When Others Walk Out of a Show

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 8:29am

 


The thread on walking out of a show led me to think about a related facet of our theatregoing experience: seeing other patrons walk out of a show. I recall a poster here relating that she had walked out of Hamilton at intermission, only to be met with a torrent of outrage and invective both singular in their fury. Frankly, why it should have mattered so much  to anyone else if she walked out or not was quite beyond me.  But for many, apparently, it did. Personally, I admired her for her discernment.

I was wondering how other people feel either seeing other patrons walk out of a show during the performance itself, as I witnessed at Sweeney Todd, The Wild Party, The Encounter, or noticing empty seats after intermission that had previously been occupied (Jerusalem, Arcadia, etc. ) Are you empathetic, indifferent, annoyed, scornful.....  ?

At that preview of Sweeney Todd --- still the worst musical that I have ever experienced --- the file of people streaming out of the theatre during the performance was unlike anything I had ever seen in the theatre. My feeling was one of complete empathy, as I shared their revulsion. I felt sorry for them as they struggled down the steps in the dark, as well as  admiration for their refusal to allow themselves to be subjected any further to that horror show. If only I had joined them!

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 8:31am

So you really want us to argue with you about Sweeney Todd, right?

[MyMeredithMonster]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 8:39am

I guess it depends on the show and the timing of the walking out.  I recall quite a few people walking out during the intermission when I saw both Lestat and Caroline or Change.  The former didn't surprise me, but I do remember feeling very disheartened when it happened at the latter.  I suppose to each their own though. 

The only time it's ever really bothered me is when people are walking out mid-song.  Not only is it rude to the performers, it's incredibly rude to those around you.  I saw a regional production of Avenue Q about three years ago and, apparently (despite the many warnings posted), people still didn't understand what they were in for.  At least 10 people walked out in the middle of You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want. 

I'm sad to say that I most often see this happen during the final numbers when seeing touring shows.  People want to "beat the crowd" I guess and aren't doing a traditional "walking out".  Still, that really ticks me off...

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 9:31am

I thought about this myself once, when I read reviews on here about First Daughter Suite and how there were a lot of empty chairs at intermission.

Because I was interested in the show but never actually caught it, I wondered how I would have felt to see others walking out (most likely due to Amy Carter's Fabulous Dream Adventure). And the conclusion I came to is that I would have been really bummed out...out of pure sympathy for the company. You know, when you do a show, you put your blood and soul into it (hopefully), and to have to hear that people walked out must be so disheartening.

[ebontoyan]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 9:41am

I don't pay much attention when people leave a show, but I did notice in a touring production of Spring Awakening, people left in droves during intermission! The theater was half empty after intermission. Our theater is a subscriber house so I'm assuming the season ticket holders were leaving!

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:10am

As long as they wait till intermission I'm indifferent.

I tend to wait for reviews to see shows so I usually know what I'm getting into. When I see a truly dire show it's usually because I'm friends with someone in the cast. Then I look at the departing audience members with envy.

Updated On: 10/4/16 at 10:10 AM

[10086sunset]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:17am

When I saw a good amount of people leaving The Cherry Orchard, I was jealous and simply wanted to join them...

Like the previous poster said, as long as they wait till intermission, I'm indifferent...

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:19am

I'm completely indifferent, and it does not bother me at all.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:20am

As a performer myself, I find it incredibly disrespectful to walk out during a performance. If you wait until intermission, then fine. As the ticket buyer, it is your right to leave if you are not satisfied. 

However, walking out while the actors are on stage shows that you have little respect or appreciation for the weeks or months (or in the case of the authors/composers, years) of hard work that have gone into creating the show. We can see you from the stage, and we know what you're doing. You can stick it out until the interval. 

[Theater3232]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:23am

I saw several people walk directly past the stage during "Show/Buy/Date" last week to exit in the middle of the show.  Even though the show was only 90 minutes, they couldn't take any more of it.  The lady didn't know her lines, kept stopping to read the lines from her book in front of her, and her story was very presumptuous and off-putting.  Absolutely terrible performance that I wish I left.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:26am

I saw a man taking (presumably) his son out at the intermission of the spongebob musical. That didn't really bother me, what bothered me was that I overheard the child asking why they had to leave and that he wanted to stay, and the father responded by saying the show was over. I wouldn't have minded if he had been leaving on his own, but I think it's unfair to make his child leave the show because the dad wasn't enjoying it. I mean it's not my place to say, but it made me a little upset.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:30am

"However, walking out while the actors are on stage shows that you have little respect or appreciation for the weeks or months (or in the case of the authors/composers, years) of hard work that have gone into creating the show."

All due respect, but your "weeks or months" of work really matter only to you; no matter how much time writers, directors, and actors spend, if an audience member feels that their time and money are being wasted by a lack of talent and ability, that's their decision to make; the artists aren't owed anything other than the price of the ticket. The only people audience members owe "respect" to are the other audience members - if walking out disturbs them (who have also paid to be there), then that is rude.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:33am

"If you wait until intermission, then fine."

And if there is no intermission? 

Then what?

