From a Broadway Covid Safety Monitor- Page 2

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 5:44pm

First of all, if you bring a water to the theater in a bottle, you can bring a straw. If you use a straw to drink your water, you don't ever really have to take off your mask, you just slip the straw underneath. 

5 minutes? 2 -3 minutes? It's all the same. To take a drink from a cup even without a straw should take 5-10 seconds. You raise your drink to your mouth, you move your mask, you take a few sips or gulps and put the mask back on until the next sip. It does not mean you are allowed to keep your drink in your hand on your lap with your mask off while deciding when to take the next gulp. This is not rocket science. 

I'm happy to be back to work and I'd like to stay there. I find most patrons so far are highly cooperative. The 5 drunk women who "pretended to limp" (all 5 of them) so they could use the handicapped bathroom and not wait on the regular line were not the most cooperative mask-wise. But they have been the exceptions. You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. If I can run up and down the aisles for 40 minutes seating people wearing two masks (with three layers of fabric and one filter) and still manage to keep breathing - it should not be that difficult for people who are sitting down for goodness sake.

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 05:44 PM

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 5:51pm

Hairspray0901 said: "No more than 5 minutes at a time? Multiple times? I’m sorry but you’repart of the problem.

I’m not sure why it’s so hard for people to keep their masks on over their nose and mouth for 2.5 hours. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to the theatre until they lift the mandate."

 

Agreed.  

 

[BwayCovidSafetyMonitor]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 5:59pm

KathyNYC2 said: "First of all, if you bring a water to the theater in a bottle, you can bring a straw. If you use a straw to drink your water, you don't ever really have to take off your mask, you just slip the strawunderneath.

5 minutes? 2 -3 minutes? It's all the same.To take a drink from a cup even without a straw should take 5-10 seconds. You raise your drink to your mouth, you move your mask, you take a few sips or gulps and put the mask back on until the next sip. It does not mean you are allowed to keep your drink in your hand on your lap with your mask off while deciding when totake the next gulp. This is not rocket science.

I'm happy to be back to work and I'd like to stay there. I find most patronsso far are highly cooperative. The 5 drunk women who "pretended to limp" (all 5 of them) so they could use the handicapped bathroom and not wait on the regular linewere not the most cooperative mask-wise. But they have been the exceptions.You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. If I can run up and down the aisles for 40 minutes seating people wearing two masks (with three layers of fabric and one filter) and still manage to keep breathing - it should not be that difficult for people who are sitting down for goodness sake."

Thank you for this KathyNYC2

__

I'd love to clarify the rules in the theater for everyone when it comes to eating and drinking.

Eating: Outside food is not permitted in the theater at this time and food is not being sold in the theater.

Drinks: You can take a drink, however, it has to be at your seat and we just ask you to sip and mask up (and repeat).

However, I do find I do need to teach people how to drink when doing mask checks etc.  The concept of taking a sip and putting your mask back up is apparently very complicated. 

Thank you all who have mentioned you are concerned about our safety.  I'll admit there are nights when I am afraid after someone calls me a name, but I appreciate all of your support.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 6:08pm

The CDC recommends fully vaccinated people wearing a mask indoors only if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission. And while technically the US as a whole meets that criteria, Broadway theaters are likely the safest place to be, so being unmasked will pretty much offer the lowest risk you can have in public. Plus the vaccine relegates covid to a cold or flu at worst for most people, and these protections aren't in place for those conditions. The irony isn't lost on the house staff at these theaters that mask wearing was a condition insisted by actor's equity, whose members are the ones not wearing masks. And contrary to popular belief (and anecdotal evidence), breakthrough infections are still statistically rare.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 6:12pm

stoptheworld38 said: "Hairspray0901 said: "stoptheworld38 said: "I saw this past Saturday matinee of Hadestown and was reasonably pleased with how safety protocols/mask wearing were handled. I did take mine off a few times for a brief break or to have a drink but never had it off for more than maybe 5 minutes at a time. (Plus stepping outside for a few minutes at intermission). From what I could tell pretty much everyone kept theirs on other than to eat/drink and I didn’t see any ushers say anything. I did miss the pre-show announcement though cause my dad was mistaken about what street the theatre was on, so we were a bit later in getting there than we intended, so we only made it into the theatre like 5 minutes before the performance began. All in all a good experience and the show was absolutely unreal, one of the absolute best I have ever seen.

"

No more than 5 minutes at a time? Multiple times? I’m sorry but you’repart of the problem.


