Bad Theater Behavior

[bisous3]

shanphelia said: "At Groundhog Day last week, the ladies room attendant was making announcements requesting that people not use their phones in the stalls, as there were a lot of people waiting.  I can't believe anyone would take up valuable intermission-restroom time (always a nightmare line!) checking their phone while on the toilet -- but I guess enough people do this that they need to make an announcement about it!!

 

"

They did this at Comet as well. I get it but MAN were they rude about it! Yelling at the women in line for the bathroom like they were a bunch of high school kids to put their phones away.

 

[Phantom4ever]

There is nothing I love more than a rude, aggressive house staff. Nobody takes the "cute" announcements seriously.  Those ushers need to have some serious charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.  

[Olivia11]

I know there are union rules to consider (length of show, etc) but they either need to find a way to add more bathroom stalls, particularly on the ladies room (which I know is extremely difficult) or lengthen intermission to allow enough time to use the facilities. Period. It is a ridiculous race.every.damn.show.

 I locate the bathroom on the way in so I know where I'm going, basically jump out of my seat as soon as the lights come up at intermission, walk quickly to the bathroom, don't waste time inside, and walk straight back to my seat as fast as I can (I never stop at the bar, etc), and I still barely make it (Waitress was the first time I was late, despite these best efforts). There are many others that don't and it is not their fault.   

Add facilities or lengthen intermission!

[KathyNYC2]

Olivia11 said: "I know there are union rules to consider (length of show, etc) but they either need to find a way to add more bathroom stalls, particularly on the ladies room (which I know is extremely difficult) or lengthen intermission to allow enough time to use the facilities. Period. It is a ridiculous race.every.damn.show.

 I locate the bathroom on the way in so I know where I'm going, basically jump out of my seat as soon as the lights come up at intermission, walk quickly to the bathroom, don't waste time inside, and walk straight back to my seat as fast as I can (I never stop at the bar, etc), and I still barely make it (Waitress was the first time I was late, despite these best efforts). There are many others that don't and it is not their fault.   

Add facilities or lengthen intermission!

 

"

That's not always possible. You can't just add more restrooms especially in a small theater which is small already and has numerous challenges because of its size. 

But yes you can't just make intermission longer than 20ish minutes. Most people don't want to wait that long already. The bathroom lines are a challenge for sure but work in the vast majority of situations. 

It would be nice to find a miracle solution but it's not always possible. 

[bwayandstuff]

Luckily, I've experienced great audiences over the past few months. But I'm still holding my breath when there's silent moment in a show, waiting for a phone to go off at the most inopportune time.

I also hate the "narrators". The other day during Come From Away, 3 women behind me kept saying things to each other mid show at full volume. I don't understand why people think other people can't hear them/ they aren't being distracting.

When I saw A Doll's House this past weekend, someone's phone went off during a dead quiet moment. I don't know if it's just me, but I swear it always takes the culprit the absolute longest time to silence the phone. It's like an unspoken rule of the universe. You would think that once the person heard it going off they would move as fast as possible to silence it but it never seems that way.

 

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Oh! That reminds me, at Anastasia the other day, a little kid kept whispering to his mother during Act 1. It was beyond annoying; and it got so bad that a woman in my row had to shush the boy behind us. He stopped, but it still baffles me as to why the mother let that go on for so long.

[Olivia11]

KathyNYC2 said: "Olivia11 said: "I know there are union rules to consider (length of show, etc) but they either need to find a way to add more bathroom stalls, particularly on the ladies room (which I know is extremely difficult) or lengthen intermission to allow enough time to use the facilities. Period. It is a ridiculous race.every.damn.show.

 I locate the bathroom on the way in so I know where I'm going, basically jump out of my seat as soon as the lights come up at intermission, walk quickly to the bathroom, don't waste time inside, and walk straight back to my seat as fast as I can (I never stop at the bar, etc), and I still barely make it (Waitress was the first time I was late, despite these best efforts). There are many others that don't and it is not their fault.   

Add facilities or lengthen intermission!

 

"

That's not always possible. You can't just add more restrooms especially in a small theater which is small already and has numerous challenges because of its size. 

