Dear Evan Hansen Stage Door- Page 8

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 3:43pm

EMM55, in many cases, there are not. It's ironic, but a lot of Broadway theatres have facilities that would not pass muster at a decent high school auditorium. They are boxed in on both sides and from behind. In some I guess you could come down the fire escape to escape, but that would be frowned upon by management not to mention humiliating, and a few do have the stage door on the back or around the corner, but an actor trying to leave in a cute way would be found out quickly by the selfie squad. It really is a pathetic thing, as is anyone justifying it on their own terms. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 3:47pm

@CurtainPD we are getting way off topic but the dictionary chronicles the evolution of language; it does not create it. And if this is the most egregious error you can find to object to on here you need to pay better attention

[Nycat63]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 4:04pm

On the topic of other exits I will defer to those who know much more than I do.  I was assuming this from the many, many times I've heard "he/she went out a different door tonight" or he "always goes out another door" by security guards.  But I'll concede I'm not an expert by any means on this question.  

 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 4:14pm

To JennH: Since you brought up ''She Loves Me'' and Zachary Levi, I just want to add that if the Tonys gave out a special Tony for Best Stage-dooring, it would go to Levi. At ''She Loves Me'' (and ''First Date'' ), he brought out a boombox (or something to play music), and created a party atmosphere. He would take his time to sign everyone's Playbill and chat, and if anyone wanted a photo, he would go through the line a second time. Levi says he enjoys meeting fans and feels it's his way of thanking them for coming.

Updated On: 7/4/17 at 04:14 PM

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 4:45pm

Wayman_Wong said: "To JennH: Since you brought up ''She Loves Me'' and Zachary Levi, I just want to add that if the Tonys gave out a special Tony for Best Stage-dooring, it would go to Levi. At ''She Loves Me'' (and ''First Date'' ), he brought out a boombox (or something to play music), and created a party atmosphere. He would take his time to sign everyone's Playbill and chat, and if anyone wanted a photo, he would go through the line a second time. Levi says he enjoys meeting fans and feels it's his way of thanking them for coming.

 

You must be mistaken Wayman. Hogan clearly stated that no actor enjoys stagedooring even if they say they do. It's a loathsome process. And while the rest of us offer and share opinions, Hogan provides facts and is never wrong, EVER. And since he is the world's foremost authority on any topic on which he deems to impart his wisdom, you are, by definition, wrong. 

Why I remember before Come From Away opened, I mentioned in a thread I thought it would be a feel good story people would want to see. He forcefully corrected me with the factual information that no one, not New Yorkers, not tourists, no one is going to want to go see a show to be reminded of 9/11. And I should have listened. He was of course, spot on.

 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 4:59pm

I mean, let's try to find a middle ground here.  You're all correct to some extent: the very basic premise of "stagedooring" is not bad, wrong or evil. In 2017, however, it has become that.  We are living in a new society and this won't change anytime soon.  So, we must counter this behavior and explore inventive solutions.  Completely outlawing the practice is not only impractical but downright totalitarian. I would suggest all theaters retrofit their facilities to provide two separate exits for actors; one of which would provide safe and hidden passage from those wishing to partake in "stagedooring."  The theater owners are enjoying record profits and have plenty of cash.  Maybe it's time for AEA to get involved and begin pushing the landlords.  Just saying. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 5:07pm

I am sure there are already ample entrances/exits in existence.  We, are just not aware of them.  I don't care how old or prestigious the building.  If they didn't, the landlords or owners of the buildings would be dealing with the Fire Marshal.  Especially in 2017.

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 6:21pm

I notice the Daily Mail has given attention to this story because Ben Platt dignified the undignified with a respectful thoughtful response.

I wish he would have ignored it.  Some things do not deserve attention. (This is a big problem w social media/no gatekeepers). How glad is this woman to have all this attention to it? Ben is young. If he were older he might have resisted responding. 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 6:25pm

It's a door---people come and go [do the back stage staff exit the same way?].

If you want to waste time and talk to strangers[actors] and tell them how they made SUCH a difference to your life-do so.

If they want to listen-good for them.

Actors owe you nothing except their best performance--you reward them by buying a ticket, that's all the thanks they need.

PS--I am speaking on behalf of, and endorsement of, every single living[and dead] actor on this earth.

[JBC3]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 6:45pm

Platt seems more than capable of deciding if it was best to respond to something like this. Second-guessing it here without knowing his full thinking is foolhardy.

I do wonder if this mother had read the NYT profile on how Platt basically lives like a monk to remain performance ready. It seems unlikely given how she lashed out at him, but the info is readily available for a family that professes to be such big fans. Updated On: 7/4/17 at 06:45 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 6:50pm

@UncleCharlie I never said any such thing (and I refer to both of your claims). And the nice thing about the internet is that it is like an elephant: I defy you to substantiate either claim, and urge you to admit you made both up. 

