Actors not coming out stage door

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 6:01pm

I went to see Wicked on Tuesday night and I was shocked that the actor who played Boq was the only person in the entire cast who signed autographs. I have stage doored for multiple shows and after each of them I have a playbill covered in signatures even if some actors didnt come out. I was surprised that no one in the ensemble even was out to sign. I understand it was a cold night and some people probably had other things to do but i was expecting at least a few other people to come out. Then I realized it was the first show I hadnt gone to on a weekend or matinee. Is this why no one came out to sign playbills?

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 6:08pm

Actors don't have to come out. Especially if it was freezing outside.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 6:13pm

Another option is they came out before you got there. If someone close to the production was going a cabaret at 11 or something, it is sometimes surprising how fast they can get out of there. Some people in RENT that I know used to bolt out of the matinee to catch a movie in between shows and were gone before nearly anyone had left the building, and Patti LuPone was often pulling away from Women on the Verge before the most agile theatergoer could be in front of her (she was actually removing her costume as she left the stage the night I saw her). So, you never know... that said, they are all free to come out the stage door, say thank you*, and not sign anything...

* as long as they don't pose for a photo before not signing, which is verboten based on the Cinderella threads.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 6:23pm

Those jerks. I hate 'em.

[Emma White]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 9:57pm

I saw Matilda two weeks ago, a Thursday night. Beautiful weather, albeit a little chilly, but the only principal who came out was Lesli Margherita (who hates the cold). Other than that, Thayne Jasperson, Betsy Struxness, and a few others came out, but that was it. And I BOLTED to the stage door. I think it tends to depend a bit on how long the current cast has been in a show; I've always assumed long-standing cast members may be less likely to come out. That's a total guess, though.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 9:58pm

Don't they know that you're entitled to their time??? Gawd.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 10:00pm

They're under no obligation to come out.

[Emma White]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 10:05pm

I don't think I'm entitled to their time at all, and I already got WAY more than I could have dreamed of with how friendly Lesli was. I didn't mean to complain, I was just trying to show the OP that as far as my experience shows, theirs was entirely normal. Merely an observation. I know they're under no obligation to come out. I COMPLETELY understand not wanting to come out - whenever I do shows, I HATE having to see people afterwards, when I'm all sweaty and tired and my feet hurt.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 10:10pm

The stage door is always a crapshoot. I've seen Sunday evening performances of Chicago twice in the last year or so, the first time a total of 8 people, 2 of whom were principals, came out. The second time the entire cast save for Chris Fitzgerald and a handful of female ensemble members came out to sign. They are under no obligation to do so, it's not part of their job, but it's nice when they do.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 10:49pm

I know people won't agree with this, but I feel if a star actor comes out of the stage door regularly, they always should, whatever the weather or whatever plans they may have following the show, even if they have to run out quickly and say to the crowd "I'm sorry, but I gotta run, I can't sign or take pictures today". I feel this way because when fans of that actor hear or read that they come out of the stage door regularly then the fan waits for a while after the show at the stage door, possibly in bad weather, to see that actor and it's disappointing when they waited for nothing. So I think it's kinda wrong for an actor to ditch fans who are waiting there to see him or her because the fans know he or she usually comes out of the stage door. I totally understand if an actor never wants to come out of the stage door, but if they are known to come out regularly they really shouldn't ditch one day and let down their fans who were waiting and expecting to see him or her.

Or at least have someone inform the stage door security guard that you won't be coming out tonight so they can let everyone waiting at the stage door know within a few minutes instead of waiting there in 10 degree weather or snow for 30 minutes for nothing because due to the weather that night the actor doesn't want to spend 2 minutes with the 10 people waiting for him or her, or even just say hello and say can't sign any tonight sorry. Updated On: 2/21/14 at 10:49 PM

[StickIt]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:10pm

AntV, people might not agree because you sound like an entitled jerk. Actors aren't ever, ever obligated to come out and they don't "owe" their fans anything besides the performance they give onstage. How can you call yourself a fan of someone's if their performance isn't enough to satisfy you and make you happy? I mean geez, that's more than a little shallow. Actors get called names on this board and other places for coming out without signing all the time, so how exactly would that help? Why do you think it's your business where somebody has to be on any given night or what they're feeling like? People have PT, auditions, coaching, all kinds of things between shows on two show days, why would security even know about any of that? And if the actor leaves through another exit, like many theatres have, why should anyone have to know why? Why should anyone care?