[Willie4316]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:36am

I think that if you are not enjoying the show, you do have the right to walk out. However, it absolutely infuriates me when people have sat there for the entirety of the show and walk out during the final number of the night or when they are doing bows. I understand you may be in a rush to get out since you have something else to do afterwards, but after giving 110% for you, all they ask for is a simple act of gratitude at the end of the show. If you can't be bothered to give them that, you might as well not have bothered to see the show imo

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:48am

After Eight said: ""If you wait until intermission, then fine."

And if there is no intermission? 

Then what?

 

"

If you can leave unobtrusively, without disturbing the audience or the performance -- fine.

If you can't, tough it out.

For someone who claims to value decorum as highly as you, that should be a no-brainer.

 

[thommg]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 10:58am

I've left a couple of shows myself, but always at intermission. The night I saw Plenty (from standing room as it was a huge hit from downtown), people walked out in droves, especially during the second act. That was the only time I actually heard people talking out loud as they left. "What the hell is happening?", "How are you supposed to know what's going on?", things like that. 

A friend and I went to see Copenhagen. At intermission, I was just enthralled by this show, he, well, not so much. He decided he couldn't sit through another act of it so he left. Different things appeal to different people. We have still attended theatre together, though neither of us have left at any intermissions.

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 11:10am

Midway through Act 1 of the FALSETTOS tour in San Francisco, early 90s, an old guy had had enough and during a number stood, said "This is crap!" (loud enough for those of us around to clearly hear) and marched out, wife in tow. A few moments later, wife came back and stayed for the entire show, engaged and interested and applauding appreciatively. I wonder what they talked about later! Never forget seeing that. 

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 12:15pm

i love going to book of mormon and guessing who around me may walk out during or after "hasa dega ebawai" There are almost always one or 2

I think its fine to walk out at intermission, or during a scene transition.

To walk out during dialogue or a song is rude to both actors and paying audience members

 

ive only left at intermission for Lestat and the recent tour of Phantom.....

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 12:34pm

broadwaysfguy said: "i love going to book of mormon and guessing who around me may walk out during or after "hasa dega ebawai" There are almost always one or 2"

Also known as  the exact moment when my SRO ticket was upgraded to a close orchestra aisle seat both times I went.

[IronMan]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 1:10pm

I responded on the other thread about shows I've left- AT intermission.  When you're trapped and cannot leave without calling attention to yourself (and distracting others who may actually be enjoying it) you have to tough it out.

I survived the interminable 90 minutes of "The Blonde in the Thunderbird"  so I could probably make it through anything. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 1:16pm

Oh, I would never have walked out of The Blonde in the Thunderbird; that was the show that kept on giving unintended laughs. Somers was just so willing and happy to show how inept she was at everything. A delight.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 2:51pm

No ticket-buying audience member should feel obligated to endure something they are not enjoying simply to appease the actors or other audience members.  Nobody HAS to "tough it out".  If you feel the need to leave a performance at any time, for any reason, it is 100% your right to do so, regardless the high-horse moralities of others being projected onto you.  Hopefully, you would do so quietly and unobtrusively, but waiting until intermission or through the entire bows is nothing more than a personal choice.  Those who find it rude or disrespectful are free to martyr themselves by committing to endure something they don't want to see (which may seem like material for great storytelling, but doesn't impress me), but NOBODY is under that obligation.  If you believe I should pay for my ticket and not have the choice to leave when I want because I find the production to be intolerable for any reason, then feel free to reimburse me the amount of the ticket in exchange for my own personal freedom of choice due to the personal demands you wish to place on me.  Because it's not a contract of the ticket purchase, nor should it be.  As for being "disrespectful" to actors...please.  As a professional actor, I could care less if people walk out during a scene or during intermission.  If my ego is so fragile that I 1) register the exit of a person in the audience or 2) demand total devotion to my performance in addition to the price of a ticket, then I would not last long in the industry (and would probably require intensive emotional therapy).  And sometimes, the actors' performances are the REASON for walking out.  Giving "110%" (which is unattainable anyway) is the actor's job whether the audience stays, goes, cheers or boos.  It is absolutely not my responsibility as an audience member to make them feel good about seeing something I find to be awful.

For the record, I don't sit and read the end credits to movies, either.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 5:09pm

In addition to what Mister Matt said about not worrying about the actors' feelings, there are plenty of times when an actor knows they are in an awful show and will wish they could be walking out along with those audience members.

[South Florida]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 5:49pm

Unrelated but was in London for a wedding about 9 years ago and took in "Chicago".  Unfortunately the 8 of us got so drunk during dinner, and were pretty tired from the wedding and time change, that we all fell asleep in the 3rd row in a line during the first act.  I was one of the ones who snapped out of it to enjoy act 2, the performers kept staring at us and my sleepy clan, it was weird.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/4/16 at 6:18pm

In addition to what Mister Matt said about not worrying about the actors' feelings, there are plenty of times when an actor knows they are in an awful show and will wish they could be walking out along with those audience members.

Oh, I've been in that situation.  We would be silently begging the audience to walk out so we would not have to continue performing the lousy show.  And if by chance we received an enthusiastically positive response from someone, we assumed they were mentally ill.