I hate going to the theater

[joeyvalcort]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 6:53pm

I hate going to the theater.

I've always said that it's a bit like being at the office. Unless it's mindless spectacle (c'mon Spider-man, get your act together and you'll have a fan for life!), my mind tends to wander and I start counting lights, empty seats, # of AEA contracts, running budgets, etc.

But after recently catching a performance of Angels in America at Signature, I finally realized the other reason I hate it so much.

I think I might hate people.

At this one little performance:

1. Two cellphones rang

2. Somebody's phone was buzzing underfoot, with what I'm assuming were e-mail alerts (he or she was very popular, it buzzed a dozen times or so)

3. A woman behind me and four seats away proceeded to eat her leftovers, unpacking it from a bag and a styrafoam box (mmmm, garlicky)

4. The guy next to me loudly shook M&M's into his mouth (like, head tilted back shaky-shaky)

5. Two different people in the front row had their feet up on the stage

6. During the snow effect, a woman on the front row reached forward, scooped up a tiny handful, studied it, then tossed it into the air, like, ohh, pretty!

7. A woman three seats away began to give her review loudly to the person next to her, during the intermissions ("Well, I think Meryl Streep was much better...")


While I have no doubt there is blending, in my short time hanging here at BroadwayWorld, it seems like there are two camps: the people who work in the theater, and the people who attend and love the theater but don't necessarily make a living working in it.

As a member of the former, I just want to say thank you to all of the folks here who fall into the latter category. Your patience with dealing with your fellow theatergoers must be epic, because I seriously wanted to beat the **** out of these people. I don't know how you do it.

In all seriousness, without an audience, we'd be nowhere, so thanks (and I'll talk with house management about coming up with some rules for a justified braining of fellow patrons).


P.S. Angels was pretty spectacular. I had forgotten how brilliant a play it is. Scenics were awesome. I was prepped for Zoe Kazan to MEGA-SUCK!!!1!!@!!, but she wasn't that bad, and I cried, so mission accomplished.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 7:01pm

So, let me get this straight: you hate the theatre and yet... you work in theatre? Sorry, but that seems like a pretty silly occupation choice. And what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this post? Everyone on this board goes to the theatre. We've all seen bad behavior. It annoys us all. What's your point?

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 7:28pm

oh
my
GAWDE.

if you hate it so much, find a new job.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 7:53pm

Here's an idea

Stop complaining

Find a new job (if you are actually telling the truth)

Shove a rock up your ass

And get off a board that is dedicated to THEATER

Idiot...

[iagowasframed]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 8:03pm

Trolling trolling trolling....

[dramarama3]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 9:20pm

^I don't think so.

This just belongs in a preexisting thread.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 9:24pm

Welcome to the theater

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 9:37pm

Well okay then.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 11:35pm

Saying you don't like going to the theatre and yet you work in it is like giving a speech on why you hate public speaking.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/19/11 at 11:35pm

Saying you don't like going to the theatre and yet you work in it is like giving a speech on why you hate public speaking.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 5:27am

You were annoyed because you overheard someone, AT INTERMISSION, discussing an opnion they had? Maybe you should just stay home.

As a frequent theater-goer (and someone that IS paid to work in the performing arts) ignorant audience members can be a pain -- but I've never had THAT many issues at one performance.

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 9:12am

What an idiotic post by a truly frakking idiot!

[Overkill]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 9:34am

Jesus, people. Honestly? I mean, I agree that this post wasn't really necessary, but there's no reason to be so down right hateful about it! Telling him to shove a rock up his ass and calling him an idiot. Really? If you don't like it, IGNORE it!

As for this man (I assume) working in theatre and hating it, don't you have a job that you hate? Have you ever had one? I know I have. I work in theatre, but as we all know, it doesn't always pay the bills, so I've had to do office work and whatnot and I despised it, but it was the closest thing away from theatre I could stomach for a short period of time. ALSO, he didin't say he hated WORKING in theatre. He hates GOING to the theatre. Believe it or not, there actually IS a big difference.

There is just no need for such hatefulness. You wouldn't say these things to his face. You all hide behind your avatars. I made a rule for myself to never say anything I wouldn't say out loud, and I'm a very truthful person. I think this post wasn't a good one, I think we ALL have experienced things such as this and it could have gone to a thread about such, but besides that...what is there to be ugly about? If it bothers you that much, being hateful isn't going to solve anything. Ignoring it makes it go away. On this board, anyway.

I'm sorry, but the responses just really bothered me. You all preach about how great it is that all these stars are getting together, trying to stop bullying and everything, when you all are doing the exact same thing. Cyber bullying is just as bad and has caused suicide. When you tell someone to shove a rock up their ass and call them an idiot, I believe that would hurt their feelings. Don't be just like these little dumb ****s in high school picking on kids who bug them just for saying something stupid or being something other than what YOU are.

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:02am

I'm with Overkill. Very well said.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:02am

I agree with Overkill.

