Angry angry latecomers
Angry angry latecomers
#1Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:40pm
Okay, I just wanted to share a story from a house staff point of view, to give you all some idea of what we're dealing with. I'm an Assistant House Manager and I generally put up with a lot because it is my job to remain calm. But sometimes it's realy a challenge.
If you are late to a performance at my theatre, you are sent up to the back of the house in an elevator, where i meet you in a small room (otherwise the elevator light would flood the back row), and escort you out into the theatre. At this afternoon's matinee, an older couple arrived about ten minutes into the show and could not understand why I couldn't escort them to their seats in the fourth row. This was a particularly elderly couple, and there is no scene change or transition that would give me a long enough time to get them all the way down there without disturbing the entire performance (it's staidum seating). So, I explained to them that I would be able to get them to seats on the aisle of the eighth row in a few minutes, or they were welcome to sit in the back row right now. They began to scream and scream and scream at me, all the while getting angrier as I tried to shush them and remind them politely that everyone in the theatre could hear them (To give you an idea of how loud they were, the box office could hear them as well as people in the offices on the top floor). They got more and more agitated because I wouldn't let them out of the elevator room and into the theatre, but I kept telling them that I wouldn't let them out into the theatre until they stopped yelling. So, the man decided that it would be a good idea to hit me. Yes, he hit me. On the arm, not in the face, but still. I grabbed my arm and he took the opportunity to knock his way out of the room and into the back of the house, where he then threatened to punch the House Manager's teeth in before being seated in the back row. His wife followed, and sat next to him. They spent the next five minutes complaining loudly about being in the back row. And then they GOT UP and went down toward their seats (which had actually been filled by volunteer ushers), then finally sat down in the seats on the aisle that I would've given them at a scene change. I felt so bad for everyone trying to watch the show. Because that had to be distracting.
None of this is said to excuse theatre staff being rude to patrons, but I hope this at least puts into perspective how annoying "I paid to be here, it's your job" comments can be.
#2re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:42pmOut of morbid curiosity, what was the show?
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
#2re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:47pmEurydice, at Second Stage. I totally failed to mention that.
#3re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:57pm
I'm so sorry to hear that. People are ridiculous.
BUT, one rude patron's "I paid to be here" doesn't outweigh the other 1,200 patrons' "WE paid to see the whole show undisturbed," or the house staffs', "I'm paid to know what I'm doing and to see that the house operates as fairly and efficiently as possible."
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#4re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:58pmA firing squad in the back alley if you please
#6re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 6:13pmYou should have had them escorted out or arrested for hitting you and threating someone else.
#7re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 6:13pm
He physically assaulted you and you didn't escort them from the premises? I must say that disappoints me a little. :/
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#8re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 6:19pm
Yup. After hitting you and continuing with his rant, you should have informed old Grampa you were calling the police and led them out of the theatre.
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#9re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 8:21pm
That's absolutely awful. You should have had them removed or pressed charges for assault.
I had some winners today at Spring Awakening. The wife demanded (full voice) to know why they couldn't be seated after arriving 37 minutes late (after The Bitch of Living, you're not allowed to seat people till intermission). When I informed her she would be disrupting the other audience members, her reply was "So what? We've been in lots of theatres where they do that."
#10re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 8:27pmomg....that is awful...the police should have been called...adults should realize that if you don't show up on time you will get penalized.I only learned this in grade school
#11re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 8:32pmUgh...these kind of people tick me off big time.
teka21
Leading Actor Joined: 12/19/06
#12re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 8:34pmSome people's sense of entitlement is outrageous! And, they bring their children up with the same selfish and arrogant attitudes. I know, I've had to deal with some families like these in the school setting.
#13re: Angry angry latecomers
Posted: 6/6/07 at 8:38pm
Wow, audience behavior still astounds me sometimes. Whenever I go to a show at the U of M theatre at the Flint campus, I'm completely disgusted with the audience members. I've often considered writing a letter to someone in charge saying that people should not be allowed to attend unless they've been given a crash course in theatre ettiquette. (Or in the case of the people of Flint, a crash course in propriety and common sense) 
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