Bad Theater Behavior

[Sutton Ross]

"I don't know that you can say that when nearly every house sells snacks that you can take to your seats."

That's simply not true. Some theaters sell snacks, most you cannot take anything to your seat besides beverages. As for the annoying cough drop thing, I was so happy the first time I went to Carnegie Hall. They had paper, Ricola wrappers in large dishes that made NO sound. If you're in a theater, you should only be able to use those. It's incredibly disgusting that people can't go a few hours without eating (I guess not surprising given our obesity rates) and treat theatrical productions like movie theaters. Once you venture off Broadway, this is not the case.

[LizzieCurry]

When I saw a show at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago years ago, they had baskets of Halls lozenges in the bathroom. Soft wax paper, no sound. Brilliant.

[BrerBear]

"Sushi does not give off an aroma as it is cold, I cannot believe how I was treated!"
Who would have thought that fish could give off a smell? Everyone loves a fish market.

I think the worst I encountered was seeing Phantom in the early 90s. I was overly excited about the show, and flew across the country to see it as part of a high school field trip. But much of the experience was ruined by a patron (maybe standing room?) who decided that his seat wasn't good enough and instead walked to the front of the mezzanine isle and stood watching from there, blocking much of our views. No usher approached or seemed to be around, and I had to be the "bad guy" and ask him to stop standing there. He kept coming back throughout the show, too. Worse than even missing many important parts of the show was that feeling that I was wronged during something I had built up so much in my head. Didn't come back to Broadway again for 20 years.

[Mattbrain]

I saw The Color Purple at SpeakEasy here in Boston and on my right side was a woman unwrapping a cough drop and on my other side was a woman who felt the need to comment on everything.

When Shug and Celie kiss for the first time -- "Oh Jesus!"

When Nettie says Celie's kids are alive in the Africa Sequence -- "Oh, that's nice."

And those are just the ones I remember.

[Rainbowhigh23]

I was chatting with a fellow patron at the Broadhurst for Streetcar Named Desire and she said that during the rape scene, a guy next to her was saying, "Yeah! Give it to that bitch!"

I am glad I was in the back of the orchestra or it would have been all I could do to not seriously interrupt the show by telling this guy what I thought of him.

[veronicamae]

I still can't get over the image of someone eating sushi in a theater. Were there chopsticks? Soy sauce?

[Wilmingtom]

Picture it: just as the overture begins, a mother and adult daughter hustle in and sit down behind us. Out of Mother's large shoulder bag comes a meal from the deli. The two women proceed to divide up the food, napkins, containers, forks and so on and start eating. The moment the first scene begins, so does their never-ending narration. "Who's he?" "It's her boyfriend." "No it's her husband." "She's too young for him." "Believe me, she's not that young. It's the makeup." When I finally turn back to them and say, "Would you please stop talking, and can't the food wait until intermission?" the daughter barks, "What, are you the boss?" The man in front of us then turns, looks me in the eye and says, firmly, "Stop talking!" Had we been on the aisle I would have grabbed an usher. Finally the beefy guy sitting next to Mother says, "If you don't put that sh!t away and stop gabbing, I'm going to get an usher." To which daughter replies, "Hey, we paid for our seats too." Beefy guy responds, "Shut the fu*k up or you won't be seeing the show." At intermission, neither of them moved, requiring everyone in the row who wanted to go out to climb over the buffet. We went out and had a drink and when we returned to our seats, they were gone and did not return for Act II. I suspect beefy guy did business with house management during intermission.

[bwayrose7]

Speaking from someone who works on house staff at a theater, I can say I've had to deal with my share of these sorts (or, more often, report them to my manager). Although one of my personal favorites involved me guarding the door that leads from the lobby to the backstage area, a frazzled tech coming out to tell me that someone was recording the show (complete with tiny red light), and my poor manager having to climb over an entire row, mid-show, to get to this idiot. Who, after some whispered grumbling, handed over his camera- but, as we discovered later, had taken the memory card out before he did.

[oasisjeff]

My favorite example (although it is totally cute and not mean spirited) was at Newsies, when Jeremy Jordan and the girl are high up on the stage, and she kisses him.

One kid in the orchestra (and I was at the back of the mezzanine) was so shocked he said, "She kissed him!!" so loudly the entire audience heard him. The audience reacted by laughing, and then it just kept building until the whole crowd couldn't stop laughing...

