Waking A Stranger Up At The Theater?

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:56am

Do you wake up a stranger who's fallen asleep? Would you want a stranger to wake you up if you've fallen asleep at a show?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:58am

Unless they are snoaring, no

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 12:57pm

Wake me up at your own risk.  Unless I'm snoring, please let me enjoy the darkness and my dreams

[mpkie]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 1:27pm

I haven't... I've experienced two cases. The woman next to me fell asleep during a play and started gently snoring. She ended up waking up when loud transition music came on. A large man fell asleep in front of me during the second act of a musical, slumping over and blocking my view, since my view was between shoulders. It didn't take long for his wife to shake him awake, even though he did do this about two more times, but eventually snapped out of it. Both times I felt that it was fully in my right to wake them since they were personally obstructing my enjoyment of the show, but I decided to wait and see if it resolved itself.

If *I* fell asleep, I wouldn't mind be woken up by a stranger, as long as they did it gently/inconspicuously. I'd personally feel embarrassed either way!

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 1:35pm

Years ago, I went to see a play in London (Noises Off, coincidentally enough lol) and I had flown there overnight the night before and it was the matinee so I hadn't slept in almost 24 hours. 

Throughout the first act, I kept hearing someone snoring, and I thought how rude it was to fall asleep and snore during a show. I could tell it bothered everyone else too because they seemed to be looking around and shaking their head. I could not tell who was snoring though. 

Next thing I know, I am jostled out of sleep in the middle of a snore, and I see icy stares all around me.  IT WAS ME WHO WAS SNORING.  I was so embarrassed that I left at intermission.  

I would say it's only safe to wake a sleeping stranger if they are sleeping on you or drooling on you. Otherwise you risk a punch in the face or worse. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 1:43pm

If the show is bad ,no. If it is really bad, join the person and take a snooze.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 2:14pm

I fell asleep at Memphis. It was one of the more enjoyable naps I've ever taken.

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:09pm

The wicked fans will probably lynch me for this but I sorta dozed off during the first song of Act 2 -  the one where Glinda goes 'I couldn't be happier' lol I just found the melody so ploddy and mendearing and boring lol. I wasn't snoring though, thankfully , according to my sister who sat next to me lol. I did wake up in time to appreciate Glinda's high C at the end tho. lol

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/22/16 at 11:26pm

Phantom, too funny.  When I was a young teen (ie at the age where everything about my parents embarrassed me) my mom took me to London for a theatre trip.  (In hindsight this shows how ungrateful I was to still be embarrassed--my dad was working in Ireland for a year so we were going to spend a month with him, but my mom convinced dad to let me and her come a week earlier and see as many shows as possible in London--we saw 9 in a week, and they were all my choices).  Anyway, we booked it to see Rent the first night there--like with no sleeps after landing.  My mom did fall asleep at some point in Act I and kept up snoring so I'd wake her up and glare at her.  She was fine after intermission though--I guess she just needed some winks (she now jokes about it because she also found the show way too loud, so the fact she fell asleep in that show...)

At the time, as a teen, I didn't even really believe that things like jet lag were real--now in my 30s I understand.  Still, like everyone else here says, unless they are sleeping on you or snoring or whatever, who cares.  If they're sleeping peacefully they're prob being a better audience member than half the audience there anyway (although for intimate shows I can understand why an actor might be put off by noticing a sleeping audience member).

Posted: 7/23/16 at 12:44am

I was in the audience for a special matinee performance of The Iceman Cometh when Bill Clinton was president.  My boyfriend was a lawyer who knew him, so he got invited and took me along.  We were in row G, on the left hand section (looking at the stage).  My friend was on the aisle and I was next to him.  By coincidence Clinton was also in row G, in the center section.  The theater was packed.

 

If you've seen the play, you know it's very long and dark and filled with dialogue. It wasn't long before my friend's head was bobbing.  I nudged him a few times, but eventually he fell fast asleep, but he wasn't snoring so I left him alone.

 

At one point I looked over at him and noticed a head bobbing in the middle section -- it was Bill Clinton.  Before long he was sleeping now, too.  I was going to start the rumor that I personally witnessed someone sleeping with Bill Clinton, but thought it might be misconstrued, so I kept it to myself.

 

Til now. 

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 7:46am

I remember Lin Manuel Miranda tweeting awhile back about someone who slept through the show in the first row of Hamilton. Someone tweeted and asked if it bothered him and he responded that you have no idea what's going on in someone's life, and it may have nothing to do with you. So I would say let them sleep unless snoring, sleeping on you, obstructing your view, or otherwise affecting your experience.