But yes you can't just make intermission longer than 20ish minutes. Most people don't want to wait that long already. The bathroom lines are a challenge for sure but work in the vast majority of situations. 

It would be nice to find a miracle solution but it's not always possible. 

 

"

I am well aware of the challenges to add facilities as mentioned in my post. Five minutes added to intermission could make a world of difference.

 

 

[bwayandstuff]

Another thing I just remembered about bathrooms:

The Golden only has one women's bathroom and A Doll's House has no intermission. So, the line for the women's restroom was more ridiculous that usual... The security guard came downstairs and had the women use the stalls in the men's bathroom while the men used the urinals. No one seemed to mind but it was quite the interesting solution! 

[Olivia11]

It happens at other shows too. I used the men's room recently... I want  to say Hello Dolly??  I could be wrong on that show.  

Every show I've been to is aware of the issue and does everything possible to expedite things, but there is only so much you can do. The number of fixtures in the time allotted is the constraint. 

[Lot666]

Phantom4ever said: "There is nothing I love more than a rude, aggressive house staff. Nobody takes the "cute" announcements seriously.  Those ushers need to have some serious charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent."

[irishgator1]

I forgot about my last Great Comet experience- the row behind me got shakers and someone kept rattling theirs throughout non-shaker scenes. It sounded like they were fidgeting with it and rolling it around in their hands. So distracting and annoying, especially during the quiet, emotional scenes. I kept turning around to glare in the row's general direction, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly who it was, otherwise I would've said something.

[LizzieCurry]

Oh lordy

https://twitter.com/nicrouleau/status/895447838481567744

https://twitter.com/BrahSears/status/895438589554597888

[10086Sundays]

If you're going to smoke pot before you come see a show, please change clothes first.  As much fun as a contact high is...

[JayElle]

Olivia11 said, "Add facilities or lengthen intermission!"

I said the same at the Ham theater, Rich Rogers.  Theater manager told me they couldn't during it's extensive renovation b/c it was a historical building.   Lengthen the intermission.

I don't drink or eat before a show for that reason.  And I adhere to my mother's often command before we went on any car ride:  "go to the bathroom now b/c we won't have one once we start."

[KathyNYC2]

Sorry for the double post.

[KathyNYC2]

KathyNYC2 said: "Olivia11 said: "KathyNYC2 said: "Olivia11 said: "I know there are union rules to consider (length of show, etc) but they either need to find a way to add more bathroom stalls, particularly on the ladies room (which I know is extremely difficult) or lengthen intermission to allow enough time to use the facilities. Period. It is a ridiculous race.every.damn.show.

 I locate the bathroom on the way in so I know where I'm going, basically jump out of my seat as soon as the lights come up at intermission, walk quickly to the bathroom, don't waste time inside, and walk straight back to my seat as fast as I can (I never stop at the bar, etc), and I still barely make it (Waitress was the first time I was late, despite these best efforts). There are many others that don't and it is not their fault.   

Add facilities or lengthen intermission!

 

"

That's not always possible. You can't just add more restrooms especially in a small theater which is small already and has numerous challenges because of its size. 

But yes you can't just make intermission longer than 20ish minutes. Most people don't want to wait that long already. The bathroom lines are a challenge for sure but work in the vast majority of situations. 

It would be nice to find a miracle solution but it's not always possible. 

 

"

I am well aware of the challenges to add facilities as mentioned in my post. Five minutes added to intermission could make a world of difference.

"

I work at a theater. Our intermission is from 17 - 22 minutes based on the bathroom-bar lines for that performance and we have five employees working the bathroom lines at intermission. 17 minutes is sometimes enough. That said, we cannot go longer than 22 minutes because of rules. I'd say 99 3/4% of the time, we don't need more than 22 minutes. The rare occasional days it doesn't work is when some people push/shove or inform us about the long bathroom line - like we didn't notice it 8 times a week...or argue that too many people are on line. This week in particular someone actually unhooked the rope and tried to cut into the front of the line causing a huge mess and delay.

