Another stage door horror story with a forced kiss?!?- Page 2

[MasterThespian 2]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:26am

The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus. Yes, all performers work hard and deserve kudos, but it’s the “above the title” stars that attract the autograph and photo hounds.
Anyway, if people could behave, this tradition would continue. But since too many act like brainless, uncaged idiots, it will need to end soon. 


Zeppie2022 said: ""Not all actors have waiting vehicles though."

Exactly. Quite a few take the subway home or maybe go out to eat somewhere."

 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:50am

MasterThespian 2 said: "The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus. Yes, all performers work hard and deserve kudos, but it’s the “above the title” stars that attract the autograph and photo hounds.
Anyway, if people could behave, this tradition would continue. But since too many act like brainless, uncaged idiots, it will need to end."

The actor who was kissed is an ensemble member who, in the video, flat out says “I’m not famous,” so I’m not sure above-the-title actors are the sole cause of this. 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:54am

Kad said: "Yeah, whenever I hear that an actor is not stagedooring, my only thought is, “Good for them.”"

This. I’m 31 (today) and have been stagedooring for half my lifetime. I’m usually the one who ends up telling people who complain about someone not coming out (usually the ones who would NEVER) that it’s their choice and aren’t obligated. It’s the truth literally NOBODY likes to hear.

I’ve been invited backstage before at shows I’ve supported and been to quite a few times and I always felt like I was an intruder in a sacrosanct space, even when people would tell me “just tell me when you’re coming and I’ll put you on the list!” I’m so paranoid about violating boundaries.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:08am

MasterThespian 2 said: "The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus."

You’d be surprised how many actually choose to take the bus or subway. I’d venture a minority have a vehicle waiting for them outside the stage door.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:15am

Yeah on an average show there are maybe 3 people with a car service provided by the production.

"WALK & WAVE" could be the slogan for the actors' campaign to change the practice of stagedooring. Wave to the crowd but don't stop, keep walking.

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 11:15 AM

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:24am

"The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus. Yes, all performers work hard and deserve kudos, but it’s the “above the title” stars that attract the autograph and photo hounds."

Years ago, after seeing the show "Next to Normal", Alice Ripley got on the same subway station as us. I forget the show we saw him in, but Brian d'Arcy James left the theater on his bicycle to head to wherever he was going. 

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:55am

JSquared2 said: "Early on in rehearsals, just about every Broadway show has a "media training" session -- usually with the show's press agent and social media teams. One of the first things they are always told is tonever"follow back" someone they do not know, "like" anyposts or tweets from strangers, comment on anything posted by a fan, or respond to any DMs from people they don't know(no matter how well intentioned and harmless they may seem)."

This is so interesting. It’s good advice but also when you look at someone like, say, Taylor Swift, all of these behaviors are exactly how she built up early loyalty in her fanbase to build her empire on today.

 

I’m not sure it’s safe, but it feel ****ty to me that performers who can use the tools of social media to build presence and relationships that help them sustain an industry is so brutally fickle should have to stop using those tools because of one or two crazy people.

 

I know every show can’t provide every artist with cars to get home. For big stars, the Tom Holland “walk out the stage door, wave and say thank you a bunch and then leave” seems like the ideal situation. 
 

But for lesser names/newer folks, the reality is they won’t have that safety AND their need to connect with fans is more important for building a career.

 

I am not sure what the solution is, but I do wish every actor had training in boundaries but ALSO that these productions take on the onus of protecting performers who are just trying to build a career. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 12:19pm

Meet and greets are certainly a common thing in other entertainment industries, from music to film/tv to famous drag queens- and are generally handled efficiently and safely, with adequate security and handlers moving everything along and maintaining boundaries. Of course, they are also almost always a premium experience. I wonder if we'll ever see stagedooring become a premium add-on.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 12:29pm

I'm surprised ATG hasn't added a meet-and-greet feature to those premium lounges. Could be two separate tiers: one for pre-show and intermission, and then turn over the room for use by another group of buyers for a post-show shindig where members of the cast stop by for 10 minutes. (Of course everyone who stops by would have to be paid... but they could probably get $100 per person easily for a photo op with Nicole S)

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 12:29 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 12:33pm

Countless actors and public personalities have very active social media presence and even major influencer success AND know how to maneuver fans and this sort of weirdness so this idea of just staying off social media is utterly ridiculous. As mentioned above, in this day and age, social media presence is vital for relevancy. Engaging in any way with “fans” nowadays beyond a simple “thank you” blurs the thin line of reality to many. Everyone has this urgency to be “seen.”

