Any bad stage-door experiences?- Page 5

[riggs]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:32pm

I think the actors shouldn't be forced to do the stage door, especially if they aren't in the mood. I have only gone to the stage door for a few shows, but I do have an amusing anecdote. I was at the Stage door in Schubert alley when The Pillowman was running. It took them a while to get out, as per usual, and Claire Danes shows up on the other side of the gates because she thought it would be cute to harass her boyfriend at the stage door. I noticed her, and discretely asked if she wouldn't mind doing a picture with my boyfriend. She did it, but was visibly hesitant had a bitchy attitude about it. I was annoyed. She could have declined and I wouldn't have been offended if she said she didn't want to draw attention to herself or whatever her reason was. Hell, in that case I could have provided cover while she waited for her boyfriend to come out.
But she didn't, she just acted like an entitled bitch. If she didn't want the attention, she shouldn't have shown up at the stage door. I can understand why actors wouldn't be in the mood for it because they are forced to walk through the gates to get out of the theatre most times. In Miss Danes, case, I think she could have tried to be pleasant. I must say, since that experience, I have been much more critical of her work. I don’t think she is a very good actress anymore; perhaps the experience forced me to notice that, when I may have ignored it.

[kate2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:38pm

Constantine Marulis or whatever his name is was such a jerk to people around me. I didn't want to compliment him, get his autograph, or meet him at all. However, the middle aged women around him asked for a picture and he looked at them,continued signing other people's Playbills, then said "WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT!?" so the one lady said, "Oh, I guess you misunderstood. We wanted a picture with you!" So, Constantine goes "Well, you missed your chance. There are other people here"

And at TLM, Sherie was a doll. It was January and obviously cold out but she stuck around and made sure everyone who wanted one got an autograph. She even chatted with my friends and I and was very appreciative when I told her that she was the reason I became interested in Broadway. I was actually kind of hoping for a "Diva Sherie attack" for a good story, but I'm glad she was so sweet.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:38pm

I definitely agree that anything at the stage door is gravy. I'm always polite and grateful for any autograph (I say please and thank you) or picture, and definitely ask before taking one. It's just the human thing to do.

The only "problem" I had was, as others have said, with others at the door ~ the closing of The Vertical Hour I was shoved with another girl against the car there for Julianne's kids because this woman was freaking out when they extended the barricades because her daughter was on the other side. The security guy was going to let her through, and the girl next to me and I slid over to give her room. But as soon as she got to the front, she just stopped, leaving us squished. When we saw her daughter we were shocked ~ the way the woman was freaking out we thought the daughter was like 5 or so, but she was grown. To top it all off, she got no autographs and said NOTHING to the actors. Just let her daughter do it all on the other side.

But the actors have always been extremely gracious.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:43pm

Except that the performer already had delivered the "product" to you. It's their performance. Your ticket guarantees you that they will perform onstage for you to the best of their ability. It doesn't guarantee a personal meet and greet session. Performing is not a service industry, and the performers have no obligation to you once they're off that stage. Once they're out of costume and the curtain call's over, they're off the clock.

Broadway's not a service industry. Are you required to be nice to everyone you meet and fulfill all their needs when you're not at work? A better analogy would be if you had finished your shift at Starbucks, were running down the street to catch your subway, and were accosted by a customer who wanted you to make another latte for them, then and there. Or if you'd finished up your workday at the office and someone ran after you asking you to type out another report. How would you feel about being made to do extra work off the clock, whether you wanted to or not?

In addition, when fans approach actors with this sort of attitude--that they're entitled to autographs, photos, and as much of the actor's time as they want--I can understand why performers would be put off.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:43pm

Phoebe Strole's not nice? But... But Phoebe is my favorite. lol This saddens me.

I'm really thinking I might not do stagedoor when I go to NYC this spring. I want to on one hand, but on the other hand, it seems like it would be really awkward and whatnot. We'll see.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:44pm

riggs, this is another instance of a fan invading the personal space of an actor. Danes had every right to be at the stagedoor waiting for her boyfriend. You, on the other hand, did not have to approach her, and, then you chastise her for being "bitchy", even though she did allow the picture to be taken. Why can't all of you just let these actors be people ... why would you say "If she didn't want the attention, she shouldn't have shown up at the stage door"? Who are you to decide when and where an actor has the right to be? And why do you think that just because an actor is out in public that that is an invitation to receive attention? They don't live in a bubble and have just as much right as you and I to walk down the street, wait at a stagedoor for a friend, have a dinner in a restaurant ... without being harrassed by fans.

