Bad Theater Behavior

[joeybiltmore1]

At AMELIE the other night the guy right in front of me filmed the entire show on his iphone. I kept thinking "I'll report him at intermission" until it became evident there was no intermission. The kicker: afterward, his companion asked him how he liked it and he said "Eh".  

(I myself was able to enjoy much of it despite the major, constant distraction).

[AC126748]

I saw The Importance of Being Earnest at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia over the weekend. I was given the ticket and it ended up being in the front row. I was shocked at how many other people in the front row walked in and started putting stuff on the stage: playbills, drinks, purses, etc. These people basically treated the stage like it was their end table, and never once did I see an usher come up and say anything. 

The people all removed their belongings before the show started, but I was genuinely surprised to see the nonchalance with which people just casually put things on the stage. In my years of going to theater and working in theater, I've always viewed the stage as sacrosanct. As an audience member, I would never dream of putting anything up there, even for just a few seconds.

[Prisoner of 7th Ave]

At The Front Page,the people beside me were something.  The husband was a dyed-in-the-wool man-spreader.  Get off me, dude! Then his wife fell dead asleep during the third act.  Hey, if you’re going to man-spread, do it on her side, she’s out like a light, wouldn’t feel a thing.  

I think Evan Hansen must sell the last couple of rows to school kids.  During the second act, someone was continually crumpling paper until he passed out or fell asleep, inducing a quarter-act of snoring.  So sad.  

 

 

[Marianne2]

AC126748 said: "I saw The Importance of Being Earnest at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia over the weekend. I was given the ticket and it ended up being in the front row. I was shocked at how many other people in the front row walked in and started putting stuff on the stage: playbills, drinks, purses, etc. These people basically treated the stage like it was their end table, and never once did I see an usher come up and say anything. 

The people all removed their belongings before the show started, but I was genuinely surprised to see the nonchalance with which people just casually put things on the stage. In my years of going to theater and working in theater, I've always viewed the stage as sacrosanct. As an audience member, I would never dream of putting anything up there, even for just a few seconds.

 

"

It's funny you mention this. I would never put anything on the stage either. I guess to me, it's the barrier you do no cross. But, I have come to notice people see a flat surface and think they can just leave or put stuff there. I work in a store, but people leave merchandise everywhere instead of putting what they don't want back. I've found people leaving stuff on the front shelves by the registers and on empty registers when all they have to do is hand it to me and say they don't want it. If someone leaves a basket in a random place, others will just follow and put theirs there too. 

I notice when I'm in the front mezzanine or balcony sections at theaters,  the ushers have to remind people not to put stuff on the ledge. I get that's more of a safety issue so things don't fall on people below. But, the fact that people don't get that is amazing. 

[dramamama611]

Not everyone KNOWS appropriate behavior.  But acceptable does change.   I know even 5 or 6 years ago, I would never dream to plug in my phone anywhere but my classroom or home.  (and it took me a while to not feel guilty over using my classroom!)   Now, people think NOTHING of utilizing ANY plug they see.

 

EDIT: I don't mean to imply putting belonging on the stage IS or ever will be acceptable.

[Lot666]

dramamama611 said: "..Now, people think NOTHING of utilizing ANY plug they see."

I think it started with that idiot who climbed up on the stage at Hand To God and tried to plug his phone into the set wall socket.

[AC126748]

dramamama611 said: "Not everyone KNOWS appropriate behavior. 

 

"

Walnut Street Theatre is a subscription house. The people doing this were subscribers, so obviously people who attend the theatre regularly. They should know better.

 

[VintageSnarker]

joeybiltmore1 said: "At AMELIE the other night the guy right in front of me filmed the entire show on his iphone. I kept thinking "I'll report him at intermission" until it became evident there was no intermission. The kicker: afterward, his companion asked him how he liked it and he said "Eh".  

(I myself was able to enjoy much of it despite the major, constant distraction).

WHAT? Did he have the phone shielded from view in some way? Someone really should have intervened if it was out for the entire show. It might be temporarily disruptive to tell him to put it away but that cannot be allowed. 

 

[Margo319]

Amelie must not have any ushers, security, or staff then.  No Broadway show would ever just allow some idiot to film the entire show without them noticing, unless it was the last row in the last seat.  It makes no sense.  But, the show is so awful, so I guess they don't care?

No belongings on stage.  Not now.  Not ever. 