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 2:31pm

MasterThespian 2 said: "The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus. Yes, all performers work hard and deserve kudos, but it’s the “above the title” stars that attract the autograph and photo hounds.
Anyway, if people could behave, this tradition would continue. But since too many act like brainless, uncaged idiots, it will need to end soon.


Zeppie2022 said: ""Not all actors have waiting vehicles though."

Exactly. Quite a few take the subway home or maybe go out to eat somewhere."

 

A lot of stars do have cars waiting but there are a lot that do walk or take the subway. I know,  have seen, bumped into and walked with a number of people starring in shows on the street. And they were performers that people were waiting for at stage doors. 

 

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 02:31 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 4:01pm

I have been campaigning here and elsewhere against stage-dooring, well before Covid. There is no one-on-one solution for this toxicity; there needs to be a simple rule: no stage-dooring, no exceptions. Security should disburse any crowd at the stage door, and there should be no long barricade that suggests that the process exists or is permitted. Sadly, this will never happen.

I know a lot of above-the title actors (with film and TV notoriety) who take the subway. I remember many years ago when I was surprised to see the late Marian Seldes on a particularly crowded subway after a show. I said something and I will never forget her response: "This is where I learn to act." :-)

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 4:06pm

uncageg said: "MasterThespian 2 said: "The stars that people are stage dooring for aren’t riding the subway or walking to the bus. Yes, all performers work hard and deserve kudos, but it’s the “above the title” stars that attract the autograph and photo hounds.
Anyway, if people could behave, this tradition would continue. But since too many act like brainless, uncaged idiots, it will need to end soon.


Zeppie2022 said: ""Not all actors have waiting vehicles though."

Exactly. Quite a few take the subway home or maybe go out to eat somewhere."



A lot of stars do have cars waiting but there are a lotthat do walk or take the subway. I know, have seen, bumped into and walked with a number of people starring in shows on the street. And they were performers that people were waiting for at stage doors.

"

True. At Old Friends, I noticed that only Bernadette had an Escalade waiting and Lea and the others just dispersed on to the streets to go home. Same for Nicole and Audra they have cars waiting out front to take them home!

Updated On: 4/12/25 at 04:06 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 5:36pm

Unless she was going somewhere nearby after the show, her and her son jumped into an Escalade in Front of the theatre after signing 

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 8:02pm

HogansHero said: "I have been campaigning here and elsewhere against stage-dooring, well before Covid. There is no one-on-one solution for this toxicity; there needs to be a simple rule: no stage-dooring, no exceptions. Security should disburse any crowd at the stage door, and there should be no long barricade that suggests that the process exists or is permitted. Sadly, this will never happen.

I know a lot of above-the title actors (with film and TV notoriety) who take the subway. I remember many years ago when I was surprised to see the late Marian Seldes on a particularly crowdedsubway after a show. I said something and I will never forget her response: "This is where I learn to act." :-)"

This feels like throwing the baby out with the bathwater: it will discourage the reasonable, sensible types who just wanted a moment of interaction and face time without pressure, while driving the intensive types to simply mob OTHER events and ways of interacting/imposing themselves on the actors. Short of "shows begin implementing personal-social-media blackouts for their cast for the duration of a contract," it's still gonna happen because the types of people who feed on that sort of thing aren't just going to randomly detox.

I've had nothing but good stage door experiences in my time. I've made friends and developed positive working lines of communication with actors, musicians and creatives by being polite, personable, not pushy, and NOT FREAKING KISSING A STRANGER OR SCREAMING IN THEIR FACE. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:09pm

darquegk said: "This feels like throwing the baby out with the bathwater"

You are most probably right, but I just think the current approach is untenable and an invitation to disaster, with this as another step in that direction. Right now, the approach is to put the ball in the actor's court and I think that is horrible (as do many but not all actors). As I said before, I do not labor under the delusion that anything is going to change, because many producers want the free publicity. If there were to be change, it would have to emanate from the actors and their union, but as we know, they have a lot on their plate and don't consider this a negotiating point on which they want to expend as much energy as it would take.

[A Theatre Fan 2023]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:23pm

This behaviour is completely unacceptable. There should be greater consequences for this idiot than a gentle reminder on how to behave at stage door. At the very least, this fool shouldn't be allow at stage door at any Broadway theatre for the foreseeable future. 