You're whining about the amount of time you spend waiting? Well, stage dooring is a choice. You're running the risk of people not coming out. If you really want to see someone, it's your time to do with as you choose, but your favorite actor isn't responsible for managing your time schedule or making sure you're getting what you wanted out of your evening at the theatre (which sounds like "attention"). I'm sorry to be harsh but honestly your most made me feel gross just reading it. There's nothing wrong with doing the stagedoor and I'm sure it's really awesome to meet and get autographs from your idols. But that is a BONUS and an extra thing that they're doing out of kindness, not a requirement and certainly not something anyone should ever be berated for wanting to skip.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:32pm

You are seeing things in my post that aren't there and that's why you're calling me an entitled jerk. I didn't say they owe it to me or that their performance isn't enough. I did say in my post I completely understand if an actor never wants to do the stage door so I don't think anybody owes it to anyone. It's just disappointing to wait all that time in freezing cold weather or rain or snow for nothing. After reading online or seeing pictures that make it seem that actor pretty much always comes out, it is disappointing that they didn't want to come out that one night because of the weather, even though they had fans braving that weather for much longer than it would take them to come out to even just say hello. And yes I've seen people complain about actors who come out just to say hello or let people take a picture and I think those people are much worse than me. I would very much appreciate any acknowledgement or thanks from an actor for waiting out there to see him or her. Some people have seats way in the back and would just like to see the actor they are a fan of up close.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:34pm

I've been fortunate in that most of the Chicago cast members seem to be willing to stage door (with the exception of A.F.W.). For example, Bianca Marroquin is quite lovely to her fans and chats it up a bit.

[StickIt]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:41pm

"After reading online or seeing pictures that make it seem that actor pretty much always comes out, it is disappointing that they didn't want to come out that one night because of the weather, even though they had fans braving that weather for much longer than it would take them to come out to even just say hello."

...why should someone who wants to go home/is tired/possibly just doesn't like crowds or people/is sick/has an appointment or somewhere to be care about how long you've been waiting outside for them? I think most actors would hope that their performance would be more than enough to make their fans happy. With fans like that, who needs haters? If you set your expectations to the point where you would feel that put out by someone not signing a piece of paper for you, that's really, entirely, 100% on you. Nobody owes you or the crowd an apology if they don't feel like coming out, as you suggest in your initial post. Updated On: 2/20/14 at 11:41 PM

[Lousy]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:50pm

No one is owed anything other than the performance they payed for.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:04am

I guess I'm different than this version of a person you have in your mind because they don't have to sign the paper for me. And I said that in my first post. They can as you say, want to go home, be tired, be sick, have somewhere to be, but they can still walk out of the stage door say hello to everyone and say they can't sign or take pictures today. Using another exit to avoid the fans really should only be reserved for those actors who will never stage door because they as you said, don't like crowds or people, and that is totally understandable. But if there are fans waiting outside to see someone because they know that actor almost always come out, then yes they should care that they are disappointing their fans who were waiting to see them.

And yes I know there will be people who will complain if an actor just walks out, says hello and leaves. Those are the people you should be calling entitled jerks, not me. Though I also realize that the reason actors don't come out and just say hello on days when they can't stick around or just don't want to is because most other people would be upset that they didn't sign the paper for them. So I guess either way some people will be disappointed.

[StickIt]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:08am

"They can as you say, want to go home, be tired, be sick, have somewhere to be, but they can still walk out of the stage door say hello to everyone and say they can't sign or take pictures today."