The cast is holding for the laughter to die down, and it finally hit the point where it was awkward for them, so Jordan takes his cap off and looks in the direction of the kid, as if to say "Really?!" with a smile on his face, which made the audience laugh more...

And then he put his hat back on, turn toward her, the audience calmed down, and then they jumped right back into the scene.

Not really "bad behavior," since the kid was just so into the show he couldn't help it, the crowd had fun with it, the cast played along, then we all refocused and everything continued.

[romain2]

The worst behavior I encountered: for musicals I used to enjoy sitting front row mezzanine. But twice in one week I had the misfortune of sitting next to people WHO TOOK THEIR SHOES OFF AND THEN PUT THEIR FEET UP! Not kidding. At South Pacific at Lincoln Center the professorial type guy next to me did it. Off went the shoes, up went his smelly feet and he conducted with his feet. To say this was distracting would be an understatement. I indicated to him I didn't appreciate it and he just shrugged and kept them up. And not a single usher said anything to him. A few nights later I was at La Cage Aux Folles and I got stuck next to this clueless woman who told her family members (two kids) to do it--off went their shoes, up went their feet. I couldn't believe it! And again not a single usher said anything to them. I told this woman to cut it out but then ended up feeling like the party pooper creep who snapped. I crossed the line when I told them that her son's feet (which were blocking my view at one point) smelled and I didn't like them in my face. Yes, the rest of the night was uncomfortable.

[Sutton Ross]

I snapped this yesterday. What is it about people taking their shoes off in ALL the wrong locations?

[ARTc3]

I hope that producers wishing to find new audiences - and not lose some of us regular supporters - will take notice of this thread and the others with a similar theme. I was particularly taken by the poster who wrote about not returning to the theater for many years after such a bad experience.

Bottom line... often, at near or over $100 a ticket, sitting through an uncomfortable situation because of bad manners is going to take its toll on attendance.

I wish I had the solution. I don't. In a different thread, like Roxy, I suggested a jamming system for mobile devices. Some people agreed with me, but as many thought I was unreasonable.

As for cold food - fish - not smelling... how clueless can you be? Seriously?! You have to be kidding!

[SporkGoddess]

When I was in high school I went on a field trip to see a university production of Othello. There were students from other high schools there and it was probably the worst case of bad audience behavior I've ever seen. For instance, when Desdemona was going to bed (right before Othello murders her), she was shown in a nightie and the audience hooted and hollered. My classmates and I were very annoyed.

[LizzieCurry]

Bottom line... often, at near or over $100 a ticket, sitting through an uncomfortable situation because of bad manners is going to take its toll on attendance.

There were a great deal of crinkly bag offenders, some eaters, and cell phone users at Les Miz earlier this week. I was surprised at how oblivious the ushers were. But the one I talked to was very nice and receptive when I told her at intermission what was going on near us. Yet she never looked closer to our area until curtain, even though I could see her unobtrusively pacing around a bit in Act 2. Are they just understaffed? I don't want to think that people are just getting complacent with their jobs.

[tom2000a]

I read this thread with great interest, as many of these things I have witnessed myself. This is just some of my random thoughts.

There is one thing that really irritates that no one has mentioned.

When it's Winter and people, usually women, drape their coats behind their seat! As if they are entitled to your leg room to hang their coats. This drives me mad.

As for speaking to someone who is being rude in the theatre. I think when someone is doing something that they shouldn't be doing, you should say something to them. Bullies should be stood up to, and they are a type of bully. You shouldn't be afraid that someone is going to punch you in the face!

I am of an age when going to the theatre was something you dressed up for. You sat and listened and wouldn't think of being rude.

I remember I saw Sly Fox with George C Scott. A lady in the first row got up to go to the bathroom, or wherever. She was pretty much center stage. When she came back, he STOPPED the show, and said something like "Do you feel better now?".

I think part of the blame is with the theatres. They DO sell more candy and drinks that they used to. I went to the last revival of West Side Story. They sold POTATO CHIPS at intermission. The theatre is responsible for these choices.

Cell phones are a blight in many ways on society. Going to dinner and having people at the table texting is maddening to me. I have asked grown children of my friends to please stop and join the conversation. No one thought I was right for asking them to put the phones away and my friends got mad at me. I would do the same thing.

Eating food during a show is disgusting. There is a difference between a movie and a live show. Everyone seemed to understand that in the past. Shows are not usually more than two or two and a half hours. If you can't make it that long without eating, then don't go.