I’m not sure why it’s so hard for people to keep their masks on over their nose and mouth for 2.5 hours. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to the theatre until they lift the mandate.


I said not more than 5 minutes in a time but in reality it was really probably more like 2 or 3 minutes. In nearly every occasion I briefly took it off it was to have a drink which IS allowed. (And I saw multiple people do the same thing). The other time was after the show when my dad took a photo of me with the stage in the background. (At this point most people in our immediate vicinity had cleared out, plus I had it down for not more than like a minute).Also as politely as I can I will point out that some people (of which I am one) actually do have legitimate, documented medical/sensory issues that interfere with mask-wearing for an extended period. You say you don’t understand what’s so hard about keeping a mask on continually for 2.5 hours, but for some people, it’s much harder than it may be for you/the average person. To completely dismiss that is kind of rude, to put it simply. My family originally had tickets for spring 2020 that obviously got cancelled so by the time we finally went it was a year and a half later than planned. We also had bought the new tickets (plus accommodations) multiple weeks before the vaccine/mask requirements were announced. We go to Broadway pretty rarely so it is a special experience. Plus we were coming from out of town, several hours drive. With all those factors we weren’t about to cancel again. If I didn’t care or was trying to purposefully disregard the rules then I would’ve taken my mask off for the entire show as soon as the lights went down, or sat there with an open drink/food container to avoid wearing it. I did not do either of those. I had it to on for the vast majority of time I was inside the building. I bet there were people there (although I did not see them) who you really should be policing instead.I always take water with me to any performance (pandemic or not) but wearing a mask causes me to get significantly more thirsty than not wearing one, so I am not about to go for the length of a show without taking a mask off for a minute or 2 now and then to have a drink and a minute of air. I made the point of finding a balance between being physically and mentally comfortable while also doing the best I could to keepmyself and everyone else safe. These mandates have their pros and consandpeople just have to make compromises anddo the best they can."

I am sorry you have sensory issues but if you cannot keep your mask on, you should wait until you’re able to comfortably attend. Your post screams of “I, I, I” when this is going to have to be a group effort. ALOT of people had plans they had to move around; you are not above the rules because you didn’t want to cancel another trip. Tickets are fully refundable these days. Why should you be allowed to take a maskless photo and leave your mask down for so long? If someone sees you, they will *also* want to do this, which is my point. 

I took one sip of water at moulin rouge the other night. Lowered my mask to my chin, sipped, then pulled my mask back up. It took no more than 15 seconds. I’m not against people taking sips of water if needed, but it should not take an extended amount of time.

 

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 6:44pm

Great post. They should not get to blow off the rules because they don't want to cancel a trip or are "uncomfortable".

Don't attend Broadway if you refuse to mask up. This goes for user Fosse76 who just gave a bunch of useless, untrue information.

Seriously, don't go. You and others who make everything more difficult are not welcome. Ever.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 8:13pm

iluvtheatertrash said: "God, you are insufferable, Roxy. And delusional. Argue til your lips turn blue, Trump made the pandemic worse than it had to be and he didn’t do a damn thing for the vaccine - SCIENTISTS DID. The same ones you continue to ignore.

Go. Away." I see why you do not accept messages. It a like a vault. Closed shut. I notice you ignored the hypocrisy of ordering people to get vaxxed and turning loose thousands of unvaxxed people in the public. We do follow the scientists  as both my wife and I are fully vaxxed. We could follow it better if Dr Fauci could make up.his mind what b.s. he was asking us to follow one day to the next .

have a nice night

 

[whatever2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 8:29pm

> We could follow it better if Dr Fauci could make up.his mind what b.s. he was asking us to follow one day to the next .

Just. No.

Fauci changes his guidance when the (EMERGING) science indicates it. and it's never been "from one day to the next" -- that's just Faux News hyperbole.

I used to admire your posts, even when they were contrarian, because you've seen a lot of shows and know a lot. but you really have become reactionary ... not sure whether you jumped or were pushed, but recently the overall tenor of your posts has changed.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:29pm

Sutton Ross said: "Great post. They should not get to blow off the rules because they don't want to cancel a trip or are "uncomfortable".

Don't attend Broadway if you refuse to mask up. This goes for user Fosse76 who just gave a bunch of useless, untrue information.

Seriously, don't go. You and others who make everything more difficult are not welcome. Ever. "

The only one dispensing useless, untrue information is you. 