Yeah, they can. Or they can not. That's up to them, not you. And if you're going to place judgments on people or think less of them because they don't see things your way? You're not the kind of fan any performer would ever want.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:15am

AntV,
No one is reading more into your post than you posted. You actually did state than an actor who comes out of the stage door EVER should come out every day, no matter what they feel, and at the very least explain themselves and what they are doing then / after the show and why to the people waiting. That is BEYOND entitled, BEYOND belittle, BEYOND spoiled, BEYOND demanding and BEYOND bratty. Sorry, not sorry.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:30am

I don't think waiting by the stage door expecting to see someone is feeling like you are owed something. It's the stage door and that's where one would wait expecting to see the actors come out. If they come out of another exit on a particular night to avoid their fans it is disappointing. I guess the whole expectation that when someone comes out of the stage door they have to sign for you and take pictures with you is what ruined it and makes actors use an alternate exit to avoid all of that. I'm sure very early on in Broadway history every actor would leave via the stage door, but those entitled fans who feel they are owed a signature or a picture ruined it. So now my view that the actors who regularly come out of the stage door, should always come out of there, even if they can't interact with fans that night, comes across as judging them or thinking less of them if they don't. I guess I'm realizing I have more of a problem with the system itself than the actors' actions.

So I applaud Fran Drescher, for example, for coming out of the stage door so her fans who have been waiting there can simply see her up close, nothing more. And I hope she continues to do that after every show (unless she plans on staying in the theater during two show days), because her fans will wait there expecting to see her.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:41am

broadwayguy2, Again saying things I did not say. All I said was a simple hello and that they have to go. Hell, even just a hello or a wave would be fine, but I guess just saying they have to go and can't sign is what others would expect to hear because others there are expecting signatures. And like I said in the post before this one, the stage door is where fans wait expecting an actor to leave from, even just to catch an up close glimpse of them. An alternate exit should only be used by those actors who hate crowds and never use the stage door, and a big fan would already know of that and would not wait to see them.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:47am

I could only imagine the uproar if those actors did what you're suggesting... "THAT BITCH! CAN'T BELIEVE SHE HAD THE TIME TO STOP AND SAY HELLO BUT COULDN'T SIGN MY PLAYBILL! UGH!" I actually think it would have the reverse effect of what you're envisioning.

[StickIt]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:49am

"And like I said in the post before this one, the stage door is where fans wait expecting an actor to leave from, even just to catch an up close glimpse of them."

Uh, they caught a glimpse of them when they were onstage performing for 2.5 hours? Whatever, no one is gonna change your mind, but just know that you are actually entitled and pretty grimy.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:56am

Headband, I realize you are indeed right, as evidenced on here in the thread about Fran Drescher doing that at Cinderella. So I guess I do have more of an issue with the system as a whole where people expect signatures if someone comes out of the stage door and that has created the using the other exit phenomenon on some days to avoid having to give signatures, but where we don't even get to see the actor at all and that's a shame, and yes, disappointing to a fan.

StickIt, like I said some fans may have seats far away from the actor and just seeing them up close and saying hello or thanks to the fans was worth waiting at the stage door for, plus the chance that they may sign or take pictures that night. Not seeing them at all, and waiting all that time in the freezing cold or snow, is indeed disappointing. And yes we probably won't change our minds and I've said all I can about this so I'm going to stop now, but I do hope what Fran Drescher is doing becomes more of a trend. And if it does become a trend, then people can stop expecting actors to sign if they leave the stage door and then less actors will want to leave from the other exit. Updated On: 2/21/14 at 12:56 AM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 1:20am

AntV,
You reiterated EXACTLY what I said... "They should come out no matter whether they want to or not, say hello and explain that they aren't going to interact." Perhaps you dislike hearing it rephrased back to you, but it is precisely what you said.. lol.

[AntV]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 1:34am

You are rephrasing it in a way that sounds bad. I said they should come out of the stage door to exit the building and do whatever they feel like on that day when they do, but at least their fans saw them and got a hello or wave. I didn't say they need to explain why they won't interact, though simply saying they can't today could help since the entitled people would get upset seeing the actor just walk away since it is sadly now an expectation for these entitled people that if someone exits via the stage door they must sign.

As evidenced by the post that began this topic, where only one principal of Wicked came out of the stage door. The other 6(?) were all sick/tired/busy that day? More likely, they just didn't want to spend all that time signing, probably in the cold, but because of the expectation that they must sign if they come out of the stage door, they took an alternate exit. I'm sure all the young girls at the stage door for Wicked would have been very happy to at least see the principals of Wicked up close, out of costume and green makeup, quickly saying hello to the crowd. But instead they probably felt like their time spent waiting in the cold wasn't worth it. I'm not just thinking about myself here being entitled or "grimy", but I think it's a problem that the stage door has currently that makes actors use alternate exits. Updated On: 2/21/14 at 01:34 AM