Bad Theater Behavior

[Hairspray0901]

Yesterday at THE VISIT at 1:50pm (2:00 curtain), a woman (70+), her son (40+) and her husband (also 70+) were seated next to me. The woman took out a cup of yogurt, gave it to her son, who then opened it and started eating it. THEN, she took out an ENTIRE JAR OF PEANUT BUTTER with a butter knife and slices of bread and began smearing peanut butter on the bread. The man next to them said "Are you kidding me? There is a time and place for this" to which the son yelled and shoved his hand into the other mans face "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND STOP TALKING". I decided to wave down an usher, which didn't work, so they continued to eat their peanut butter and yogurt. Had I been able to get out of my seat I would have gone up to an usher myself but I was seated against the wall with no aisle. The only way out was to walk over all of these people and I knew that wasn't going to go very well. I really don't understand how people can be so rude and inconsiderate to those around them. Not to mention - the visit was 90 minutes. They could have eaten their yogurt and peanut butter OUTSIDE before entering the theater.

[seahag2]

Hairspray, that story is insane! 

Forget the bad manners, who even thinks to walk around the city with those things 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

That. Is. Horrifying.

You should have faked a peanut allergy! And I know that's nothing to joke about ... it's actually very serious but if we needed a reason other than civility to not bring peanut butter into a crowded space, that's one!

 

[Sushisake]

Last Saturday I went to the matinee performance of Something Rotten. Here we are - front row mezz, center....three empty seats to the left of us and three empty seats to the right. The left three seats were filled at precisely 20 minutes AFTER the show started. The seats to the right...40 minutes after the show started! Not only were the mother and two teenage children 40 minutes late but they would NOT shut up. Talking right out loud. I shushed the mother more than once - to no avail. Now - at a few points in the show there are MANY not so subtle references to other musicals that we all know. This mother chose to shout out the musical title being referenced. The most annoying, entitled creature I have ever encountered in the theatre. And then at the moment of the (sort of) reveal at the end - she shouted out the name of the play before the actor did. If I had a taser - she would have gotten it right in the mouth.

[Sutton Ross]

Yep, I fully support tasering people acting like assholes in the theater.  100%.  Then, those ****ers won't return.

That story with the bread and peanut butter is horrifying.  Trash will ALWAYS be trash anywhere, any place.  Yuck.

[KathyNYC2]

At a recent performance of The Heidi Chronicles, we got the rush tickets which are in the front row. Since this is a play, not a musical, there is not even an orchestra pit separating the audience from the actors.

Texting is bad anywhere but in the front row center!! I sat next to a well dressed middle aged man in the front row who texted (without even trying to cover it up) during pretty much the entire 2nd act. He kept taking his phone out of his pocket, putting it on so you notice it's lit up... and then putting it away again which was almost as distracting as the texting itself...

Numerous dirty looks from me got me no where and since I was mid-row center, I couldn't get up to get an usher and the man must have banked on the realization that I didn't want to create a scene. The woman he was with noticed but did nothing to ask him to stop. It was obvious that Bryce Pinkham was glaring right at him...I am sure all the actors noticed...I wished one said something.

[Sutton Ross]

Looks do nothing, those people need to be confronted (doesnt have to a negative interaction) to know that it's not ok.  

[KathyNYC2]

I know..but it's hard to do in the front row when my confronting might have led to even more distractions. I am not sure I did the right thing but I guess I kept hoping one of the actors would say something..

He guy certainly understood that this was not allowed but he obviously didn't care...nor did his wife/girlfriend.

 

[Matt Rogers]

It is not the responsibility of a patron who has likely paid more than $100 for a ticket to confront an asshole and possibly get shanked in the eye. You don't know the mental state of the offending party and they could cause a big scene, confront you after the show, etc. I've seen someone getting punched right in the face for shushing someone. It is the ushers who are paid to be World Police in the theatre, not you. If the ushers did not do their job, ask for the house manager after the show, explain the situation, and tell them you want to attend another performance or ask for a refund. If you are turned down, ask for the name and address of theatre management and write a letter.

[Robbie2]

Has anyone experience bad theater behavior @FUN HOME?

I personally did not last weekend...this is what I posted with my review on the 4/11.

I was happy to see such a diverse, attentive audience that did not talk, cough, sneeze, eat, drink, look at phones-txt and or fidget in the sold-out house...everyone behaved but I did see many snoozers. 

 

I wish more theaters such as CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE would opt NOT to serve drinks and snacks!

