Proper Stage Door Etiquette

[Lm4dham052]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:30am

So Friday night I went to the stage door after 110 and I was standing there with my friends standing right at the gate. When all of a sudden this girl just kind of stepped in front of my friend. It wouldn't have been such a bad situation if the girl didn't shove her bag into me, and just pretty much pin me to the brick wall. My friend was pissed because he had put his bag down right next to me and wanted to get something out of it but the girl wouldn't move. I have no problem stepping aside for anyone especially at the stage door but, Audra turned to come to the other side of the gates and since i was first by the door she was about to sign my window card when the girl shoved her playbill right above my stuff. Audra just looked at her and continued to chat with me for a min.

So I wanted to start a discussion about proper Stage Door Etiquette. And to share any stories like this.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:39am

At closing of The Vertical Hour it was a madhouse at the stage door. We were already packed in like sardines. This larger woman (not to be size-ist because I know I'm not small, but this woman made two of me!) started working her way to the front saying he daughter was on the other side. They were moving the barricades out to the curb, and she just stopped. The guy was going to let her go across, but she said "No, that's ok." After pitching a fit about her daughter being on the other side. So the girl next to me and I who had moved aside to let her get through to her daughter were crammed into the space for ONE person if that right next to the car. And what's even worse, when the daughter got her playbill signed, the woman decided she didn't need one since her daughter had gotten it.

And to top it off, we'd figured the daughter was a little kid the way the woman was acting. Oh no. When we saw her, she was easily college-age or older.

Oy!

[Brokenlizard14]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:59am

I've got two. lol


The first time was when my friend and I saw Les Mis for the first time (it was the 2006 revival, about a week after Lea Salonga started). There were 3 women pushing through everybody. One of them pushed in between my friend and I, all three of them shoved their playbills over everybody else's stuff (and each woman had several playbills for them to sign). They almost knocked over the barricade several times, and at one point, a little near at the front got pushed over. It was horrible. Now, I've always LIKED Aaron Lazar, but after seeing him at the stage door, I LOVE him. All the rest of the cast signed for them and moved on. Aaron went all the way down the line taking his time, talking, doing pictures, before he acknowledged the women and signed for them.

The other was on my first trip to NYC when I saw the Sweeney Todd revival. Michael Cerveris had just come out and the lady right behind me started yelling "MY DAUGHTERS ON THE OTHER SIDE! MICHAEL! SHE'S OVER THERE, WILL YOU TAKE A PICTURE WITH HER?!" Finally Michael said "I'll go over there when I'm finished on this side."

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:08am

110 seems to have such rude people. I was where the barricades meet to make a half-square, and of course, the people stand in front of me, when they're told to stand BEHIND the barricade. I had to call out each actor's name. Then, when the security guard finally gets through to them to move, a woman PULLS APART the barricades and justs lets herself in, right in front of me. Rude people.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:08am

The Les Mis stagedoor is out of control. I'm scared of it, especially now that Lea Salonga is in the show.

[Brokenlizard14]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:09am

I've seen it twice now and it really is crazy. I got Lea's autograph the first time, but I didn't even attempt it the second time. Figured I'd get the rest of the cast, while the entire stagedoor crowd surrounded her.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:12pm

Lea Salonga was my broadway idol when I was a teenager. I wanted to stage door for Les Mis on Friday night, but people were so insane, I ended up leaving. It was mostly middle aged ladies and very little girls who wanted to meet Cosette...

[winston89]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 1:25pm

I have two that were the same situation that ended up having me do the same thing in both situations.

When I saw the Les Miserables revival a while back I was the only one being literally pushed against the baracade. It was mostly people who knew not a word of english waiting to meet Lea and younger girls who wanted to meet Ali. I turned to the crowd and yelled " Back the hell up two feet I can't breath." The only lead out at that time was Arron and he saw that I was having trouble breathing because I was shoved against the barricade. He tried to get the crowd to move back. I ended up hopping the baracade and doing the rest of my stage doring right next to the door itself. The security guard had no problem with me doing that and was very apoligitic about what just happend.

The othe time was the same day at the wicked matinee. It was full of young fangirls as usual. Now, keep in mind that the only qualm I have with Wicked is that the show is chock full of fan girls that is the only thing about the show that bothers me to no end.

