I never had interest in stage dooring. But, last night I was passing the stage door of POTUS and there was a small crowd who appeared to be waiting .....
People have always been allowed to stand around on public sidewalks. What you won’t see, for the time being, is actors coming out and mingling and signing autographs or taking selfies.
With POTUS, they have stagedoored at their own personal discretion, it’s just not organized. Like, outside the barriers, sometimes the cast will mingle (Lea DeLaria in particular), but Shubert Alley is a wide berth with space.
It’s a show by show basis. Some will, some won’t. If I attempt it, I’m always masked and kept my appropriate distance. I know Funny Girl, A Strange Loop, POTUS, and MJ have all done it to some extent, and most people know select cast of Company have as well. I’ve mostly stuck to mailing my Playbills in with a nice note and a donation as requested and had pretty good success
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm
trpguyy said: "People have always been allowed to stand around on public sidewalks. What you won’t see, for the time being, is actors coming out and mingling and signing autographs or taking selfies."
Except that you will see exactly that at several shows...
As mentioned above, crowds have been present outside of stage doors post performances since shows resumed. Who exits out of those stage doors varies per show. Most actors just wave, some take selfies and signed things, etc. It’s not like there was police presence kicking people off the sidewalk after performances to keep the stage doors completely clear of people. Are there signs saying stage dooring isn’t happening? Of course. But as mentioned above, it isn’t a police controlled situation. Whoever is exiting the stage door is doing it at their own choice as is the choice of how they interact with whoever is outside.
I still don’t feel safe doing stage door, and I don’t think I ever will again. I’d hate to be the one catching or spreading any disease to / from the actors.
I caught COVID in the spring for the first time, and I didn’t even know I had it until several days after my symptoms began. I had been out and about for nearly a week, and I felt great shame that I had potentially unknowingly passed on the plague to many innocent others. If I could take that back, I absolutely would.
I feel so blessed to have friends and acquaintances in the industry that are able to arrange signed Playbills in advance and leave them front-of-house for me to pick up on the rare occasion (post-shutdown) I do see a show.
EDSOSLO858 said: "I still don’t feel safe doing stage door, and I don’t think I ever will again. I’d hate to be the one catching or spreading any disease to / from the actors.
I caught COVID in the spring for the first time, and I didn’t even know I had it until several days after my symptoms began. I had been out and about for nearly a week, and I felt great shame that I had potentially unknowingly passed on the plague to many innocent others. If I could take that back, I absolutely would.
I feel so blessed to have friends and acquaintances in the industry that are able to arrange signed Playbills in advance and leave them front-of-house for me to pick up on the rare occasion (post-shutdown) I do see a show. "
EDSOSLO858 said: "I still don’t feel safe doing stage door, and I don’t think I ever will again. I’d hate to be the one catching or spreading any disease to / from the actors.
I caught COVID in the spring for the first time, and I didn’t even know I had it until several days after my symptoms began. I had been out and about for nearly a week, and I felt great shame that I had potentially unknowingly passed on the plague to many innocent others. If I could take that back, I absolutely would.
I feel so blessed to have friends and acquaintances in the industry that are able to arrange signed Playbills in advance and leave them front-of-house for me to pick up on the rare occasion (post-shutdown) I do see a show."
I know I said this in another thread, but...oh, JORDAN...
(Edit: Just to be clear, I completely stand by the concept that everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to stage door, without being judged for it. But it's just...do you have to be so melodramatic about it?)
They aren’t referring to you, EDSOSLO858 used to go by the username Jordan Levinson on here.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
For me, the issue at this point isn’t if actors want to sign or not. But, the issue is that now that Broadway has returned, the fans need to realize that if an actor doesn’t feel comfortable signing then that is totally ok and their choice. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’d be sitting on the ledge against the wall of Juniors, having a smoke or whatnot and witnessing the stage door of POTUS. I have seen Vanessa Williams walk out and give the crowd a wave and continuing on her way. However, there’s always been a few young people who don’t get the message and run after her begging her to sign things. To her credit, she is nice about it etc. But, really the issue is that no one needs an autograph that badly. I have witnessed several situations similar to this at different shows now that actors have slowly decided to sign again
Islander_fan said: "For me, the issue at this point isn’t if actors want to sign or not. But, the issue is that now that Broadway has returned, the fans need to realize that if an actor doesn’t feel comfortable signing then that is totally ok and their choice. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’d be sitting on the ledge against the wall of Juniors, having a smoke or whatnot and witnessing the stage door of POTUS. I have seen Vanessa Williams walk out and give the crowd a wave and continuing on her way. However, there’s always been a few young people who don’t get the message and run after her begging her to sign things. To her credit, she is nice about it etc. But, really the issue is that no one needs an autograph that badly. I have witnessed several situations similar to this at different shows now that actors have slowly decided to sign again"
To be fair, though, that's sort of always been an issue.