1. It is a FACT that the actors are the only unmasked people in a Broadway theatre.

2. It is a fact that Actor's Equity demanded audience and staff be fully vaccinated and masked (theater owners weren't likely to require it)

3. According to the CDC, while the Delta variant is more dangerous and transmissable than previous iterations, people who are vaccinated are well-protected:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

"If you’ve been fully vaccinated:

• To reduce the risk of being infected with the Delta variant and possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

What We Know

• Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant. When these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild."

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:30pm

Hairspray0901 said: "stoptheworld38 said: "Hairspray0901 said: "stoptheworld38 said: "I saw this past Saturday matinee of Hadestown and was reasonably pleased with how safety protocols/mask wearing were handled. I did take mine off a few times for a brief break or to have a drink but never had it off for more than maybe 5 minutes at a time. (Plus stepping outside for a few minutes at intermission). From what I could tell pretty much everyone kept theirs on other than to eat/drink and I didn’t see any ushers say anything. I did miss the pre-show announcement though cause my dad was mistaken about what street the theatre was on, so we were a bit later in getting there than we intended, so we only made it into the theatre like 5 minutes before the performance began. All in all a good experience and the show was absolutely unreal, one of the absolute best I have ever seen.

"

No more than 5 minutes at a time? Multiple times? I’m sorry but you’repart of the problem.


I’m not sure why it’s so hard for people to keep their masks on over their nose and mouth for 2.5 hours. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to the theatre until they lift the mandate.


I said not more than 5 minutes in a time but in reality it was really probably more like 2 or 3 minutes. In nearly every occasion I briefly took it off it was to have a drink which IS allowed. (And I saw multiple people do the same thing). The other time was after the show when my dad took a photo of me with the stage in the background. (At this point most people in our immediate vicinity had cleared out, plus I had it down for not more than like a minute).Also as politely as I can I will point out that some people (of which I am one) actually do have legitimate, documented medical/sensory issues that interfere with mask-wearing for an extended period. You say you don’t understand what’s so hard about keeping a mask on continually for 2.5 hours, but for some people, it’s much harder than it may be for you/the average person. To completely dismiss that is kind of rude, to put it simply. My family originally had tickets for spring 2020 that obviously got cancelled so by the time we finally went it was a year and a half later than planned. We also had bought the new tickets (plus accommodations) multiple weeks before the vaccine/mask requirements were announced. We go to Broadway pretty rarely so it is a special experience. Plus we were coming from out of town, several hours drive. With all those factors we weren’t about to cancel again. If I didn’t care or was trying to purposefully disregard the rules then I would’ve taken my mask off for the entire show as soon as the lights went down, or sat there with an open drink/food container to avoid wearing it. I did not do either of those. I had it to on for the vast majority of time I was inside the building. I bet there were people there (although I did not see them) who you really should be policing instead.I always take water with me to any performance (pandemic or not) but wearing a mask causes me to get significantly more thirsty than not wearing one, so I am not about to go for the length of a show without taking a mask off for a minute or 2 now and then to have a drink and a minute of air. I made the point of finding a balance between being physically and mentally comfortable while also doing the best I could to keepmyself and everyone else safe. These mandates have their pros and consandpeople just have to make compromises anddo the best they can."

I am sorry you have sensory issues but if you cannot keep your mask on, you should wait until you’re able to comfortably attend.Your post screams of “I, I, I” when this is going to have to be a group effort.ALOT of people had plans they had to move around; you are not above the rules because you didn’t want to cancel another trip.Tickets are fully refundable these days.Why should you beallowed to take a maskless photo and leave your mask down for so long?If someone sees you, they will *also* wantto do this, which is my point.

I took one sip of water at moulin rouge the other night. Lowered my mask to my chin, sipped, then pulled my mask back up. It took no more than 15 seconds. I’m not against people taking sips of water if needed, but it should not take an extended amount of time.

Gosh, chill. When I was thirsty I took a drink, then put my mask back on. When I needed another drink a little while later, I did the same thing. As did many others. The theatre sold drinks and allowed people to drink in their seats, so if people aren’t allowed to take their masks off at all, then they wouldn’t sell drinks, would they?? And as I mentioned earlier, for the photo I had it down under my chin for about 30 seconds (give or take), when most people in our immediate area had cleared out of the theatre, and then pulled it back up right after. I think an usher was even watching while my dad was taking the photo and didn’t seem to have a problem with it at all, when it became evident that I had it off for such a short time. So if they didn’t have an issue with it, you shouldn’t either. 