At the stage door, Julia and Kendra came out at the same time and I was the only guy there. I did the same thing and the two of them gzve me this look to say " wow your tough." at the end of the stage door after everyone left because they were done Julia turned to me and said that I did a nice job. And that she had never seen that much testrone at the stage door before and complamented me on standing up for myself.

[silversurfer2]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 9:32am

I have seen Spring Awakening a number of times, and have had great conversations with the cast. I am 40'ish..so I know well enough to keep manners in check. But there are times I can't believe the questions being asked.The cast knows me well enough now, I am not there for autographs or Pics-Done that...Just there to say hello after the performance. Well a few weeks back, this girl, from out-of town and her friends were standing right next to me, and they were asking each other who they thought were "Gay" in the cast. And how they were going to ask this question of some of them. This girl, very rude and pushy, really wanted to know if John Gallagher was gay. Her friends were pushing her to ask him. I butted in and said. "Excuse me, I think that is an inappropriate question to ask of anyone." She yelled and told me to " mind your own business", and that she paid for her ticket and she can ask him anything she wants. Well I was off to the side, where I usually stand, and John came right over to me. Well I clued him in on what was about to happen. Yes, she did go there and John, answered, " There are topics I do not discuss, Religion, politcs, my sexuality and my penis size.!" He smiled took some Pics, signed some Autographs and moved on. It was a classic moment. The offender just stood there with her mouth open. And I said" You don't own them for the price of a ticket!"....

Updated On: 7/30/07 at 09:32 AM

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:06am

...she paid for her ticket and she can ask him anything she wants.

Wow- I think that is even better than spinach. (And, of course, by better I mean worse.) I'm headed back to Spring Awakening next month, have never stagedoored there, but I just might have to, after hearing these stories...

Yes, she did go there and John, answered, " There are topics I do not discuss, Religion, politcs, my sexuality and my penis size.!"

That was classy- although it makes me a little sad because I wonder if he has that answer prepared because this is not the first time someone at the stagedoor has gone all Veruca Salt and been all "I paid for my ticket and you will answer all my inappropriate questions now, now, NOW!"

[PARISinNYC]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:26am

silversurfer2, that story is just insane and totally out-there. I can't believe someone would literally ask somebody they don't even know that. Doesn't she AT ALL feel ashamed? Wow. That was very interesting.

[Lm4dham05]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:45am

silversurfer, yeah that's just wrong. I mean i know people pay a lot to see shows but there is no reason to be disrespectful.

I was at Wicked a few months back waiting for Julia and Kendra and these two girls who obviously didn't see the show walked up to my friend and I and were asking what we were waiting for. We explained why we were standing there and the two girls were like why would u do that, I was trying to be nice and give a little explination as to why we were there, and why there was a crowd growing all around us. The girls than just stood there behind us talking about us. I really felt like turning to them and saying something nasty but no way was i going to go down to their level.

Another time i was waiting to get something signed after another show and this boy stepped infront of me, and normally i don't mind especially if they move over to allow people behind them to get stuff signed but this kid wouldn't move, and it was starting to urk me.

At the stage door for Curtains I was standing at the gate with my sharpie and everything all ready and as everyone was coming out the girl behind me kept throwing her playbill in my face, i would move aside so that she could get her autographs but it was starting to get really anoying cause she kept bumping me, finally DHP came out and saw what she was doing, and after he signed all my stuff he wispered "how nice it was to see someone move aside to let someone else get an autograph" and he smiled at me and went on signing everyone elses stuff.

[silversurfer2]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:46am

I have seen SA almost 20 times-at the Atlantic theater and on Broadway, and everytime I have been at the Stage Door, I have never seen anything like that happen. The Cast is so polite and stand there for a long, long time. John really appreciates all of his fans-and takes the time to make everyone feel special. he is a great person. He once told me, he remembers what it was like for him , short time ago, being on the other side of the Barricade at the stage door. 99% of the time,the people waiting for him are polite. That moron fell into the 1% group. I will never forget her open mouthed expression as she left. Anyone who hasn't been to the SA stage door- Go, Go Go! They are very open to their fans and love all the attention.
Updated On: 7/30/07 at 11:46 AM

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:56am

I can't understand why some idiots don't think that actors are people too... what ticket holders are entitled to ends with the curtain call...