22 minutes is enough as long as everyone cooperates. You can't have actors, employees, etc work another 5 minutes just because some people that day decided to be rude and uncooperative and ruin it for the whole. (And yes, we also do have women in the men's and handicapped/accessible bathrooms when the designated patrons are allowed in first and they become free).

 

"

 

[VintageSnarker]

I understand there are going to be children and people with health issues and incontinence but for everyone else... can you just not go a little over two hours without needing the bathroom or concessions? Allowances for the long plays or the opera. That's different. 

[slumdogdelaware]

Olivia11 said: "I know there are union rules to consider (length of show, etc) but they either need to find a way to add more bathroom stalls, particularly on the ladies room (which I know is extremely difficult) or lengthen intermission to allow enough time to use the facilities. Period. It is a ridiculous race.every.damn.show.

 I locate the bathroom on the way in so I know where I'm going, basically jump out of my seat as soon as the lights come up at intermission, walk quickly to the bathroom, don't waste time inside, and walk straight back to my seat as fast as I can (I never stop at the bar, etc), and I still barely make it (Waitress was the first time I was late, despite these best efforts). There are many others that don't and it is not their fault.   

Add facilities or lengthen intermission!

 

Oh my God, that bathroom at the Brooks Atkinson is terrible. I tweeted at Waitress for them to consider "Opening Up" a new bathroom. Did not receive a response. 

 

[JayElle]

Agree with Vintage.  What's with America's bladders?  

As for phone use in stall, women need to remember it's a bathroom stall and not a phone booth. Get done and take the phone elsewhere.  As for talkers, I'm a "noise nazi."  I don't hesitate to address the problem.  I don't pay all that money to listen to a patron blabbing.  

That's also why I avoid Disney productions unless it's a late show on a nasty weather day that might keep families at home.  It's assumed kids will be talking through it.

I also found the headsets are a good way to avoid talkers.  In Comet and Ham, I thought some songs were best heard via the headset b/c it drowns out peripheral noise. With Groban singing Dush & Ashes, the headsets made it sound like he was singing directly to me. Otherwise, I just leave them on my neck until needed and it's well worth the dollar tip.

[rodrigo_ca]

Tell me more about these headsets, JayElle. Do you get them at the theatre or do you bring your own?

[theNYCpro]

https://twitter.com/fmichaelhaynie/status/895066652336766976

[Olivia11]

Someone always raises the idea that "we should just be able to go without" using the bathroom for 2.5 - 3 hours and that's total BS.  I'm not paying top dollar for a theater ticket to be uncomfortable.  If my need to politely accommodate basic bodily functions annoys you, that's too damn bad. 
 

[mailhandler777]

notalwaysontime said: "Apple watches have a theater setting now even, i used to take mine off and put it in my bag during a show until the update. The theater setting basically mutes it completely, no notifications at all, and when you lift your wrist it won't light up, you have to purposefully tap the screen to see if you got any messages, so like there's no excuse anymore. 

 

"

I wish my Samsung watch had a theatre mode. I turn the lighting down to 1 and flip it so the face is at the bottom so I don't distract anyone.

[Lissislive]

I've almost always been with a fantastic audience except for Les Mis and Hamilton.
At the former, an audience member was very obviously taking photos at the end of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and Turning, both beautiful moments that I remember without a picture.
At Ham, the people directly behind me were singing along to the entire show. I basically told them that there's a reason that we were sitting in the mezz and the actors were on stage, and they continued even after that. Then, just after Philip's death (before the beginning of 1800 though, for anyone who knows what happens right there) someone's phone went off in the orchestra and you could hear it through the entire theatre

[KathyNYC2]

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Whats-Worse-Than-Texting-During-a-Show-BOOK-OF-MORMON-Audience-Member-Wins-the-Prize-20170810

[maybethistime3]

Olivia11 said: "
Someone always raises the idea that "we should just be able to go without" using the bathroom for 2.5 - 3 hours and that's total BS.  I'm not paying top dollar for a theater ticket to be uncomfortable.  If my need to politely accommodate basic bodily functions annoys you, that's too damn bad. 
 

"

If you're not able to comfortably sit for 3 hours, don't see a show.