"

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:41pm

I'll never read all your crap, Fosse. Don't attend Broadway shows if you won't be following the rules. I'm done acknowledging you. For good.

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 9:41pm

BwayCovidSafetyMonitor said: "KathyNYC2 said: "First of all, if you bring a water to the theater in a bottle, you can bring a straw. If you use a straw to drink your water, you don't ever really have to take off your mask, you just slip the strawunderneath.

5 minutes? 2 -3 minutes? It's all the same.To take a drink from a cup even without a straw should take 5-10 seconds. You raise your drink to your mouth, you move your mask, you take a few sips or gulps and put the mask back on until the next sip. It does not mean you are allowed to keep your drink in your hand on your lap with your mask off while deciding when totake the next gulp. This is not rocket science.

I'm happy to be back to work and I'd like to stay there. I find most patronsso far are highly cooperative. The 5 drunk women who "pretended to limp" (all 5 of them) so they could use the handicapped bathroom and not wait on the regular linewere not the most cooperative mask-wise. But they have been the exceptions.You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. If I can run up and down the aisles for 40 minutes seating people wearing two masks (with three layers of fabric and one filter) and still manage to keep breathing - it should not be that difficult for people who are sitting down for goodness sake."

Thank you for this KathyNYC2

__

I'd love to clarify the rules in the theater for everyone when it comes to eating and drinking.

Eating: Outside food is not permitted in the theater at this time and food is not being sold in the theater.

Drinks: You can take a drink, however, it has to be at your seat and we just ask you to sip and mask up (and repeat).

However, I do find I do need to teach people how to drink when doing mask checks etc. The concept of taking a sip and putting your mask back up is apparently very complicated.

Thank you all who have mentioned you are concerned about our safety. I'll admit there are nights when I am afraid after someone calls me a name, but I appreciate all of your support."

I realize it probably varies to an extent between shows/theatres but when I was at Hadestown, they had candy for sale along with the drinks. (I would have bought some, but I stepped outside at intermission - for a mask break - and by the time I got back in I didn’t want to risk getting stuck in the line and running out of time, so I didn’t). But it was there for sale, and I saw people with it. Now, I don’t typically purchase food at Broadway shows, so not sure what food other than candy (if anything) was commonly sold at pre-pandemic performances. 
 

When entering the theatre my parents and I each had a reusable water bottle in our backpack which was zero problem at all. The ushers just peeked inside, stuck a wand/detector in, and were like okay you’re good to go. No thorough bag search. (Which was the exact same experience I’ve had at other shows). My dad even had a plastic bag with a bagel in his backpack (that we had brought for a snack afterwards; we had no intention of eating it in the theatre) and it was never noticed. 

[JayElle]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 11:14pm

Unmasked thug assaulted theater worker and rightfully arrested.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-hamilton-anti-mask-thrown-out-arizona-20210928-ul6aix6c5vejrjplgfft3a6pbu-story.html

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 11:14 PM

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 12:30am

KathyNYC2 said: "First of all, if you bring a water to the theater in a bottle, you can bring a straw. If you use a straw to drink your water, you don't ever really have to take off your mask, you just slip the straw underneath.

If it were something like a soda or an iced coffee (aka something that’s commonly drank using a straw) I might buy this but at what point have you ever seen someone use a straw to drink out of a water bottle?? Using a straw to drink something that people do not typically drink in that method as a means of avoiding taking a mask off for the length of time it takes to have a drink of water in the normal way and catch a breath of air seems a little extreme and unreasonable. Especially since theatre rules clearly state you can remove your mask to drink. They don’t say “you must drink through a straw to avoid taking your mask off.” 

 

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 1:28am

Hairspray0901 said: "I’m not sure why it’s so hard for people to keep their masks on over their nose and mouth for 2.5 hours. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to the theatre until they lift the mandate."

I love this post. The sale of concessions is part of the problem. Commercial interests have been tipping the scales of public policy throughout the pandemic. I'm hoping for the best but my optimism about theater safety fluctuates wildly with all these conflicting reports. I would feel much more assured with an entirely vaccinated audience of people wearing their masks properly for the duration of the show and going to and from their seats in a staggered, orderly fashion. But we live in reality and it sucks here.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 12:38pm

stoptheworld38 said: "KathyNYC2 said: "First of all, if you bring a water to the theater in a bottle, you can bring a straw. If you use a straw to drink your water, you don't ever really have to take off your mask, you just slip the straw underneath.

