Should a community theatre use reserved seating?

If you already know the rows, yes. If nobody has measured the room, open seating is the house you can run.

What is the difference between reserved and general admission here?

Reserved means the ticket names a seat. General admission means first come when the doors open. The volunteer at the table has to live with whichever you pick.

What does the door need either way?

The same sale as the ticket page. A reserved house that the laptop cannot see is just open seating with extra arguing.

Guide

Reserved or open seating at a community theatre

A volunteer house picks the seating it can actually run on opening night. Assigned seats if you know the rows. Open seating if you do not.

A community theatre does not lose the night because the seats were open. It loses the night when the person at the folding table cannot tell which chairs are taken.

Community theatre people already argue this out loud. A black box stays general admission. A dinner theatre assigns tables. Both can be right.

What you are actually choosing

Open seating. Doors open. People sit. You needed a head count, not a map.

Reserved seating. The ticket names a row and a number. Families sit together on purpose. The volunteer at will-call has to see the same seats the ticket page sold.

If nobody has walked the room with a tape measure, you do not have reserved seating. You have a drawing.

The night-of test

Pick the house the volunteer can run.

Reserved only helps if the laptop on the table shows row D, seat 4. Who is actually selling tickets the night of is that person. They should not rebuild the chart from a printed list at 6:30.

Open seating still sells at the door. It just does not pretend a seat is held when the list is two hours stale.

What Places charges for the house you pick

Tools are free. You only pay at the door.

Reserved seat: $1 to Places.
General admission: free for small events for a limited time.
Comps and free tickets: $0.

How a community theatre sells tickets puts this choice in order. Name the production first. Then date the first performance. Then choose the house.

Start tickets is the form.

Frequently asked questions

Should a community theatre use reserved seating?: If you already know the rows, yes. If nobody has measured the room, open seating is the house you can run.
What is the difference between reserved and general admission here?: Reserved means the ticket names a seat. General admission means first come when the doors open. The volunteer at the table has to live with whichever you pick.
What does the door need either way?: The same sale as the ticket page. A reserved house that the laptop cannot see is just open seating with extra arguing.