@ArtMan There are many Broadway houses that have no means of egress except out onto the sidewalk. I have been in every nook and cranny of several, as have others here. There are, of course, fire escapes, but they are not suitable for use by actors trying to escape "fans." I know it's hard to believe.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 8:20pm

HogansHero said: "@ArtMan There are many Broadway houses that have no means of egress except out onto the sidewalk. I have been in every nook and cranny of several, as have others here. There are, of course, fire escapes, but they are not suitable for use by actors trying to escape "fans." I know it's hard to believe."

Not that I think you're lying (because ik how Broadway theatres are and I wouldn't be too surprised if this really was the case), but then how do performers who don't stage door avoid doing so? I don't think I've ever stage doored a show where everyone came out, and I assume that those who don't aren't just waiting inside the theatre for the crowds to disperse. If I was in their shoes I think I'd risk being called a jerk by a few people on twitter for not stopping to sign if it means going home when I want to. Granted, they shouldn't have to risk that (that indeed is the problem we're discussing here) but just can't think of any examples of performers being stuck inside the theatre/being forced to exit using the stage door. 

Updated On: 7/4/17 at 08:20 PM

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 8:22pm

HogansHero said: "@UncleCharlie I never said any such thing (and I refer to both of your claims). And the nice thing about the internet is that it is like an elephant: I defy you to substantiate either claim, and urge you to admit you made both up. 

 

"Point 1: "@BroadwayRox you are wrong about how most actors feel about the stage door, and you are wrong about their concerns about what people say on twitter. Wanna go for strike 3?

I've walked out of the stage door many times with actors taking a deep breath and shaking their head right before the door opens (including at least one mentioned in this thread as "liking" stagedooring but who I can assure you despises it.) I suspect fwiw that trpguyy has as well.

 It is well to remember that they are actors (as are most waiters who also don't actually want to be your best friend even if they act like it)."

I phrased it as no actor enjoys it and you said most don't enjoy it. Big deal. Poetic license.Your point is the same regardless, that even actors that claim to like it, really hate it and it should be abolished as a practice cause actors don't like it and don't want to do it. But made it up? Hardly. Read your own posts. Especially the ones in bold. You want to defend your hill based on the distinction between most and all? Have at it.

As far as point 2, that wasn't made up either and I'll find the thread when I have a free moment though I clearly don't have nearly the kind of free time to worry about all these things or post the same point endlessly that you do and for that I am very jealous. But that's about the only thing.

 

Edit: Ahh, found it. Point 2:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?page=2&thread=1099430

"@Charlie, you have several things jumbled together. First, there is the question of locals vs tourists. Second, you confound dark "unfunny" shows with shows that have a personally unpleasant resonance. Third, you ignore the overwhelming general track record of dark shows, not to mention the aggregate.

Ground Zero is, for many locals (and many others as well) a graveyard. We go for the same reason we go to a cemetery. We don't go to see a play about Aunt Bertha dying in a hospital bed (unless I guess she is in the form of Dick Latessa maybe, and note that even that show flopped miserably). And people very often will not go to see a show that cuts too close to their own sensitivities: if Aunt Bertha died of cancer, they don't want to see a show about cancer. (Yes, Wit was a great play, but not one that ever had the sort of sustained run that would be necessary for a hit musical.)

Yes, CFA may find an audience and be the exception to the rule. But it is not valid to analyze it from a state of denial, whether through sarcasm or otherwise. "

 

Oh, props to you. You did allow that it may be the exception to the rule. But you made it pretty clear you didn't think that would happen. And go ahead, suffocate me with words and try to show, that's not what you meant at all and that's not the point you were making and I'm using false equivalencies and your comment were about something else and blah, blah, blah. It's cool. I understand your need to always be proven right.

But made it up? Hardly.

Updated On: 7/4/17 at 08:22 PM

Posted: 7/4/17 at 8:42pm

Wayman_Wong said: "To JennH: Since you brought up ''She Loves Me'' and Zachary Levi, I just want to add that if the Tonys gave out a special Tony for Best Stage-dooring, it would go to Levi. At ''She Loves Me'' (and ''First Date'' ), he brought out a boombox (or something to play music), and created a party atmosphere. He would take his time to sign everyone's Playbill and chat, and if anyone wanted a photo, he would go through the line a second time. Levi says he enjoys meeting fans and feels it's his way of thanking them for coming.

 

"

Considering the controversy I'd seen on twitter regarding the new rules where people who have seen the show get the actual stage door line positions, I'd also like to mention that when I saw the show, Levi told some fans who had admitted to not seeing the show that it was wrong to stage door if they hadn't bought a ticket. Frankly, I had no idea why they even told him that, as this was the period where Laura Benanti was sending out signed playbills to the crowd so they could easily have just pretended they saw the show. Other than that, it was quite a fun experience.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 9:03pm

@Uncle Charlie, yes most and all are not the same thing, and the difference is not poetic license; it is a mis-statement. As you now seem to acknowledge, I have not spoken in absolutes. Some actors like the stage door; I stand by my statement that most don't. (Some people also like being burned with hot coals. )

The tenor of your post was dependent on my absolutism. I think you owe me an apology but honestly I don't care enough to care. Make stuff up to hate on whomever you want; I guess the notion that's ok has trickled down this year. 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 9:34pm

HogansHero said: "@Uncle Charlie, yes most and all are not the same thing, and the difference is not poetic license; it is a mis-statement. As you now seem to acknowledge, I have not spoken in absolutes. Some actors like the stage door; I stand by my statement that most don't. (Some people also like being burned with hot coals. )

The tenor of your post was dependent on my absolutism. I think you owe me an apology but honestly I don't care enough to care. Make stuff up to hate on whomever you want; I guess the notion that's ok has trickled down this year. 

 
"The tenor of your post was dependent on my absolutism".  Yes, I clearly wasn't being facetious or sarcastic. I was trying to actually portray you as saying you had spoken to every one of the thousands of actors working on Broadway and there was not one single actor who liked stagedooring. Yup, that's exactly what I was trying to represent. And since it now seems like you didn't do that, that statement is wrong. Bad Charlie... bad! 

I love you Hogan. You do what you always do, retreat to semantics and make minute academic distinctions so you can declare victory when the overriding point you were making is clear to all.

So I don't risk "making things up" in the future, when you said "stage-dooring is a loathsome practice, engaged in by loathsome people", did you mean ALL people who engage in stage-dooring are loathsome or just MOST and there might possibly exist a few 11 year olds anxious to see their hero after their first Broadway show that might not have yet become entirely loathsome? I wouldn't ever want to inaccurately accuse you of speaking in absolute statements cause I know that might be considered making stuff up and that's a really, really bad thing to do..

Updated On: 7/4/17 at 09:34 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 10:32pm

Charlie, there is no "victory" involved. I just don't like being misrepresented. I've already explained about loathsome in other posts. Keep up!

FYI, opinions are absolute (unless qualified); facts are absolute unless legitimately in dispute; generalizations are by definition not absolute. Words like many and most are words of generalizations. You may think it's just semantics; I don't. And yes mischaracterizing what I say is bad. 

That's all I have to say about that.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/4/17 at 10:59pm

I spit my drink out at the "Wanna go for strike 3?" comment. Seriously, thank you for that laugh. I needed it after my plane trip. (My plane trip from NYC, where I saw a lot of wonderful shows, and met a lot of very happy and gracious actors at the stage door, btw). By all means continue trying to demean and condescend to people. But it won't work with me. Some may be hurt by it, but not me. I just find it funny. Especially since I'm quite sure that you wouldn't have the balls to say it to my face. So keep hiding behind that screen, sweetheart. I look forward to laughing at more of your posts! <3

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/5/17 at 10:57am

^^^ I know you weren't speaking to me but just for a point of clarity: you bash someone for hiding behind their screen, meanwhile you use a pseudonym as your username.  If you're not hiding, why don't you use your real name? 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/5/17 at 2:35pm

''This was the period where Laura Benanti was sending out signed Playbills to the crowd.''... That was a thoughtful gesture. I believe Benanti was conserving her energy, and we now know she was suffering morning sickness from her pregnancy.

Updated On: 7/5/17 at 02:35 PM

[TheThreadMaster]

Posted: 7/5/17 at 2:40pm

They do not wait until the crowd disperses, there is another door.

[JennH]

Posted: 7/6/17 at 10:52am

I only JUST discovered the existence of that hateful woman's second tweet that was in response to Ben's ... I CANNOT. Can it be made possible that she never sees a show ever again??? I'm not one for keeping people away from good theatre but something that ignorant, hateful, and demeaning makes me want to ban her from the theater and/or strangle her...

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 7/6/17 at 11:17am

Yes Patrick Page!

 

https://twitter.com/pagepatrick/status/882086287414624256

[CorkySt.Clair]

Posted: 7/6/17 at 11:28am

WOW. How can she think that any of her logic is okay? She's not in the place of the actors to say how hard their work is. It's slightly nice though, knowing that in all the disagreements about stsgedooring we ALL can agree that she's terrible. 

[JennH]

Posted: 7/6/17 at 11:52am

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Yes Patrick Page!

 

https://twitter.com/pagepatrick/status/882086287414624256

 

"

That's the one! Dear heavens, it's so obvious when you come across someone who has NO CLUE as to what we really do...THANK YOU PATRICK. 



No one ever tried to say our job is harder than any other occupation nor denied that other occupations are hard as well. We're trying to make people aware as to how hard OUR job really is, it has nothing to do with any other occupation. People still to this day think our job must be so easy "only" because we sing and dance for two or so hours then go home...THEY ARE WRONG AND IGNORANT. Getting a little to passionate here...