[Seb28]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 4:30pm

BroadwayGirl107 said: "I am not sure what the solution is, but I do wish every actor had training in boundaries but ALSO that these productions take on the onus of protecting performers who are just trying to build a career."

It seems that productions are taking this responsibility by training the actors to never engage in dm's with fans.

As someone said: "Early on in rehearsals, just about every Broadway show has a "media training" session -- usually with the show's press agent and social media teams. One of the first things they are always told is to never "follow back" someone they do not know, "like" any posts or tweets from strangers, comment on anything posted by a fan, or respond to any DMs from people they don't know (no matter how well intentioned and harmless they may seem)."

It seems like many actors break these rules. I also feel that we miss a lot of context in the story of the actor who posted the video. Has he seen this person before? Were they engaging in dm's? Were they sending compliments to each other? Can this be interpreted as being "romantically" involved in the eyes of the fan? In the eyes of a fan, each and every word the actor says is being experienced and viewed through a magnifying glass. Clearly this person thought that the relationship between them and the actor was at a point where this was an acceptable thing to do. Actors need to understand that the interaction is never leveled or equal. Even when fans pretend it is "friendship" or more.

As someone on here said: "Engaging in any way with “fans” nowadays beyond a simple “thank you” blurs the thin line of reality to many. Everyone has this urgency to be “seen.”

This is true and actors need to put this urgency aside. This desire for affirmation and attention should not be satisfied by personal contact with fans. Because it's the fans who use the actor for their longing for affirmation and attention. There will never be a balanced and healthy understanding between them. When it is not solely about the art anymore, but getting personal, an actor should be wary.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/22/25 at 1:02pm

Seb28 said: "BroadwayGirl107 said: "I am not sure what the solution is, but I do wish every actor had training in boundaries but ALSO that these productions take on the onus of protecting performers who are just trying to build a career."

It seems that productions are taking this responsibility by training the actors to never engage in dm's with fans.

As someone said: "Early on in rehearsals, just about every Broadway show has a "media training" session -- usually with the show's press agent and social media teams.One of the first things they are always told is tonever"follow back" someone they do not know, "like" anyposts or tweets from strangers, comment on anything posted by a fan, or respond to any DMs from people they don't know(no matter how well intentioned and harmless they may seem)."

It seems like many actors break these rules. I also feel that we miss a lot of context in the story of the actor who posted the video. Has he seen this person before? Were they engaging in dm's? Were they sending compliments to each other? Can this be interpreted as being "romantically" involved in the eyes of the fan?In the eyes of a fan, each and every wordthe actor says is being experienced and viewed through a magnifying glass. Clearly this person thought that the relationship between them and the actor was at a point where this was an acceptable thing to do. Actors need to understand that the interaction is never leveled or equal. Even when fans pretend it is"friendship" or more.

As someone on here said:"Engaging in any way with “fans” nowadays beyond a simple “thank you” blurs the thin line of reality to many. Everyone has this urgency to be “seen.”

This is true and actors need to put this urgency aside. This desire for affirmation and attention should not be satisfied by personal contact with fans. Because it's the fans who use the actor for their longing for affirmation and attention. There will never be a balanced and healthy understanding between them. When itis not solely about the art anymore, but getting personal, an actor should be wary."

An interesting take. And I agree.

Someone on here who comes off as passive and not wanting to intrude on the performers mentioned being invited backstage numerous times. Would be interesting to know what led to that. Unless the person knows all of these performers beyond just being a super fan of the shows. Because inviting someone backstage seems to take dropping boundaries to a level beyond anonymous interaction on IG, or the like. If I am a performer and I see the same people night after night, I will appreciate their passion for the show, but I won’t just feel compelled to invite them backstage because of it. 

 

 

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 4/22/25 at 5:04pm

theatreguy12 said: "Someone on here who comes off as passive and not wanting to intrude on the performers mentioned being invited backstage numerous times. Would be interesting to know what led to that. Unless the person knows all of these performers beyond just being a super fan of the shows. Because inviting someone backstage seems to take dropping boundaries to a level beyond anonymous interaction on IG, or the like. If I am a performer and I see the same people night after night, I will appreciate their passion for the show, but I won’t just feel compelled to invite them backstage because of it."