[LizzieCurry]

The audience at Fun Home was amazing when I went. It was so silent that it was kind of tense, but in a good way. Bravo, all!

[brdway411]

this has got to be up there http://playbill.com/news/article/audience-member-tries-to-use-stage-outlet-to-charge-phone-at-hand-to-god-352658

[VintageSnarker]

People are ridiculous about charging their devices. I work in a doctor's office and have to make sure the patients don't plug their phones or even their laptops into the outlets. I wonder if this person was unrepentant as they usually are when you confront them.

[Mr Roxy]

Probably to self absorbed to care.

[brdway411]

It's simple go to Amazon.com and buy a power cell and put it in your bag. when you enter the theater TURN OFF YOUR PHONE, plug it in to the power cell  put it back in the bag and charge your phone while you enjoy the show. 

[ArtMan]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop up again. My worst experience ever. Thursday, before Tony's at OTTC. Last row, center of mezz. I placed my playbill and small bag on my seat, before the show and went to the bathroom.  Prior to leaving, there was a large man sitting, an empty seat, then my seat.  When I got back a couple were now sitting to the right of my "seat".  However, my bag was now in the seat closest to the large man.  I stared at it quite puzzled.  When the man (of the couple) then said, "we moved your stuff over because we wanted to sit together".  I stated "you moved my stuff?" I thought how ballsy.  I found out the last row was a large group and I was the lone person.  Trying not to make a scene (which is not like me) I tried to go with the flow.  But the more I thought of it, it really pissed me off.  In addition, I had little leg space due to the large man.  I then stated I would like to sit in my seat.  They capped an attitude and I caught the woman rolling her eyes.  I stated "yes, I want to sit in the seat I paid for".  Then when the lights went down for orchestra, the man had his cell phone on.  He had no problem telling the girl in front of him to stop leaning forward.  But this ass had his cell phone on.  I didn't ask, I told him to turn off his cell phone   The second time was the charm.  The worst thing was the man laughed, wooed and clapped after everything joke, song, etc.  I think this lessoned my experience of liking the show.  There were several more irritating things that happened but you get the jist.  At intermission, I asked the HM to move me. There were no seats.  Out of everything that happened, I was most irritated that they touched and moved my stuff without my permission.

[Auggie27]

At FUN HOME Saturday afternoon (July 4th), the man behind me decided to rise and seek the hearing devices just as the lights dimmed and the prelude began.  He charged out, and (apparently) when told he couldn't return, charged back, belligerent (and loud) that the theater deprived him of decent hearing. He opted to remember his personal needs at 2:05, at a show with "No late seating" in the same font as the show title on his ticket.  And then bitched well into the opening number, oblivious to everyone around him. We silenced him en masse, especially after his wife barked, "Can you see at least?" in a booming voice. (Sidebar about sitting in the 100s at FH: Why don't people guess that the door to the gay student union will soon fall below stage level?)

What disturbs me most about this talking crap is the demographic: boomers or older, who should know better.  And why do people think lights dimming and music beginning cues a final check of huge cell phones -- and in one case, iPad?  The magic time in theater is that dimming of the house, the first notes (in FUN HOME, beautiful, mood and tone setting) gold.  This idea that just because no one is speaking or  singing the house still belongs to individuals in the audience is fairly recent. But it's pervasive.  I must say, the rest of the matinee had perfect behavior.  But that's likely attributable to FUN HOME's power over us as much as a comment on etiquette. 

[carolinaguy]

At The King and I, the usher in my section of the loge boomed out to her area, "The show begins when the conductor approaches the podium!!" She sounded like a foghorn mated with a tuba and had a baby with a nasal blockage, but it got the point across.

[mmFan]

"I've been at shows where during a very intimate part someone decides to start with the crinkly candy bag. If it's for a second, no one says anything, but if it continues the offending party will get a hearty "SHHHH!" with everyone turning around in their direction. This usually stops the behavior quickly with the least amount of interference.

"

 

This is in recent years right?  Back around 10 years ago, i don't remember being able to have food or drinks during  a performance.  I find it so strange to see it now.  Seems disrespectful .... of course how you mention as it's loud...but also, just to the actors.  Food at movie theaters...ok, but it seems not right at live theatre.

 

[VintageSnarker]

"This is in recent years right?  Back around 10 years ago, i don't remember being able to have food or drinks during  a performance.  I find it so strange to see it now.  Seems disrespectful .... of course how you mention as it's loud...but also, just to the actors.  Food at movie theaters...ok, but it seems not right at live theatre."