[silversurfer2]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 12:33pm

Anakela--Please explain to my about the Spinach? I have seen that several times, but don't nknow the reference. Did someone bring someone at the SA SD Spinach? Thanks

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 1:02pm

My favorite is the 40 year old Murder She Wrote fans at Deuce. I saw Deuce and decided to stage door, and this woman and her husband (boyfriend, friend, whatever)pushed their way to the front with an armload of every Murder She Wrote box set and book known to mankind. So Angela comes out and its raining and its clear she wants to go, but she comes over and this woman pushes her way to the front and shoves a book in her face and shoves her face next to Angela's and starts talking like their old friends, and Angela went to sign another autograph and when she turns around the woman does the exact same thing like 3 or 4 times, even after Angela politely asked her to allow her time to sign other peoples Playbills. I can understand twelve year olds not knowing how to behave, but when your forty, you should really know better.

[paikea]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 2:59pm

silversurfer2, try the last post in this thread.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?page=2&thread=940709&boardname=bway

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:14pm

yep surfer, what paikea said- although, this is the thread where I first learned about spinach (starts at the end of page 10), and I don't know why but 'spinach' has just been making me laugh ever since:
creepiest fan group?

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:36pm

I think the worst one I've been at was the closing of Company. (I know I've told this story before so bear with me if you've read it.) It was absolutely packed. I managed to get up to the front, which seemed like a good thing at the time. Wrong! I'm sort of tiny, so I was getting pushed around a LOT. Then, people decided that since I was so tiny they were going to use me as a leaning post for their programs. then, a very well intentioned guy pushed me right at Kelly Jeanne Grant because I was not loud or assertive enough to get up there and say hi by myself. I'm really shy so I was pretty mortified by that.

[violet72]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:49pm

well this wasn't stage door but it is a good story...I went to the today show to see the cast of hairspray perform (it was my birthday and I was in town) well it was me, my mom and 2 friends...we get in the plaza and it is packed and we are standing there and ever so often the crowd moved up so we would move up...we were trying to stay together and this senior citizen with her friends had a cup of hot coffee in one hand and was spilling it on people so she could get by them and when we were moving she started to put her arm in between my friend and I...that arm had the coffee in it...my mom put her arm over us as to say we are all together...well the lady spilled coffee on my shirt and on my mom's arm...my mom reacted and said ow lady and wiped her arm on her...the lady freaked out...she told my mom to chill out that she didn't spill on her and she is just trying to get by us to get to the stage, that she wasn't pushing us, then her friends started to yell at my mom...I had had it by that time and said that look at the wet spot on my shirt and where the hell was she going in case she couldn't see you can't get near the stage...she then rolled her eyes at me and said to her friends well lets go visit my neice at Dean and Dalucca she can get upstairs so we can see and I was like you do that...she was the only rude person we ran into there...but what a witch

[silversurfer2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 4:54pm

Thanks!!! Poor Skylar...I know Gallagher has a problem bec it was mentioned in some interview that he liked Double Chocolate cookies by Pepperidge Farm...Well, he got so many, he was giving them away at the Stage door... that is why he commented to me "at least it wasn't SPINACH." I really didn't know what he was talking about. LOL!!!

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 5:03pm

'you dont own them for the price of a ticket' -thats gotta go down in Broadway history! I hope your all listening to these posts- they are human beings with a life and feelings!

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 5:08pm

When I saw Gypsy, security at the stage door asked everyone to clear an aisel for Patti to exit. A group of seven older people (they must have been in their mid 70s) pushed my friends and I out of the way and went right up to Patti, blocking her her way to other fans and her car. Patti held up her hand and asked them to back away (a very cool signature Patti moment).

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 5:23pm

Proper Stage Door Etiquete:

Go only when you are invited or expected. Otherwise leave these people alone!

My two-cents.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/1/07 at 5:39pm

Im so with on that BFB. So many posts on here just go on and on about harrassing these poor guys night after night. Most of them just stand there and grin and get Playbills sighned time afrer time after time. Is it because they are free that they get so many signed. If they were in London it would cost them a fortune- the equivilent of Playbills cost between $5 and $15.