 9:45am. This is because the curtain time was changed.

THE TAUBE ATRIUM THEATER - posted February 25, 2016

The Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater at the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera in the War Memorial Veterans Building is opening! Ushers who volunteer most frequently at the Opera House have been invited to request to volunteer for the Schwabacher Debut Recitals and SF Opera Lab, which will be the first events. More volunteers may be invited later. (If/when volunteer ushers refer to the new theater by name, please note that "Taube" is pronounced "tow-be".)

ADDED SWAN LAKE - posted February 11, 2016

San Francisco Ballet is adding a non-subscription performance of Swan Lake for Friday, February 26. Scheduling is open on PRESTO.

JAMYE DIVILA APPOINTED HOUSE MANAGER - posted February 1, 2016

The Opera House has a new House Manager! Jamye Divila comes from American Conservatory Theater, where she was the Front of House Manager for seven seasons. Jamye also has ticketing experience with the Best of Broadway series in San Francisco and was the Director of Ticketing for Theatre Bay Area. Many volunteers and patrons know Jamye from A.C.T., others through her work as a House Manager at Post Street and Marines' Memorial theaters. Jamye officially began her responsibilities at the War Memorial Opera House with the opening of Program 1, Sunday, January 24th.

FEBRUARY SPECIAL EVENT: THE CRUNCHIES - posted January 10, 2016

Ushers are needed for the 9th Annual Crunchies Awards Show, this year being held at the Opera House on Monday, February 8 (report time: 6pm). This award ceremony recognizes the most compelling internet and technology innovations of the past year, and startups. Scheduling is open on PRESTO.