 

I have fallen asleep only once in a show. I had several weeks of little sleep due to work insanity and wasn't enjoying the show nearly as much as I'd hoped and dozed off. I'm glad no one woke me (although certainly hope someone would if I were snoring or something but I'm not usually a snorer).  I felt much better after the little cat nap and actually enjoyed the rest of the show more after waking up because I wasn't focused on trying to fight the sleep off.  Obviously going to the theater in that state wasn't my best decision ever, so lesson learned, but at that moment my body just desperately needed 15 min or so of sleep.  (Fortunately I was in the rear orchestra so it's not like the actors could see me.)

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 8:54am

If you have had a hectic day, week, month or life, going into a theatre, sitting in a (hopefully) comfy chair, in the dark, having nobody ask you anything- well, it's the ideal environment for a nap.

I had once been working on a tech and opening of a show for days when I was invited to the opening of a prestigious show.  I was in the 4th row, but I just couldn't help it: I dozed off.  The cast saw and I was very much in their bad books.  But I was just exhausted- it was no reflection on them.  I shouldn't have gone to the show, but it was one of those occasions when it is rude not to. A lose- lose situation!

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 9:21am

Nobody yet has brought up the possibility that the sleepers may want someone to wake them, because they're missing a show they paid for. (But of course, if they're strangers, you couldn't know whether they'd want that or not.)

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 10:36am

The nutcracker, I fall asleep every time.

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:02am

It was all I could do not to fall asleep during Shuffle Along when I saw it in previews. I think it was a combination of the ridiculous length of the show as well as the fact that I had a busy few days prior to seeing it. I also nearly fell asleep at The Crucible last week. It was a good show, but the subtle, constant drumbeat throughout the play was putting me to sleep.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:53am

The cutest elderly man sat next to me at The Humans. I affectionately call him "Crackers" because he smelled like crackers.  Before the start of the show, Crackers warned me he might fall asleep.  He told me to wake him if he snored,  I glanced over at him in the middle of the show and he was out--but not snoring, so I didn't wake him.  It was nice that Crackers was self aware enough to prepare me.  

If some random person (not like me and Crackers-we really had something) was sleeping, I wouldn't wake him.. Unless it was really loud and taking away from my enjoyment of the show-otherwise it's none of my business.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 1:48pm

Glittergrrl said: "The cutest elderly man sat next to me at The Humans. I affectionately call him "Crackers" because he smelled like crackers.

 

"

That. Is. Precious.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 2:12pm

NewYorkTheater said: "Nobody yet has brought up the possibility that the sleepers may want someone to wake them, because they're missing a show they paid for. (But of course, if they're strangers, you couldn't know whether they'd want that or not.)

 

If someone falls asleep and are missing the chance to see a show that they paid for, that's something that I feel is on them. I see no point as an usher or audience member to wake them. Of course, the only time I'd ever do that is if it's getting in the way of my enjoyment of the show (or the enjoyment of others if an audience member notifies me so while working.)

 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 9:51pm

I've fallen asleep at shows before after working all night long then seeing a matinee after a long bus ride to the city. They are just cat naps though and no snoring involved. 

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 7/23/16 at 11:00pm

I have had people sitting next to me fall asleep several times. If they are quiet, I could care less. It is their money being wasted, not mine. But if they snore, then I poke. Whether they like that or not, I really don't care.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 1:37am

I try to avoid touching people, sleeping or not...

 

[Jmjazz]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 5:07am

Let them sleep. 

[StephieElise]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 5:24am

My mum kept falling asleep in our first few shows in New York. A combination of jet lag, busy days with lots of walking and coming into overheated theatres from the cold. That being said, as the one who'd bought the tickets, I wasn't too sympathetic and kept poking her! We now take mints to the theatre as they help keep us awake. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 5:53am

the only time I've almost fallen asleep at a musical was Shuffle Along. I was thoroughly enjoying the evening but there was a lull in act two with a LOT of dialogue I was having trouble focusing.

i think I fell asleep at a Michigan Opera Theater production a few years ago (I believe it was la rondine or Madama Butterfly in 2008 or so) but only for a few minutes

when I was a teenager I would routinely fall asleep in movie theaters for several minutes, but I attributed that to my poor sleep schedule (staying up too late therefore getting only 4-5 hours of sleep before school) and not on the quality of the film.

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 7/24/16 at 8:48am

definitely not..... lol