Creating a survey in regards to Stage Dooring (for the Actors)

[bstoll1]

Hi there, I am in the midst of putting together a program about stage dooring and wanted to create 2 separate surveys to send out to (1) fans like yourself and (2) actors on Broadway.  I am currently working on the second and trying to come up with a few questions to ask in the surveys.  Here is what I have so far and would LOVE to hear if there is anything you’d like to know from the actors perspective of stage dooring.

Thanks for your help and I’ll post again when I create the survey for all of YOU to fill out!

• What is one of the most unique fan requests and/or fan gifts you’ve ever received?
• Do you have any pet peeves about the whole stage dooring experience? Ex: Do you mind selfies?
• Do you remember the first time you stage doored as a fan?
   

[JSquared2]

Let me write Page One for you

"DOOR" IS NOT A VERB!

You're welcome.

 

 

[RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns]

Would it be stagedooring, then? Jam the two words together to explain the process of going to the stage door and seeing the actors leave.

[LizzieCurry]

I guess there isn't really a best singular word to encapsulate the stage door experience, but no, stagedooring isn't really a real word (yet) either.

Maybe just "the stage door experience."

[bstoll1]

I like "the stage door experience"

[JBroadway]

Just because it's not in the dictionary (yet) doesn't mean it isn't a word. It's not like "irregardless" where it's an actual error to use it in place of the correct "regardless." This is an idiomatic phrase that has developed naturally from a linguistic need to succinctly describe "the practice of waiting by the stage-door of a theatre with the intent of meeting the actors in a show." Anyone who knows the first thing about linguistics will tell you this how languages happen. 

[dramamama611]

Stage dooring (for better or worse) has become a part of common usage.  That's how words come into being....by being used.  It would be wrong to use it in an essay or published work, but in this case?  Totally acceptable.

[bstoll1]

Thank you for all the conversation in regards to the correct use of the work stage door. Is there anyone you would be interested in learning from the actors perspective of the whole stage dooring experience?

[raddersons]

Oy this is bringing up my biggest pet peeve of this board...a grammatical error doesn't invalidate someone's logic. It can hurt their credibility, yes, but it has nothing to do with an argument at hand. You know what Stage Dooring is. Just because it's not in the dictionary doesn't mean it isn't vernacular. 

[LizzieCurry]

JBroadway said: "Just because it's not in the dictionary (yet) doesn't mean it isn't a word. It's not like "irregardless" where it's an actual error to use itin place of the correct "regardless." This is an idiomatic phrase thathas developed naturally from a linguistic need to succinctly describe "the practice of waiting by the stage-door of a theatre with the intent of meeting the actors in a show."Anyone who knows the first thingabout linguistics will tell you this how languages happen."

I'm a copy editor and I am perfectly aware that language is fluid. So is dysentery.

Right now, though, I don't like that stage()dooring is a thing — as a concept nor a verb. It's become so much of its own activity that it feels perverse to turn yet another noun into a verb, especially this one. I'm all about cool and positively memorable interactions at the stage door, but the franticness and trophy-hunting elements associated with the activity has become a turnoff.

[kaykordeath]

JSquared2 said: "Let me write Page One for you

"DOOR" IS NOT A VERB!

You're welcome.



"

You mean you can't just verb a noun?

[JBroadway]

LizzieCurry said: "I'm a copy editor and I am perfectly aware that language is fluid. So is dysentery.

Right now, though, I don't like that stage()dooring is a thing — as a concept nor a verb. It's become so much of its own activity that it feels perverse to turn yet another noun into a verb, especially this one. I'm all about cool and positively memorable interactions at the stage door, but the franticness and trophy-hunting elementsassociated with the activity has become a turnoff."

 

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the way you phrased that post made it seem like you're allowing you're distaste toward the practice to influence whether or not you think it should be a word, which doesn't really make sense. Your dysentery pun is clever, but it doesn't really serve to negate anything I said, so I'm not really sure what to make of it. 

