Hancher Auditorium / Information

Regarding the 2008-09 Season
Hancher Auditorium and most of the Arts Campus was severely damaged by the Summer 2008 flood. We have complete information on the website regarding our alternate venues and programs. Much of the information below may be specific for the Auditorium and not for the current season events and locations.

Go the the main Hancher page and the "All that's new" for more updated information.

Please call the Hancher Box Office at 319/335-1160 or 1-800-HANCHER if you have additional questions.

Location
Hancher Auditorium is located on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa, just west of the Iowa River on Park Road.

Click here for map and directions
Click here for aerial photo

Seating
Seating Policy
To avoid disrupting the performance, latecomers will be directed to the observation rooms and will be seated during an appropriate break in the performance, at the discretion of the management. If you must leave during a performance and later wish to re-enter the auditorium, an usher will escort you to an observation booth until an intermission or the conclusion of the performance. The west observation booth is wheelchair accessible.

Auditorium seating zones

Coughing and Electronic Watches
The auditorium's acoustics amplify the sounds of coughing and other noises. Please turn off your electronic watch alarm. The use of a handkerchief helps to muffle a cough or sneeze, and cough drops are available from the ushers. If coughing persists, you may wish to return to the lobby, where an usher can direct you to one of the soundproof observation rooms.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the auditorium, lobby, or Cafe. If you wish to smoke during intermissions, you may leave the building, but please take your ticket stub to re-enter the building.

Perfumes, etc.
Hancher patrons are reminded that some patrons are allergic or sensitive to cologne, perfume, or after-shave lotion. In consideration of this fact, you are requested to refrain from wearing artificial scents of any kind when attending performances at Hancher. Patrons with such sensitivities who wish to be reseated should speak with Box Office personnel.

Cameras, Tape Recorders, Pagers, Cellular Phones
In compliance with copyright laws and contractual arrangements with artists, photographs and recordings may not be made during a performance. Please check your cameras and tape recorders with the house manager or an usher. Pagers and cellular phones must be turned off or silenced.

Restrooms and Drinking Fountains
Located on either side of the lobby and mezzanine.

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Services for Persons with Disabilities

Hancher is committed to making its events accessible to everyone. LARGE PRINT copies of the playbill are available at the program stands.

The University of Iowa center for Macular Degeneration has joined Hancher in offering new assistive technologies for people that are visually impaired. For more information call 319/335-1158.

Patrons who require accommodation for WHEELCHAIRS are urged to notify the Box Office at the time of ticket purchase.

PARKING for people with disabilities is reserved on the drive outside the auditorium's main entrance. Elevators on the east and west sides of the lobby serve the Hancher Cafe and balcony seating.

Patrons who are hearing-impaired may check out free HEARING AUGMENTATION devices by leaving a driver's license or similar ID at the main floor coat check. The unobtrusive hearing augmentation units operate on an FM frequency and can be used anywhere in the auditorium. When possible, we can arrange to provide sign language interpretation and tape recorded playbills; requests for these services must be made one month in advance.

Please call 319/335-1158 with questions or requests for accommodations for people with disabilities. TDD service is also available on this line and can be used to purchase tickets.

For additional information about accessibility at Iowa visit the website for the UI Council on Disability Awareness.

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Hours

Doors to the Hancher lobby and the Cafe open 45 minutes before curtain time. Doors to the seating area usually open 30 minutes before curtain time.

Box Office

Academic Year
Open from
10 am to 5:30 pm--Monday-Friday,

There will be no weekend hours during the 2008-2009 season, except when there is a Saturday or Sunday performance. Those additional hours will be indicated on the box office answering machine the week of the performance.

On nights of performances, the Box Office will open at the performance venue 1 hour prior to curtain.

Summer
Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Administrative Office
8 am-noon, 1 pm-5 pm, Monday-Friday

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Parking
Complimentary parking is available for Hancher’s evening and weekend events on a first come, first served basis.

Due to the numerous facilities located in the area, traffic and parking congestion can occur, especially at Broadway shows and popular events. Arrive early, and allow ample time to be seated in the auditorium.

Patrons who arrive after curtain time may be admitted to an observation booth and are seated in the auditorium at an appropriate break in the performance as determined by the management.

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The greenroom, located on the river side of the lobby, is the site of discussions preceding many events and is also a convenient place to meet artists following a performance. Ask an usher, or check the lobby sign, for availability of performers.

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Cafe
The Hancher Cafe is located on the mezzanine and opens 45 minutes before curtain. Enjoy a lovely view of the Iowa River and the Cafe’s tempting assortment of beverages, snacks and desserts before and after most performances. Beverages and snacks are also available during intermissions.

More information about the preperformance dinners.

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Tours
Tours of the auditorium are available for groups of 10-40 people, Monday-Friday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., unless there is a scheduled rehearsal, setup, or load-in in the hall.
Tours need to be scheduled 2 weeks in advance by calling Tim Meier at 319/335-1130.

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Gift certificates
Gift certificates can be purchased at the Hancher Box Office.

319/335-1160 or toll-free 1-800-HANCHER
Box Office Fax: 353-2284
Box Office email:
hancher-box-office@uiowa.edu
(not a secure site)

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Bring a group!
Groups of 20 or more can purchase discounted tickets to most events at Hancher Auditorium. Each Hancher season offers something to capture the imagination of a wide variety of groups – school groups, senior citizen clubs, service organizations, corporate groups or just a bunch of friends looking for a great night of entertainment.

Call Jessica Netolicky at 319-335-0009 to reserve tickets for your group today.

