In the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

, the front of house (FOH) is the part of a performance venue that is open to the public. In

theatres Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communica ...

and live

music venue A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...

s, it consists of the

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

, and

foyer A lobby is a room in a building used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer, entryway, reception area or entrance hall, it is often a large room or complex of rooms (in a theatre, opera house, concert hall, showroom, cine ...

s, as opposed to the front

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

and backstage areas. In a theatre, the front of house manager is responsible for welcoming guests, refreshments, and making sure the auditorium is set out properly. By contrast, back of house (BOH) is any operations that are not visible to the audience, such as props management, costume design, stage set fabrication, lighting control, and other support functions. Both terms are also used in the restaurant, hospitality, and retailing industries. "Back of house" refers to any work operations that do not have direct customer contact. Examples include cooking,

dishwashing Dishwashing, washing the dishes, doing the dishes, or (in Great Britain) washing up, is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other food-soiled items to promote hygiene and health by preventing foodborne illness. ...

, cleaning, shipping and receiving, maintenance and repairs, accounting, and other indirect support tasks which are not usually visible to customers.

Live venues

Sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

operators, excluding the monitor engineers, are normally positioned in a small sectioned-off area front of house, surrounded by the audience or at the edge of the audience area. From this position they have unobstructed listening and a clear view of the performance, enabling the operation of the main speaker system,

show control Show control is the use of automation technology to link together and operate multiple entertainment control systems in a coordinated manner. It is distinguished from an entertainment control system, which is specific to a single theatrical depar ...

consoles and other equipment. In this case "front of house" can refer to both the general audience/public area or to the specific small section from where the show is mixed. The front-of-house speakers are the main speakers that cover the audience, and the front-of-house desk is the desk that generates the front-of-house audio mix. In smaller venues the front-of-house desk may also produce foldback (monitor) mixes for the monitor speakers onstage, whereas in larger venues there will normally be a second mixing desk for monitor control positioned just off the side of the main stage. The audio engineer that designs the front-of-house sound system and puts it into place for the show/event is the system engineer, and this role is often separate from the person who operates the mixing desk who is often employed by the band directly on larger tours or employed by the venue for smaller tours. The touring engineer is usually assisted by a house sound engineer (employed by the venue) who will be familiar with the installed system of the venue. In

stage lighting Stage lighting is the craft of lighting as it applies to the production of theater, dance, opera, and other performance arts.

, any lighting fixtures that are on the audience side of the proscenium arch are referred to as being FOH. The lighting operator may also be located in the audience area as well, but are often in a lighting booth. This term can also refer to the individuals whose primary work is dealing with patrons, including house managers, ticket vendors, bartenders, merchandise vendors, ushers, and museum attendants. In any theater space, the front of house is an area that manages all the facilities and the audience whenever the is a performance or an event that is happening. Those who work the front of house would have a House Manager to oversee all facilities and the personnel who work the house. Those personnel include: the Assistant House Manager, Ticket attendants, Ushers, Concessions/Merchandise Employees, and Security. The front of house also follows and enforces the rules for their employees and the audience. Those rules include: No smoking, drinking, or eating, Cell phones, cameras, or any electronic devices must be off.

Personnel

House manager

The house manager who works in the theater takes on the responsibility of many aspects of the front of house or the theater space itself. Whether that be for audience management or facilities management. A house manager can have multiple roles depending on the theater space that is being used. They also work with the technical director or the stage manager to coordinate the schedule of a show. Either what time they start or how many intermissions they have, depending on the performance. They supervise all the employees who work the house for a performance or other events that take place in the theater.

Ushers

Ushers will either work with the House manager or work with the lead usher to work through the flow of the audience. Ushers have different jobs when managing the audience section of the theater and have strict protocol when it comes to managing the audience.

Concessions

For the rules of food and drinks, there are concession stands in the venue for audiences to buy certain food or drinks that the theaters allow either before the performance or at intermission.

References