Remember that girl from the SpongeBob fanbase, and all of her shenanigans? Or the people that followed Lin-Manuel Miranda to (and even in) his car?
A lot of Broadway fans have always been kinda terrible with boundaries.
I staged door at Diana last year and everyone was lovely. Especially the DIVA herself Jeanna De Waal.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
Touring casts have literally put posts on social media that they’re not allowed to stop, sign, take photos. People who are staying there think they’re special and above the rules. Same for Broadway. There’s some autograph hound who basically goes to every theater stage door, every event-like The Tonys-and gets pictures/autographs with people. They haven’t even seen all these shows, they’re just completely disregarding the rules and almost on the borderline of stalking in this case. It’s absurd.
Talia S. Who is in Wicked on Broadway right now, literally wrote on her Instagram stories that they can’t stop, that especially do not get mad if you’re maskless, asking why she won’t sign or take a pic. RESPECT y’all. Respect. COVID is still real and taking down cast members. No, it’s not the only way, and not the only sickness, but I think it’s because people are waiting and it puts pressure on performers.
before you DARE judge me, or assume, I haven’t stagedoored since the last time I saw a show in 2020. So. Don’t be like “we know you are”. I haven’t. :)
hearthemsing22 said: "Touring casts have literally put posts on social media that they’re not allowed to stop, sign, take photos. People who are staying there think they’re special and above the rules. Same for Broadway. There’s some autograph hound who basically goes to every theater stage door, every event-like The Tonys-and gets pictures/autographs with people. They haven’t even seen all these shows, they’re just completely disregarding the rules and almost on the borderline of stalking in this case. It’s absurd.
Talia S. Who is in Wicked on Broadway right now, literally wrote on her Instagram stories that they can’t stop, that especially do not get mad if you’re maskless, asking why she won’t sign or take a pic. RESPECT y’all. Respect. COVID is still real and taking down cast members. No, it’s not the only way, and not the only sickness, but I think it’s because people are waiting and it puts pressure on performers.
before you DARE judge me, or assume, I haven’t stagedoored since the last time I saw a show in 2020. So. Don’t be like “we know you are”. I haven’t. :)"
Also please enlighten me as to in what alternate, parallel universe you thought that last bit would make you look "innocent" in any way.
BroadwayRox3588 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "Touring casts have literally put posts on social media that they’re not allowed to stop, sign, take photos. People who are staying there think they’re special and above the rules. Same for Broadway. There’s some autograph hound who basically goes to every theater stage door, every event-like The Tonys-and gets pictures/autographs with people. They haven’t even seen all these shows, they’re just completely disregarding the rules and almost on the borderline of stalking in this case. It’s absurd.
Talia S. Who is in Wicked on Broadway right now, literally wrote on her Instagram stories that they can’t stop, that especially do not get mad if you’re maskless, asking why she won’t sign or take a pic. RESPECT y’all. Respect. COVID is still real and taking down cast members. No, it’s not the only way, and not the only sickness, but I think it’s because people are waiting and it puts pressure on performers.
before you DARE judge me, or assume, I haven’t stagedoored since the last time I saw a show in 2020. So. Don’t be like “we know you are”. I haven’t. :)"
Also please enlighten me as to in what alternate, parallel universe you thought that last bit would make you look "innocent" in any way.
Its honestly comical."
It’s honestly comical that if you’ve seen my posts before regarding this topic, you’d see I’m not trying to appear “innocent”. Someone on a previous comment once said “we all know you have been”. I’m saying no, I haven’t, so stop saying that. I’m not trying to appear anything. And by the way, if you don’t want me to say anything, don’t provoke me :) or block me :) I can comment here too babes
hearthemsing22 said: "It’s honestly comical that if you’ve seen my posts before regarding this topic, you’d see I’m not trying to appear “innocent”. Someone on a previous comment once said “we all know you have been”. I’m saying no, I haven’t, so stop saying that. I’m not trying to appear anything. And by the way, if you don’t want me to say anything, don’t provoke me :) or block me :) I can comment here too babes"
Haha, yeah that was me. And I still believe that. Even more so, after this little chat, actually. If you want to come off as innocent, then don't act like a guilty person.
But beyond that, I'm going to take your advice at the end, and not engage with you further. I have better things to do, than squabble with you.
hearthemsing22 seems to think the actors have no agency in the matter, which isn’t true. It’s very much up to each actor if they want to stage door or not. Fans aren’t forcing them to stage door and equity/their respective producers aren’t forcing them not to.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement