LEARN THEATER ETIQUETTE HERE! (rant away!)- Page 2

[ryantbo2]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 5:18pm

one of the best I saw of this was attending Signature Theater a few years back. Sitting next to my partner and I was a VERY well dressed Upper East side type audience member. BEHIND us was what appeared to be a mother and daughter. The mother was obviously hard of hearing and talked and asked questions and repeated dialog during the entire show. Several backward glances did not seem to deter her. AS SOON AS the lights went out for curtain call, the woman next to us spun her head around in what could only be described as looking like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. BUT not to downplay her breeding she looked right at the duo and said "There is a certain decorum one MUST follow when in the theater, and not speaking is top of the list". When the daughter explained that the mother was hard of hearing - did I mention they were in the 2nd row - and didn't get out much the patron explained "then maybe you should leave her home with the television turned way up". Then the patron turned back around and applauded the curtain call. Whenever I see anyone displaying bad behavior at I show, I look to my partner and say "There is a certain decorum"

Posted: 10/14/12 at 5:26pm

Funny Ryan!



Ghost light- yes. I am using sarcasm and being silly with the rants.
As usual. But I do hope people who don't understand etiquette understand that there is a certain decorum to follow.

[capnkidd]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 5:49pm

Guy with his feet on the stage at A Chorus LIne *while* texting.

Punishment: Madeline Kahn berates him and kicks his feet off the stage.

See, taboo, *that's* silly. Slamming people across the face? Not so much, even in jest. Violence is *never* the answer

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 5:49pm

WICKED

A 50-ish woman and her adult daughter, from LI

They enter the row behind me as the Overture begins, carrying three bags of Chinese take-out. They proceed to divvy it up, discuss the merits of the meal, the terrible ride in on the LIE, and so on. Of course all of this involves opening many containers, wrappers, bags, passing things back and forth, all with continual narration. About halfway through the opening number I finally turn to the woman and ask, "Would you please wait until intermission to eat. It's very distracting." To which she curtly replied, "We got a late start, the traffic was horrible and we haven't had lunch."

PUNISHMENT: 50 lashes for all ushers who saw them haul the Chinese buffet into the theater.

Posted: 10/14/12 at 6:06pm

Wilmington;;
Now THAT is unbelievable. That is absolutely INSANE!




capnkidd,

i stand corrected.

A mild eye roll will have to suffice.



Updated On: 10/14/12 at 06:06 PM

[JamesBroadwayWiner]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 7:09pm

WAR HORSE
At least a quarter of the audience.
A good way into Act I, a whole bunch of latecomers came into the theatre all at once. It was during the scene where Joey goes from a foal to a full grown horse, a very powerful scene which was quite diminished by the rude behavior by many people. How dare you compromise the enjoyment of the rest of the audience because you had the indecency of arriving so ungodly late! Now, I can understand one or two people who had a true emergency or something, but ALL those people!? I don't think so. I was so pissed...

Punishment: Sit in the back of the theatre until intermission!!!! Also, an additional $50 needs to be added to the price of your ticket.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 10:14pm

1. I'm guessing that they were a group traveling together.
2. Seating them late is at the discretion of the house management. Complain to them.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/16/12 at 1:29pm

Customarily there is an established moment in the play when latecomers are seated. It certainly wouldn't be at *that* moment in War Horse.

[wexy]

Posted: 10/16/12 at 2:14pm

"1776"
Five Russian people screaming in Russian as the overture began
My sister turned to look at them.
"Maybe I thought they were seeing '1917"

[spike3]

Posted: 10/16/12 at 3:41pm

The Heiress

clueless audience members sitting on the lip of the stage (thus moving floor mikes) and setting drinks and coats on lip of stage. All before show started, but come on people, this aint your living room.

Dont ask what I would consider punishment

[wexy]

Posted: 10/16/12 at 4:31pm

I turned around for a second as Threepenny Opera was about to begin. A man and a woman were holding up and studying a series of skull xrays.

"Looks like a subdural hematoma," I said as the overture began.
"We're radiologists," the woman said.

I made the Times Metro Diary section with that one.

Posted: 10/21/12 at 9:58am

SHOW: MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

CULPRIT:
4 'students of the performing arts' in the mezzanine, after trying to sneak down into empty orchestra seats got kicked back up by the ushers.

One of you wore glasses, overweight, black and white shirt

CRIME:
They proceeded to talk throughout the whole 2nd act. Kicking chairs and being overtly obnoxious when it was time for audience response to kick in.
An usher was called to calm the situation but by then,... the show was ruined.

you ruined 'Moonfall' 'Perfect Strangers' and more.....

PUNISHMENT:
As a performing arts major, you have lots to learn about performing arts.
You are banished from any stage in New York City.
And if you ever perform, the audience is to talk throughout your entire performance and not even look at you.

You deserve the worst audiences in the rest of your performing 'career'.

[THDavis]

Posted: 12/14/12 at 12:30am

This may have been discussed, but has anyone noticed the lack of pre-show announcements? The past four shows I've seen (bare, Newsies, Silence!, and Drood) had no announcements regarding phones or cameras, just launched straight into the production. Surprisingly, there was not one camera flash or cell phone ring for the first time in a long time.

[Idiot]

Posted: 12/14/12 at 4:51am

I'd like to suggest tranquilizing blow darts rather than tasers. Tasers are too noisy and disruptive and make the target look like they know the choreography to SPRING AWAKENING. Blow darts, on the other hand, can be employed silently -- which is the goal here, after all.