If it were something like a soda or an iced coffee (aka something that’s commonly drank using a straw) I might buy this butat what point have you ever seen someone use a straw to drink out of a water bottle?? Using a straw to drink something that people do not typically drink in that method as a means of avoiding taking a mask off for the length of time it takesto have a drink of water in the normal way and catch a breath of airseems a little extreme and unreasonable. Especially since theatre rules clearly state you can remove your mask to drink. They don’t say “you must drink through a straw to avoid taking your mask off.”



"

It wasn’t a rule about the straw. It was a suggestion. If you don’t want to take your mask on and off every time you take a sip, a straw is an alternative. If you prefer to follow the guidelines  and take the mask off for a few seconds to take a sip/gulp/whatever, I have no problem with that. For those who don’t want to, a straw is another alternative. That’s all.  

Updated On: 9/29/21 at 12:38 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 12:57pm

I've been drinking from a straw under my mask since March 2020. It's easier with some masks than others, but not impossible. And my reusable water bottle has a built-in straw. Also not hard to find!

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 4:43pm

JayElle said: "Unmasked thug assaulted theater worker and rightfully arrested.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-hamilton-anti-mask-thrown-out-arizona-20210928-ul6aix6c5vejrjplgfft3a6pbu-story.html"

DONT COME TO THE THEATER IF YOU DON'T PLAN ON WEARING A MASK. HAMILTON WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND.  WAIT A YEAR. THANKS SO MUCH. 

 

Updated On: 9/28/21 at 04:43 PM

[dadaguza]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 4:54pm

Sutton Ross said: "I agree, Hairspray.I emailed all three theater organizations and heard back from two today. They both said they are aware of the problem I stated (people eating and drinking the entire time at their seat so they dont have to mask up) and employees safety is important and blah blah blahhhhhhhhhhh. They don't care.

This is so awful. Ushers are not bouncers and Im deeply concerned for their safety and mental health through out this time."

I don't think eating at your seat during a show (even before Covid) should be allowed. It's distracting enough at the movie theater, nevermind a live performance. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 4:56pm

Sutton Ross said: "Once again, a tourist assaulted one of our own native New Yorkers just doing their job."

Where is there a New Yorker (native or otherwise) in this story?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 5:48pm

I don't think eating at your seat during a show (even before Covid) should be allowed. It's distracting enough at the movie theater, nevermind a live performance.

Oh, it's appalling. I yanked a bag of Twizzlers from a person's hand once at Pippin and threw them under my seat. She didn't say a damn word. Perhaps she realized that open mouthed chewing for 45 minutes isn't polite. 

Thanks for that article JayElle. I assumed it happened in NYC because of the website and who cares about Arizona theater unless you live there? Looking closer I realized it happened in AZ which doesn't make it suck any less. Once again, ushers are not bouncers and they should not be subjected to abusive assholes in a theater. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 6:12pm

Remember when Fun Home didn't sell concessions and it was such a serene experience?! Let's do that again.

Or put all the food in fabric bags if you must. You can turn those into souvenirs.

[bway0]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 6:21pm

LizzieCurry said: "Remember when Fun Home didn't sell concessions and it was such a serene experience?! Let's do that again.

Or put all the food in fabric bags if you must. You can turn those into souvenirs."

Side note, I hate the crinkle of chip bags and candy wrappers throughout the show. And water bottles. I do bring water bottles and snacks in but that's so I have something to eat and drink on the train home. Sometimes I will spend the money for an expensive sippy cup just so I won't make a crinkly noise drinking and disturbing others. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/28/21 at 6:58pm

Whatever person okayed the selling of Pringles at the theater should be taken out back and, well, you decide.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 9/29/21 at 8:52am

stoptheworld38 said: "I saw this past Saturday matinee of Hadestown and was reasonably pleased with how safety protocols/mask wearing were handled. I did take mine off a few times for a brief break or to have a drink but never had it off for more than maybe 5 minutes at a time. (Plus stepping outside for a few minutes at intermission). From what I could tell pretty much everyone kept theirs on other than to eat/drink and I didn’t see any ushers say anything. I did miss the pre-show announcement though cause my dad was mistaken about what street the theatre was on, so we were a bit later in getting there than we intended, so we only made it into the theatre like 5 minutes before the performance began. All in all a good experience and the show was absolutely unreal, one of the absolute best I have ever seen.

"

Do you want a medal? Because you don't deserve one. Keep the damn thing on the entire time. In those 5 minutes, you could've gotten or transmitted the virus multiple times. Stay home if you can't follow the rules.