FAQ about bringing a group to Hancher:

Who is eligible for a discount?
Any group of 20 or more is eligible for discounted tickets to most Hancher events. Generally, discounts are available on tickets for non-student adults, senior citizens and Zone I tickets for UI students.

Are groups required to pay a deposit to hold tickets?
No. However, payment in full is required three weeks prior to the date of the performance you wish to attend.

How do groups pay for tickets?
Group leaders collect money from the members of the group and then pay for the entire order with cash, a check or a credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express)

Are there any special handling charges for group orders?
Yes. There is a $5 fee for the entire order.

We want to come on a bus/coach. Where can we be dropped off and picked up?
Buses and coaches can drop groups off at Hancher’s front door and then return to pick up group members at the same location. Whenever possible, a Hancher staff member will greet each arriving group to answer questions and ensure that your Hancher experience is everything you expect.

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The Showcase
The Showcase is a gift shop located in the Hancher Lobby. It has a changing display of theater and music objects for sale.

The Showcase is operated by the Guild volunteers. It is open during all performances and on Wednesdays during the academic year from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. All proceeds benefit Hancher Auditorium educational programs.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING
The Hancher Guild fills the Showcase with wonderful items you won't find in other area stores.

Remember to do your gift buying

1/ each time you attend a Hancher event

2/ on Wednesdays from 10:30 to 1:30

Hancher Guild
Hancher Guild is a dynamic organization of people who donate their most valuable resources to Hancher: their time, enthusiasm, insight, and commitment.

The volunteers of Hancher Guild provide many vital services to Hancher: offer hospitality to visiting artists, help with activities for young audiences, and act as goodwill ambassadors for Hancher and the performing arts.

The volunteers also purchase merchandise for the Hancher Showcase gift shop and provide workers to staff the shop during performances and Wednesday afternoons during the academic year from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

While many Guild members are also Hancher Circle and Hancher Enrichment Fund contributors, no financial investment is required to become a Hancher Guild member. Nor is any specific time commitment necessary. Most members have full schedules and many interests. All the Guild asks is that its members do their best to honor the time they do commit. The Guild is often able to tailor responsibilities to its members' specific skills and interests. And you need not live in the lowa City area to be a Guild member.

The Guild has a number of members in other Iowa communities. In addition to participating in the range of Guild activities, you can make a special contribution by helping the outreach and audience development in your own community.

Beyond the satisfaction of serving the arts, Hancher Guild members get a unique inside look at the performing arts. Among the many new people they meet may be the artists who appear on the Hancher stage. While you serve the arts, you find your own appreciation of the performances--and the business of putting them on the stage--enriched.

For further information on the Hancher Guild, contact the Hancher Office at 319/335-1130.

More here.

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Advertising in the Hancher Playbill
The Hancher playbill is a great place for your business to find exposure to as wide or select an audience as you want. Since there is such variety in the performances that come to Hancher, you can be certain that almost every segment of the population will be represented at one or many of the events. And since you choose the playbills in which you want your ads to be placed, you can be certain that you are reaching your target audience.

Advertising in the Hancher playbill also offers these rewards:
--Hancher audience members tend to be well-educated and affluent members of the community as well as the UI student body
--Reasonable rates
--Billings are sent quarterly throughout the season
--You will receive complimentary tickets to one selected Hancher event per semester

The playbill plays an important role in the Hancher experience and we are thrilled that you will be a part of that experience during the season.

The Hancher playbill is printed sheet fed offset in four-color on the cover and four center pages and black ink inside. Both the cover and the inside pages are printed on recycled paper stock of the highest quality. Each year a unique cover design is created for the season, and the playbills throughout the year are custom-designed for each performance.

If you have any questions about advertising call Marketing Director Rob Cline at 319/335-3827.

Rates
Contact Rob Cline by calling 335-3827 for more information or to reserve space, or by e-mail.
There is a ten-ad placement minimum for advertising. However, advertisers who sign Hancher playbill advertising contracts by the deadline will receive a 5% discount. Call Rob Cline for specifics on the deadline. Advertisers will be billed quarterly.

Digital art
The advertiser provides finished artwork ready to be used by the printer directly in the page layout. The art may be emailed to Rob Cline at rob-cline@iowa.edu or provided on cds.

The ad should be saved as a TIFF (preferred), EPS or PDF file with the text converted to paths. Also include original graphic files, fonts (both screen and printer), and the file used to make the EPS.

The advertiser is responsible for all proofreading and quality control of provided ads. A hard copy of the ad should be provided with the disk.

Photos
Photos included in the layout should be 300 ppi and in place in the electronic file.

Deadline
Camera-ready art must be submitted 30 days before first placement.

Typesetting and layout
We can typeset from your design at additional cost. Allow 60 days before first ad placement.

Changes
Ads may be changed during the season if a new electronic or camera-ready ad is received 30 days before next placement. We may be able to make typesetting changes to your ad if the changes are received 60 days before placement. An additional production fee may be charged to make all changes.

Sizes
(width x height)
full page--7 5/16" x 9 13/16"
2/3 page-- 4 13/16" x 9 13/16"
1/2 page-- 7 5/16" x 4 13/16"
1/3 page (square)-- 4 13/16" x 4 13/16"
1/3 page (vertical)--2 5/16" x 9 13/16"
1/6 page (horizontal)-- 4 13/16" x 2 5/16"
1/6 page (vertical)-- 2 5/16" x 4 13/16"
1/12 page-- 2 5/16" x 2 5/16"

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