I am also a playwright. Although I have never had a show on Broadway I do have a published play that is done all over the country. It frighten and angers me to know that people are filming it. They should be thrown out if they are caught filming.

I believe that using a cell phone in a Broadway show is against the law! You can get fined. So why is this law never been enforced? Maybe the should let ushers give out tickets.

[LizzieCurry]

I believe that using a cell phone in a Broadway show is against the law! You can get fined. So why is this law never been enforced? Maybe the should let ushers give out tickets.

It would really help if social media accounts for various shows would stop livestreaming the instagram tags and encouraging this kind of stuff. You can engage with an audience without giving them reason to take pictures of the show curtain or the ever-present thumb-on-playbill photo.

[Marianne2]

Some girl next to me at Shakespeare in the Park for Into The Woods actually got on her cell phone during the show to talk to someone. She was stupid too because she didn't think anyone would see her bending down in her seat and whispering. I think she got spoken to after the show since this was in act 2.

And speaking of Shakespeare in the Park, I recall seeing either on their website or my ticket that they actually encouraged people to bring food in. Not sure if it is because it is an outdoor venue or what. I thought that was interesting.

[NeverSoShy]

When I saw Once in the West End last month someone decided it would be a good idea to check their emails on their phone during Falling Slowly. I wasn't particularly impressed by the girl with the massive hair bun on top of her head sat in front of me (think people!).

Oh and last week at Wicked about five people got up to use the toilet during act one (which I could cope with) until Defying Gravity started at which point I counted at least fifteen people leaving their seats. Who the hell thought that was appropriate?!

[winston89]

I remember being at a performance of Billy Elliot on Broadway. There were these two women who thought it was okay to talk loudly during the show. I shushed them, gave them dirty looks etc. It was clear that they knew that I wanted them to stop talking, and it was clear that they could care less about shutting up.

During act one, at the end of "Solidarity" the show curtain was lowered and there was an announcement saying that the show was being stopped due to technical issues. I really had to use the restroom and took advantage of being on the aisle to quickly do so. I came and went with time to spare during the tech issue. At Intermission. I told them more sternly that I was being disturbed by their talking and that they needed to stop. They questioned my judgement, asking me "so it's okay to leave your seat to use the bathroom during the show, but it's not okay for us to talk?" I responded by saying to the two things. The first one was that I didn't leave during there being action on stage. I took advantage of the brief technical pause, and ran up to the bathroom and came back with time to spare. Secondly, it's never okay to talk in the theatre because people around you are here to see a show, not listen in on whatever conversation you're having.

[Broadway Joe]

I must have really good luck because other then some cell phones going off I haven't really had any bad behavior around me. I see almost every show that opens on Broadway so I should encounter these situations once in awhile.

Not sure if this has anything to do with it but I mainly try to go to shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maybe the Friday to Sunday crowds are a bit more rude? Lol

[Mr Roxy]

There is a difference between leaving to go to the bathroom and eating. As far as eating, some people who are diabetic may need something for a quick jolt. Beyond that no reason to have Thanksgiving theater in the theater.

[ARTc3]

I really don't think the ushers have been empowered to do anything. I wish they were, but my experience is that after they seat you, more than half of the staff leaves for the night. The remaining crew is minimal and doesn't parole the theater at all. At least that has been my experience.

Producers. Law makers. How about putting some enforceable fines in place that might start to educate people on how to behave at a live performance?

[Mr Roxy]

More laws are not the answer. You alledgedly cannot drive without a license or with a suspended one. People do it all the time again and again.

Start having offending people ejected from the theater and publicizing it will maybe start deterring the idiots who think the a specific performance is for them only.

[Sutton Ross]

I agree with that, but what about the people who truly don't know proper theater etiquette? Who teaches them? There is no handbook especially for people from other countries. How many chances should one person get until they are ejected?

[Mr Roxy]

An usher tells them once nicely. The second time comes with a warning that if it happens again they will be thrown out.

[Dollypop]

A few weeks ago I took my eight year old granddaughter to a Young People's Concert at Lincoln Center. It was she who noticed the large number of people texting during the performance. She also realized that the majority of the culprits were grown ups. She commented, "If they don't want to hear the music they should just stay home." I didn't mention to her that most of the texters were probably divorced dads who where there out of obligation.