[riggs]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:53pm

What I was trying to get at, was my annoyance with her attitude problem. As I said I wouldn't have been offended if she declined my request. It wasn't as if I accosted her. The woman was standing right next to me. If she didn't want to be recognized, she could have gone into the theatre, rather than hanging around the stage door. The stage door is NOT the place to be if you don't want to interact with the public. In fact, the stage door tradition serves as an oppertunity TO interact with the public. Dane's nasty attitude was uncalled for, she choose to put herself in a situation where the public is encouraged to interact with the actors. She wasn't eating dinner or picking up a pack of cigarettes at the bodega, she was hanging around the stage door, for a show she wasn't even in. I think she should have known what she was getting herself into.
Updated On: 3/17/08 at 03:53 PM

[yankees1253]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:00pm

phoebe strole was so nice at the stagedoor, but shy. LBB was awesome at the stagedoor when i saw the show. Lea michele was also great at the stagedoor but she admitted somehwere in an interview she is shy to see and talk to people at the stagedoor. i am still mad they had no barricades for TLM when i was there.
I agree its their first thing to do is give it their all at the performance and second deciding if they want to do the whole stagedoor.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:01pm

I wholeheartedly disagree with you.. She could be anywhere she damn well wanted to be. She wasn't in the show, so the "stage door tradition of interacting with the public", as you call it, doesn't apply to anyone not in the show. You don't know what her reasons were for not going inside, and frankly those reasons are none of your business. Fact is, she was waiting outside, you approached her, you got what you wanted, and you still are criticizing her attitude. Why didn't you just leave her alone in the first place?

[Idinster87]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:10pm

MaronaDavies-

I never said that fans are entitled to it. Do I believe everyone is entiteled to be treated with respect? Absolutely. Do I believe everyone is entitled for Kristin Chenoweth's picture? No.

My point was that, just like Hollywood celebrities, you are always in the public eye, in a way. Even if you are not onstage anymore, you come out the stage door, and you not only represent yourself, you are representing the show that you are in. I do not care if you treat me badly. However, I was merely making the point that someone's behavior can very much affect the way fans view them. Also, Broadway and entertainment are in the service industry. Here's a link where our government clearly states that http://www.census.gov/econ/www/servmenu.html. Even if I were not making lattes anymore, and I were walking down the street with my green apron and hat on, I would be representing the company. If someone stopped me and asked me a question about coffee, or Starbucks, and I treated them with disrespect, how would my behavior reflect on that person?

Again, I never said fans were entitled to anything. Just like the hypothetical person who asked me about coffee is not entitled to me treating him/her well, or to me answering his/her question at all. I could just say "Too late. I'm out of work. And by the way I don't care." To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if that person a) Never went to my starbucks again b) decided to get Peet's next time instead of starbucks or c) Called my starbucks and reported it. Yes, reported it. This is a business, and customer service relations are in most cases the top-most priority. Again, no one is making the employees/actors go 'that extra mile'. My only point was that it could possibly affect their success.

Also, from what I've seen on this board and at the stage door...the people, the fans who are most disappointed by an actor's behavior are not the ones who believe they are entitled to anything. They're the ones who have looked up to that actor for years, feel inspired by them, paid $80-100 to go see them, maybe even flew out there- and they wanted to tell that actor how much he/she means to them.

[riggs]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:17pm

I wouldn't call it an approach, since she was standing right next to me when I noticed her. If you found a celebrity standing next to you, wouldn't you be tempted to say, "Hey there Miss Celebrity?" Come on.
I think the amusing part of this whole thing is the irony in entitled attitude people cite in this thread. I'm saying it runs along both sides of the gates. The Celebrities have entitled attitudes as well, and while the attitude may be warranted if they were out to dinner, I don't think it is acceptable at the gates. I understand that it sucks when scads of people come up to tell you how much they love your performance, and all you can do is stand there with a fakey smile and thank them because they deserve thanks for giving you an opportunity to perform your art. The fact is that the stage door is there for that very reason, and if you can't handle it without an attitude, I hope you are creative enough to come up with a way to avoid it.
It’s like being bitchy at a junket. You can do it, but don’t complain about the bad press.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:18pm

Idinster87---I don't pay $100 for a latte, but I still don't feel that the actor owes me anything other that 100% effort in their performance. It has nothing to do with Service, but the perception of entitlement that (some) people at the stage door have. If I get a picture or an autograph, it's gravy, and I do not think less of an actor for ducking out a different door.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:24pm

You're confusing the term "service industry" here. Any industry that deals with the public to deliver a good or service is a service industry. That does not mean everyone employed is a service employee or is held to customer service standards.

The ushers, bartenders, box office staff and others who interact directly with the public are customer service. The actors are not, and they are not required to interact with the public. That's not in their contract and that's not in their job description. The boss in the back office at Starbucks' corporate HQ is not held to the same customer service requirements as the kid at the counter. Nor is the person in the factory packaging the beans. Airlines are a service industry too, and the mechanics at Boeing aren't customer service employees. The actors are hired to perform, not to interact.

To use your analogy, if the actors are still in costume, or they're officially representing the show at some event, they're still on the job. And they behave as such. At the stage door, they're out of costume and they're in civvies. There's nothing in their contract holding them to meet and greet standards, and as such, there aren't any consequences. If you complained to a stage manager that an actor out on the street had been rude or refused to sign your Playbill, they wouldn't do anything, because the actor's on his or her free time, off the premises of the theatre, and it has nothing to do with the work performed onstage.
Updated On: 3/17/08 at 04:24 PM

[Idinster87]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:28pm

Magdalene-


First off, I love your signature.