And what's so grotesque about making a noun a verb? It happens all the time. People "skateboard" to work, and "winter" in the Hamptons, and "sandwich" between two people, and "flat tire" someone when walking in front of them. 

 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Now, getting back to the actual post....

[BroadwayRox3588]

Omg you people are so picky.

OP, you're doing a great job. Just say stagedooring. We all know what you mean :)

[LizzieCurry]

JBroadway said: "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the way you phrased that post made it seem like you're allowing you're distaste toward the practice to influence whether or not you think it should be a word, which doesn't really make sense. Your dysentery pun is clever, but it doesn't really serve to negate anything I said, so I'm not really sure what to make of it.

And what's so grotesque about making a noun a verb? It happens all the time. People "skateboard" to work, and "winter" in the Hamptons, and "sandwich" between two people, and "flat tire" someone when walking in front of them."

OK, two things: Of course language flows, and nouns become verbs all the time!I don't think it's inherently grotesque to turn a noun into a verb, although it can be irritating based on personal preferences (like all things!). But I do think in this case, it legitimizes the increasing grotesqueness of the experience at the stage door.

[yankeefan7]

I would be very interested in reading actors responses to your questions and I hope they would be truthful and not politically correct.

[dramamama611]

Of course, it really will depend on how many working actors s/he actually gets to respond.  W/o a reasonable sample, there isn't much to be gotten.

[uncageg]

Maybe ask how they feel about "fans" showing up with items to sign other than Playbills or programs from the show they are currently in. There are people who do not see the shows but show up to get bags full of items signed. I know of some actors that will not sign these items knowing they may show up on ebay.

[michaelhale]

uncageg said: "Maybe ask how they feel about "fans" showing up with items to sign other than Playbills or programs from the show they are currently in. There are people who do not see the shows but show up to get bags full of items signed. I know of some actors that will not sign these items knowing they may show up on ebay."

This comment reminds me of when I stage flores Dear Evan Hansen and Michael Park called out someone doing this. I remember a lot of people thought he tweeted negatively about stagedooring due to how fans were allegedly acting but in my experience he seemed genuinely happy with the enthusiastic fans and only upset when he noticed someone hopping down the line to repeatedly get things signed, so I feel his tweeted comments were more likely aimed at these people.

In the same vein as your question, but different, I'm curious, actually, as to how actors feel about fans who did not come to the show at all in general. As well how other fans feel about that.

[yankeefan7]

"Of course, it really will depend on how many working actors s/he actually gets to respond.  W/o a reasonable sample, there isn't much to be gotten."

I agree and I wish the OP luck.

 

[yankeefan7]

"Oy this is bringing up my biggest pet peeve of this board...a grammatical error doesn't invalidate someone's logic. It can hurt their credibility, yes, but it has nothing to do with an argument at hand. You know what Stage Dooring is. Just because it's not in the dictionary doesn't mean it isn't vernacular. "

It really amazes me how people on here seem to get so bothered by these type of mistakes made by total strangers. If you get the point of what they are trying to say is it really that big a deal if they made grammatical error.  

[LizzieCurry]

I actually do find the concept fascinating, OP. I'm not entirely sorry to derail this, but I did want to acknowledge that.

I always wonder at what point does it become weird for an actor to acknowledge that they're famous (in whatever definition of the word) enough to be recognized at the stage door, get tagged in instagram pictures, have tumblr URLs with variations of their names, and how they deal with that. And then does it ever become not weird, whether you have a Tony or you've been a journeyman/woman in the ensemble for 10 years?

I bet there are some therapist stories out there.

[annang]

I’d like to ask the actors how they feel about the fact that people sell items they sign at the stage door or via fan mail. 

[edmundog2]

I can't believe people are actually arguing over whether verbing nouns is a legitimate linguistic construction. It's fine, and it's always been fine. Shakespeare used "friend" and "unfriend" for Pete's sake.

[LizzieCurry]

edmundog2 said: "I can't believe people are actually arguing over whether verbing nouns is a legitimate linguistic construction. "

You can't? Have you ever hung out with copy editors? We're the worst.