Way back in the day, I did volunteer ushering to help community and small theaters in Chicago including shows like “A, My Name is Alice” and “Pump Boys & Dinettes”. This afternoon I was helping the Briar Street Theater during their extremely popular production, “Blue Man Group”.
I was joined by my friend Coleman Baar who had seen the show a few years ago, but noted that it had changed since. Before the show we helped patrons find their seats and then got seats in the seventh row off the aisle and watched for free. When the show was over we helped the staff clean up the theater so it was ready for the next performance. I couldn’t bring a camera so I made a sketch of what I looked like while I was ushering and posted it to the right.
Today’s crowd consisted almost entirely of field trips of middle and high school students, and their chaperons. With out giving anything away, the Blue Man Group interacts with the audience and two of the students picked out were very entertaining foils.
For information on how you can volunteer usher (you can bring a group of four) contact the box office at Briar Street Box Office. There are many theaters in Chicago that need help and will allow you to watch the performance for free in return. Check the Reader or Craigslist for volunteer opportunities. Maybe we can do one together.
Seventeen done and 33 more to go!