Second, I agree. I wouldn't be mad at someone for ducking out for whatever reason. I don't feel the actor owes me anything at the stage door. Although I do agree with Riggs point that a stage door is different than a restaurant, etc. Actually, I don't even feel like the actor owes me 100% effort in his/her performance...I mean, again, just like the Stage Door, they could be ill, upset, hurt, dealing with things, whatever. And I agree, if I get a picture or an autograph, I am on cloud nine and I think it's amazing- but naturally I am there to see the performance. So it's an added bonus. I was only commenting on negative behaviors, negative comments some actors exhibit and/or make at the stage door. That, I feel, can affect the way fans see him/her.

[riggs]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:34pm

O.K. so I have a question. Must the actors use the gated stage door to exit the theatre? I was always under the impression that they had a choice. Therein lies the conundrum.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:42pm

I have heard of actors leaving from other entrances/exits. Kristen Chenoweth left through the theater the night I stagedoored Wicked. I heard it right before I left. Here in Denver Ms Rene Scott and Mr. Palmer left through the theater the night I saw Mermaid. Although I heard Ms. Scott's child was with her and wasn't feeling well.

Updated On: 3/17/08 at 04:42 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:43pm

There's only 1 stage door. The actors enter through it.

However, there is more than 1 exit. They can choose to exit through the stage door, or choose the theater entrance, or an alleyway, or a carport, or the underground tunnels....

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:05pm

Or the helicopter pad...LOL!

It depends a lot on the theatre. Some of them have secondary exits that are easier to access than others. A lot of the time, going to an exit other than the stage door requires actually going through the theatre which might not be possible especially when the audience is still there and leaving. And for some theatres, the unmarked exits are close enough to the stage door to be useless for escaping incognito.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:05pm

"If you found a celebrity standing next to you, wouldn't you be tempted to say, "Hey there Miss Celebrity?" "

Nope, not in the least. I have no interest in speaking to any celebrity. What's the point of it? There's nothing to say that they haven't heard a million times before.

"The fact is that the stage door is there for that very reason, and if you can't handle it without an attitude, I hope you are creative enough to come up with a way to avoid it."

The stage door is there as an entrance and exit to work for the actors and others employed by the production. The fans have turned it into a "social frenzy", but that is not at all what it is there for. Actors should not have to sneak out of other entrances to avoid the crowds. The crowds should just be respectful, and if an actor doesn't want to be bothered, the fans should just deal with it.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:20pm

They can choose to exit through the stage door, or choose the theater entrance, or an alleyway, or a carport, or the underground tunnels....

Underground tunnels?

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:32pm

This discussion can go on to eternity and everyone will have a valid point ! I agree with most of the things idinster said, but WestVilage also makes some nice points !
Actors have every right to have their personal moments or not feel well... Perfectly acceptable ! Being rude to people, who only want to say nice words, for a job well done... Unacceptable ! Actually I have a big problem with rudeness, from whomever it is coming, be that a Starbucks employee, a Broadway Star or the President ! For me rudeness is a no-no, end of story. A polite decline is more than enough.
I also agree that some fans are annoying beyond belief !

But, since due to my job, almost all my friends are actors, I can say that. Actors LOVE the spotlight and the attention. Many of my friends whine, about not being left alone on the street or out ! But it is also a fact, that, if on any given day, no one spoke to or pay attention to them, they would die and seriously wonder what's wrong !!!

[riggs]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:43pm

West End,
It seems that you believe anyone who would stand at a stage door is a crazed fan. I think the majority of theatre professionals and fans wholeheartedly disagree with you. Myself included.
An actor has a choice, and they can choose not to stop and talk to fans. If they choose to go to the gates, they invite attention and should be gracious. Copping an attitude is uncalled for and frankly, rude.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:55pm

No, I don't think anyone who waits by the stage door is a crazed fan. But I also firmly believe that anyone employed by a production has every right to enter and exit thru the stagedoor whether or not they pay an ounce of attention to the fans or not. If an actor, like Bebe Neuwirth, literally feels uncomfortable having her picture taken or being in the midst of these crowds, and tells people "no", why can't people just leave her alone, instead of making silly comments like "if they choose to exit thru the stage door, they invite attention and should be gracious." When Kate Hepburn did Coco, there were huge crowds at the stagedoor, and no barricades. But when she came out of the stagedoor, the crowds just parted like the red sea and let her pass thru directly to her car, while everyone applauded. No one bothered her, no one attempted to get her autograph ... everyone just was in awe and showed the utmost respect ...something that is very lacking today.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 6:25pm

Nope, not in the least. I have no interest in speaking to any celebrity. What's the point of it? There's nothing to say that they haven't heard a million times before.

Now there's a positive outlook on life.

[wickedpoppinsfan]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 7:03pm

omg the worst one ever was Annelisse van der pol. She signed and like your about to say hi and she just like leaves. That was like really the bad one. And Julia Murney, she barely talked. IT was wicked and I wanted a picture and she just like stood there as if she was like about to burst out yelling. Kendra Kassebaum had to be the nicest stage dooring person ever in my life. She is so cute and giddy!!