[Dancingthrulife2]

joeybiltmore1 said: "At AMELIE the other night the guy right in front of me filmed the entire show on his iphone. I kept thinking "I'll report him at intermission" until it became evident there was no intermission. The kicker: afterward, his companion asked him how he liked it and he said "Eh".  

(I myself was able to enjoy much of it despite the major, constant distraction).

 

"

I attended Amelie the other day and the audience was horrible as well. The 10-year-old in front of me was filming during a dance number but was quickly stopped by people around him. He also stopped clapping for all songs subsequently. A party of 3 on my left, 20-something women, were constantly overreacting to the show, hollering and yelling things like "Yeah, go girl," as if this were their living room or they felt the need to tell everyone else in the audience how to feel because obviously no one else but they knew how... The European tourists on my right were fine, but I never understood why they were laughing uncontrollably during Stay... I paid a lot for a premium seat hoping to experience the show the best way possible, but I guess I was wrong about people who're willing to shell out this much for a show. 

I'm glad I don't have eyes on the back of my head.

[VintageSnarker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFbWOMXujG8

[annang]

I was in a local theater the other night for a one woman show--serious, challenging material. A couple sitting near me came in, took off their shoes, and started making out. They proceeded to feel each other up for the entire 2 hour show. I think they actually had hands under clothes below the belt. Not an usher to be found anywhere while they were rubbing all over each other and maybe more...

[smidge]

Kristolyn Lloyd called someone out on Twitter for filming Dear Evan Hansen in the first row. The first row!!!! She doesn't mention if or how it was resolved.

[sgreen3]

smidge said: "Kristolyn Lloyd called someone out on Twitter for filming Dear Evan Hansen in the first row. The first row!!!! She doesn't mention if or how it was resolved."

Seems like DEH might have had issues twice this weekend.

Tweets from Will Roland and Michael Park from Saturday afternoon roughly around the time of matinee intermission:

https://twitter.com/will_roland/status/848255217435115522

https://twitter.com/park24hrs/status/848255943708213248 (look at the reply to Will Chase also -- someone was checking email on their phone)

And then as smidge mentioned, Kristolyn's tweet from yesterday: https://twitter.com/KristolynLloyd/status/848636793432002564

People are so rude.

[carolinaguy]

I saw a touring production of Evita a few years ago, and the two grown women next to me started singing along during "Buenos Aires". I couldn't believe it and thought surely someone else would shush them or they would come to their senses (I'm conflict-averse). But they kept singing, so when the song ended, I had to inform them this was a theater, not a karaoke bar. They seethed for the rest of the first act. One started singing again later during "Rainbow High" but stopped when I turned to look at her. At the end, they shoved past me to get out of the row. It brought out a primal urge in me to bite them. (But I didn't.)

[gleek4114]

This past weekend, I got to see the wonderful We're Gonna Be Okay at the Humana Festival of New American plays in Louisville. Granted, this was my 2nd time seeing it, and the first time the audience was wonderful. I returned to the show for their closing performance (I loved it that much). Someone around me had some kind of bag that they would periodically crinkle, someone a couple rows behind us wouldn't stop with the ice in the bottom of a cup, a couple next to me dropped one of their drinks on the ground during the show, spilling it, and the couple on the other side of my friend and I felt the need to give their own commentary to each other as the show progressed. I was glad to see the show again, but very disappointed my friend didn't get to experience it without the constant distraction. We both kept looking it each other with dead "I want to kill them all right now" eyes.

Either way, keep a lookout for We're Gonna Be Okay. I highly recommend it. It was a hit at the festival, and I hope it goes on to bigger things. 

[mailhandler777]

At Wicked in Rochester on Saturday night the lady behind me was cracking her gum throughout the show.

 

At On Your Feet Sunday afternoon 4 people in the last row in the orchestra(I was in row V) would not shut up. Finally an usher told them "this is not your living room so would you be quiet". It didn't work. I heard them the rest of the show.

Speaking of ushers. They were more distracting to me constantly running around during the show flashing lights in everyones faces thinking they were taking pics. I have a smart watch that I put on airplane mode but it still lights up when I clap. Guess that confused them.

[TweetyPie2]

mailhandler777 said: "At Wicked in Rochester on Saturday night the lady behind me was cracking her gum throughout the show.