Don't we have threads dedicated to bad audience behavior? I've seen it posted multiple times on this board. And I'm sure people who responded in this thread have participated in some of those other threads

I don't like paying an enormous amount of money to attend a show, only to have the experience ruined by rude audience members. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. No matter how many rules the house staff puts in place, there will always be a cell phone going off, person narrating the story to another and candy wrapper noise.

So, yes, maybe this post wasn't necessary, but I think everyone is overreacting (especially when the OP makes a point in saying he hates GOING to the theater, not actually working in it). Not to mention, the thread subject was probably an exaggeration.

No, the person is not a troll or an idiot - because he complained about bad audience behavior??? As if no one here has done that. Like dramamama3 said, this post probably belonged in a preexisting thread. I am most disgusted by fingerlakessinger's comment - really? Sad that people actually to take the time to come up with such childish comments.

My only criticism for the OP is in regards to #7 - if it's intermission, of course people are going to be talking about the show.

Updated On: 1/20/11 at 10:02 AM

[JRybka]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:07am

Perhaps he was saying how much he hates going to the theater now -a- days due to the fact that there is such disrespect for the actors and the plays onstage.
He may also prefer being oin the stage tooting his own horn then sitting there watching others toot.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:51am

...gotta agree with most of the points the original poster was making!

In fact, I think it was a well crafted commentary on the state of theatre today. Something many of us have discussed in the past.


...too bad some of you took the title so literally and didn't actually think about the point the poster was making. Agree with Overkill.

Updated On: 1/20/11 at 10:51 AM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 10:58am

^ Exactly.

It's the same reason I so seldom go to the movies anymore; I wait for the DVD--which isn't an option with live theater.

The fact is, as a culture we've gotten ruder--less conscious of our obligation in group settings--in the last decade. Yes, we've had this discussion before, but I think it bears having again.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 11:18am

Awwww...From the thread title, I was hoping that this was going to be a Drowsy Chaperone love thread.
Updated On: 1/20/11 at 11:18 AM

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 11:51am

It was wrong of me to call the original poster "an idiot". I apologize for that.

That said, I still say that the post itself is idiotic. I mean, this is a theatre site and the post essentially says "I hate going to the theatre, probably because I hate to be around people". Well, then don't go!

People can be non-idiots and still say idiotic things at times---including me. And that's my two cents worth, with change.

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 12:10pm

I saw the thread title and wondered if they were related to Peg Bracken.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 12:15pm

"I mean, this is a theatre site and the post essentially says 'I hate going to the theatre, probably because I hate to be around people'. Well, then don't go!"

I think what it's actually intending to say is "The pleasure of going to the theater has become so compromised by the unnecessarily stupid and rude behavior of many in the audience." And we all know that it doesn't take that many people to ruin the pleasure of just about everyone.

Yes, not going is one solution. But I'd like to think that MAYBE somebody reading this will say to themselves "You know, I do that, and I've never thought about how it effects everyone around me. I'll try not to do that anymore."

That to my mind is why this post isn't so idiotic.

But maybe I'm just an idiot, too.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/20/11 at 6:41pm

I agree with what's been said here. I do think that the OP's comments are an interesting commentary about the state of audience members today.

I will give this suggestion to the OP, however. Keep this in mind, when writing your views on something, specially something like the state of the audience at the theatre these days, (something that is a sensitive subject here) be careful how you word it. I think that the wording of what you had to say took away from people getting the message. I feel that people saw somewhat harsh language and were automatically either turned off to what you had to say. Or they simply were taking it the wrong way and misreading your tone as a result.

I will admit, I am not a fan of phones going off or people giving a running commentary or anything of that nature. However, my best advice is to simply ignore it. I have found, that while hearing someone talk or hear a cellphone go off is annoying and does pull me out of the performance for a little bit, having the conversation with them to tell them to shut up pulls me away from the show even more. I go into the theatre with a very laid back attitude, with the realization that the odds of something like a phone going off etc are more then likely to happen, regardless of if I want it to or not. So, I just go into the theatre, and try my hardest to focus on the show that I am seeing. I paid good money to see the show and to focus on that. And, to give the show and the performers all my focus and attention. I don't pay any mind to people who are rude in the theatre. And, frankly, because they are being rude I chose not to waste my time interacting with them. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I would never talk to them. I am saying I just do it at the right spots.

[Whistler]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 12:32am

To try to add just a little additional perspective: there are people who work successfully, professionally, in the theater all their lives and yet don't fit the traditional models of people who love theater. Reportedly, Ellen Stewart was one of these. She didn't like to read scripts; in fact, she supposedly didn't read many. She didn't even like to watch any of the probably thousands of plays she produced over her 50-year career at LaMama. She trusted the people she met in the business and found ways to let them do their work. That was her enormous contribution. But there's a chance that she possibly, truthfully, could be quoted as saying, "I hate going to the theater." Now, who's ready to criticize Ellen Stewart?

[PopAria]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:16am

THEATRE