I remember food and drinks at the theatre during intermission over the past 10 years but during the performance seems like a newer development. Sure, there may be a decline in patron behavior and the prestige of theatre but I largely blame the concessions. The first time I remember really noticing it was at New World Stages but it didn't bother me. Then there were the same people hawking concessions at Cabaret and Doctor Zhivago and Wolf Hall like we were at a baseball game. 

[RooMcGoo]

My friend was at the Hand to God performance with the cell phone charging incident and said it was  suuuuuuper awkward. I can't even imagine. Though she said the ushers tried to kick the person out, which I think is too far. Maybe that's just me, but they bought a ticket for who knows how much money, and while its incredibly rude, some people honestly just don't know any better. 

 

--

The Jurassic World Musical

[Mr Roxy]

Unless the person had the IQ of a turnip, they had to know. The person should have had their money refunded & not allowed back into the theater again. Unless this is done, the person will try another asinine stunt in another theater.

[Dollypop]

This wasn't in a "theater" per se but at Avery Fisher Hall during a performance by Joshua Bell.

 

Everything was going well prior to the performance:  in my seat, a pleasant conversation with the lady to my right and getting ready for the performance.  Then a strange man wearing Boston Red Sox reglia--from head to toe (yes, his shoes were red, too!)  shows up to occupy the seat to my left.  It should also be mentioned that he REEKED of Canoe (the older members of this board will know what THAT is!).  He carried two large plastic shopping bags which he rifled through as soon as he sat down.  Maybe he had his supply of Canoe in there.  He did say something about how brutal the weather had been in Boston--and this was before winter really set in.

 

When the performance began, the man fell asleep and snored rather loudly.  During a pause in the performance I poked him and told him he was snoring.  He promptly fell asleep again and--as there were no further breaks in the music--slept and snored through the rest of the first half.  He magically awoke during intermission and asked when Joshua Bell would go on.  I told him he already did and he slept right through it.  He then picked up his shopping bags and left.

[VintageSnarker]

Significant Other this afternoon. Cell phone hell. There was one somewhere in the middle of the orchestra where the person just didn't know how to turn off their phone. I think it went off 2 or 3 times before an usher stepped in and turned it off. Sometime later there was a vibrating phone on the left. There might have been more ringing here and there but I was doing my best to pay attention to the play.

It's to the point where I tense up a little when the sound is actually supposed to be coming from the stage. For example, in Of Good Stock there's a running joke with a wedding invitation that plays a song. The first time I heard it I panicked that it was a cell phone. The cell phones are giving me an anxiety disorder.

[ZellMorrowsPledge]

At Fun Home everytime a super sad scene or song would end this elderly couple in the 3rd row, 2 rows above me would voice their sadness instead of doing the silent cry that most of us were up to. It was kinda annoying and the lady next to me looked so bothered but I was too in my zone and in complete awe of the production that it fortunately did not ruin the experience for me

[Sorry-Grateful]

I caught a performance of On The Town this weekend (wanted to see it again before it closes). Sitting in front of me was a woman who bought 2 packs of M&M's from the aisle vendor. She proceeded to crinkle, shake, and rummage through the M&M's packaging throughout the entire first act. It was incredibly loud and disruptive for everyone in our general vicinity, and many people were glancing back and giving her death stares throughout, but she did not curtail her candy rummaging. 

 

Towards the end of the first act, a woman next to M&M lady leaned over and whispered to her, "Could you stop that. It's distracting." M&M lady scoffed loudly as if this woman had just insulted her mother. She began to deliberately rummage her candy packing louder to piss off this woman (and everyone else) even more. There was no mistaking it. She began making a show of crinkling and rummaging through her packs of M&M's in some brazen act of defiance to theater etiquette and basic human decency. I swear, she even began to chew more loudly (I think with her mouth open bout couldn't see for sure). 

 

Needless to say, I was repeatedly drawn out of the show because of this one woman. For the life of me, I cannot fathom why someone would deliberately buy crinkly wrapped candy in a theater in this day and age where the "wrapped hard candy" example of bad theater etiquette is cited so frequently it's become a cliche. And why would a theater sell candies that come in loud, crinkly packaging? This seems contrary to the supposed goal of a theater company, which is to provide an enjoyable, distraction-free space to watch a performance that will compel the audience members to want to return again and spend more money. If the Lyric is going to keep selling these sorts of candies, I don't think I'll want to see another show at the Lyric.