 "Speaking of ushers. They were more distracting to me constantly running around during the show flashing lights in everyones faces thinking they were taking pics. I have a smart watch that I put on airplane mode but it still lights up when I clap. Guess that confused them."

 

Simple solution: Take your watch off during the show.

 

[AC126748]

The ushers at the Marquis are very aggressive with talkers, texters, and the like. I've noticed that every time I've seen a show there. Honestly, I've seen so much indifference from ushers in other theaters--or, worse, ushers who are more distracting than poorly behaved patrons--I actually find it refreshing.

[bryan2]

Saturday night I was at Hello Dolly and I could not believe the way people act now in theaters.

a family of 7 were behind me and before the show started the two boys actually started throwing punches at each other and the Mom< who instigated it seemed to think it was funny, the little girl was whining about not being able to see so I suggested to get booster seats...which caused another "crisis" the poor little girls bum hurts...again Mom made a snide remark...and the girl started to kick the gentlemen's chair in the back next to me. The woman in front of him had her hair in a high ponytail ..I guess she thought it was invisible...so he piled his coat and sat to help him see...I had to do the same thing but the joy was the nasty loud mother behind me now couldn't see as well..I never have sat so straight up in my life...LOL  the show started the 2 teenagers 13 and 16 were sighing and flipping the playbill pages and complaining...I finally turned around and said ENOUGH ...and the all sat perfectly still the rest of the show..I don't understand why it is has become so hard to sit quiet and just enjoy a SPECTACULAR show...

 

[VintageSnarker]

bryan2 said: "The woman in front of him had her hair in a high ponytail ..I guess she thought it was invisible..."

It's not like it was a beehive. I don't that's being intentionally inconsiderate. That's in the same category as sitting behind someone taller than you. 

 

[bryan2]

VintageSnarker  I don't agree because adding 5 to 8 inches on the top of your head can be avoided.. Being taller than the person behind you is not avoidable....It might as well have been a beehive for the gentleman who sat behind her ..he was short had she had the hair down he would have seen fine...just my opinion!!!  back in the 80s in London a older woman tapped me on the shoulders and said "your hair is in my way...it was short but spiked up, so I always remember that...LOL

 

[BruceBogtrotter]

Lot666 said: "I think it started with that idiot who climbed up on the stage at Hand To God and tried to plug his phone into the set wall socket."

Sorry, but this is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. How he justified that in his mind is way beyond me.

bryan2 said: "The woman in front of him had her hair in a high ponytail.. I guess she thought it was invisible..."

A high ponytail seems a strange choice for the theatre. Also a strange choice overall. Who wears a high ponytail? Is she on the theatres cheer squad or something? The fact you called her a woman implying that she is at least 20 makes it that much worse. Was it in a scrunchie? Please tell me it was in a scrunchie.

These stories are lovely. The worst I ever had was a bad spreader who had half of his thigh on my seat. It was seriously like he was almost doing the splits in his chair. He left it that way through act 1 and even actively pushed against my leg when I was trying to move it back to his own seat. He recoiled when I ended up putting my hand on his thigh. Invade my personal space and I'll invade your comfort zone.

[Lot666]

BruceBogtrotter said: "...He recoiled when I ended up putting my hand on his thigh. Invade my personal space and I'll invade your comfort zone."

Fabulous!

[dramamama611]

bryan2 said: "VintageSnarker  I don't agree because adding 5 to 8 inches on the top of your head can be avoided.. Being taller than the person behind you is not avoidable....It might as well have been a beehive for the gentleman who sat behind her ..he was short had she had the hair down he would have seen fine...just my opinion!!!  back in the 80s in London a older woman tapped me on the shoulders and said "your hair is in my way...it was short but spiked up, so I always remember that...LOL

 

 

"

Ridiculous.  A pony tail does NOT add 5-8 inches on top of any head.  (Unless we're talking more of the poof you can get from African American hair.)   Still, it's not likely the person purposefully styled her hair that way TO be an annoyance.

[BruceBogtrotter]

dramamama611 said: "Ridiculous.  A pony tail does NOT add 5-8 inches on top of any head.  (Unless we're talking more of the poof you can get from African American hair.)   Still, it's not likely the person purposefully styled her hair that way TO be an annoyance."

Five inches, maybe. Eight inches seems to be a stretch unless she was going for that Cindy Lou Who look. And I don't think he was saying she was doing it to be purposefully annoying, but that it was inconsiderate whether she meant it or not.