I definitely count myself as a passive person (I don't even like to bother my own mother LOL), and I was invited backstage at Anastasia by Christy Altomare more than a couple of times. I connected with the show, saw it a bunch of times, stage doored (she loved me for some reason), and just got invited back on several occasions. I think it was a mixture of be not being seen as a threatening person, and Christy's beyond generous interactions with fans not being a bellwether of a typical fan/performer relationship in any way, as the reasoning for my seeing the backstage of the Broadhurst on multiple occasions.

Still though, as much as I love Christy, I certainly wouldn't recommend the practice of regular backstage visits becoming normalized or anything, especially since the pandemic caused a lot of people to seemingly forget how to behave in public.

[pmensky]

Posted: 4/22/25 at 5:14pm

The reality is that stage dooring poses significant risks, and it’s only a matter of time before a serious incident forces the industry to take action. If such an incident were to occur, it could result in legal consequences for producers and theater owners, especially if inadequate security measures are to blame. Imagine the testimonies and video evidence that could surface, highlighting the current disorder at stage doors. Producers might argue, “It’s their choice,” but actors could easily counter by explaining how stage dooring has become intertwined with growing their social media presence—a necessary evil to boost their casting opportunities. You’d think producers and theater owners would have the foresight to address this issue before it escalates into something they could be held liable for.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 4/22/25 at 5:19pm

I think there needs to be clear instructions on how to behave at the stage door, beyond those etiquette videos on the internet, that people may or may not seek out anyway. Sure, "don't kiss the actors" seems like something that would go without seeing, but...obviously it isn't, as we see here (and have seen elsewhere in the past). And as I always like to tell people, we should be responding to the environment in accordance with how things ARE, not how they OUGHT to be. So clear instructions would be at least a start.

Updated On: 4/22/25 at 05:19 PM

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 8:40am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I'm surprised ATG hasn't added a meet-and-greet feature to those premiumlounges. Could be two separate tiers: one for pre-show and intermission, and then turn over the room for use by another group of buyers for a post-show shindig where members of the caststopby for 10 minutes. (Of course everyone who stops by would have to be paid... but they could probably get $100 per person easily for a photo op with Nicole S)"

I feel a strong sense of "NO" in reading this. Because you know the fandoms will become insanely competitive at getting these opportunities, might become unreasonable to people who are not in the fandom, and be rude to them, Similar with experiences people have in rush lines for certain shows. I think this would be a very bad idea. 

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 8:46am

BroadwayGirl107 said: "JSquared2 said: "Early on in rehearsals, just about every Broadway show has a "media training" session -- usually with the show's press agent and social media teams. One of the first things they are always told is tonever"follow back" someone they do not know, "like" anyposts or tweets from strangers, comment on anything posted by a fan, or respond to any DMs from people they don't know(no matter how well intentioned and harmless they may seem)."

This is so interesting. It’s good advice but also when you look at someone like, say, Taylor Swift, all of these behaviors are exactly how she built up early loyalty in her fanbase to build her empire on today.



I’m not sure it’s safe, but it feel ****ty to me that performers who can use the tools of social media to build presence and relationships that help them sustain an industry is so brutally fickle should have to stop using those tools because of one or two crazy people.
Are you implying this is the only way for performers to sustain an industry or build a presence? Then you have very little faith in their acting abilities and the general interviews they do, talk show performances, Tiny Desk Concerts, Tony Awards performances...this borders on thinking a show can't be successful unless they have an online relationship with their fans. If they do, there will be competition among the fans- Oh wait, there already is. There are already those experiencing parasocial relationships. This is an insane take. 


I know every show can’t provide every artist with cars to get home. For big stars, the Tom Holland “walk out the stage door, wave and say thank you a bunch and then leave” seems like the ideal situation.

Have you ever considered that these folks have just done a 2 1/2 hour show and just want to go home? That they might experience social anxiety, so even a walk and wave would not do good things for them? Why are you mandating this? 


But for lesser names/newer folks, the reality is they won’t have that safety AND their need to connect with fans is more important for building a career.

They can connect with fans- fans go to see the show. While they're in that building, you're connecting. 

I am not sure what the solution is, but I do wish every actor had training in boundaries but ALSO that these productions take on the onus of protecting performers who are just trying to build a career."

It is extremely ignorant of you to think that no actor can build a career unless they have interactions with fans on social media. That is absurd and ridiculous 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 9:37am

Building a fan base on social interactions instead of your work is vapid, but that's certainly what is happening. It's simply ego feeding.