Bad Audience Behavior — Page 5

we just did Romeo & Juliet at my school (I know, Shakespeare in a high school.... don't get me started), and there was a LOT of bad audienece behaviour.

The first night, there was laughter during Tybalt's death scene. He also got death applause the second night. Granted, Ray died well, but applause isn't warranted.

There were people standing in the left of the auditorium against a wall, when they had seats right next to them. They just thought it'd be fun to stand and see into the wings? it was really annoying.

people talked and slept a lot, too. really annoying, and the talking got distracting.

ah, indeed high school audiences are fun.

I think overall the "best" I can think of was Student Day at All Shook Up in the balcony. I need say nothing else other than I moved.

The worst behavior I can really think of wasn't inside, but right outside of the Gershwin. On Jan 8th last year after everything had gone on, these two girls were SCREAMING at the top of their LUNGS about how they "DIDN'T PAY TO SEE THAT FAT C*NT SHOSHANA BEAN." No, I'm not kidding.

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When I saw Wicked in LA, my parents got me a 6th row VIP seat for my birthday. The people next to me brought their 6 year olds, and they talked thru the whole show, and were hardly ever paying attention. It pissed me off SO much

My school put on Medea (a greek tragedy...I know, my director's crazy). 1/2 the kids fell asleep, and the other 1/2 had really inapproriate responses to the show. Example...HUGE bouts of laughter during really intense or sad moments because of some of the phrasing (REALLY archaic language). What's worse, they all posted about what a horrible show it was on their blogs.

I felt bad, cuz it's really not the kid's fault. Had they been closer to 10/11 I would have had no qualms. It's the parents of those kids who pissed me off the most.

Darkmist: Yes, High school audiences are indeed fun. Whne i saw a one-act competition at my local high school, there was obnoxious catcalling, a baby crying, applauding for no good reason, yadayadayadayada. I was ready to KILL myself in this audience. Thankfully, I survived.

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I love my old high school, and we really did have great theatre. We just had crappy audiences.

* During a production of "Footloose," the girl playing Mrs. Shaw had a penny thrown at her durring "Can You Find it in Your Heart"
* During "The Visit," people were yelling and catcalling during the whole show.
* I just went back to see my high school put on "Urinetown." The show was phenomenal, but the audience yelled LOUDLY at the end of EVERY number and during the kisses. I wanted to go up to them and glue their mouths shut.
* Went to see "The Nutcracker" last week and some jerk whistled at the end of every number. And a cell phone went off right before "Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairy."

This isn't the same, but when I went to see the RENT movie, there were some STUPID little girls sitting behind me who giggled and talked through the whole movie. It pretty much ruined the experience for me.

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The week that Ben Vereen came to Chicao to play the Wizard my cousin, Aunt, and I had just sat down when one of the people's cell phones(next to us) rang and she began talking so freakin' loud about how a person who knows a person who knows a person who knows Kate Reinders got them their tickets, and how no one is as lucky as they are because they were sitting in Orchestra E. I was like AAHHH!! Maybe, thats not the worst audience behavior, but I thought it was pretty rude...I dunno...

~Meg~

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During a performance of Les Mis (one of the last ones), there were 4 people sitting in front of me in the orchestra level. About 30 mins after the show started, 2 couples came down the aisle and apparently the people in front were in the wrong row (were supposed to be in my row). Well, rather than sitting next to me until intermission as the usher suggested, they decided they they didn't pay for those seats that they wanted their seats! So they made up a HUGE stink over one row difference, causing now EIGHT people to move around while Fantine lays dying! Needless to say, I was annoyed. During intermission, the loud couples started saying stuff like 'they were going to whack the people who were in their seats' so another verbal spar began. I had enough and I told both parties to SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN! The oud couples gave me the 'look' and I gave it right back.

Also, during Dracula (yes, I SAW Dracula), there were some what I can only assume are out of towners, that actually booed and sneered (and stopped clapping) when the actors revealed what BC/EFA was all about. I've NEVER seen people boo during that part. I was rather annoyed by that!

I've got a few too. . .A long time ago, I was doing a little summer stock production of Deathtrap (for those of you unfamiliar, the basic premise is that there's an older playwright and a younger and they are secretly in love and want to kill the older playwright's wife so that they can be together. Anyway. . .). At the pivotal plot moment, when they are about to reveal their feelings for one another to the audience, a very loud, very redneck voice came booming from the back of the house (loudly enough to be heard clearly backstage) "I believe them boys is gay!" No, I'm really not kidding. God love the actors, they carried on as if nothing had been said, but it was a struggle.
Of course, student audiences are always a trial, but I have a few great student audience moments from a production of Dracula (of which I did twelve weeks): One night this kid was making kissy noises at Dracula and Mina (they had this little waltz that they did together), which annoyed Mina (who was normally very patient), so as she exited in the blackout, she put her hand right in his face. She didn't touch him, but she sure scared the crap out of him. He yelled "Oh Sh*t!" and, of course, she was quite proud of herself.

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I forgot another one. I went to see the Les Miz tour in Kansas City last month. They wouldn't seat people after the overture had started, but once it was over there didn't seem to be a problem. People were walking in during "At the End of the Day" making as much noise and commotion as humanly possible. They did the same thing after intermission, effectively ruining "On My Own." You'd think ushers would know better.

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If I was an usher, I would have said something to that woman. Hell, I almost wanted to go find her at intermission and set her straight, but I decided to practice self-restraint.

When I went to see Great American Trailer Park a guy in the row in front of me (I was in the 4th row orch, he was in the third) fell asleep. Which I guess isn't as bad as some other behaviors listed here. But I only noticed that he was asleep when I heard the *snoring,* and I was trying to figure out what the hell that noise was.

A few months ago I won the RENT lotto with my friend who has never been to a Broadway show. So, we were in the first row...in the very middle. After every single song she sat there slumped over looking bored...never clapped or smiled....NOTHING! I told her that it was rude and the actors could see the first few rows. She just sat there and told me that she didn't like it. I mean, if she didn't like it, thats her opinion but to sit in the first row slumped over and not clapping is just....rude. At the end, during the standing ovation, I literally had to pull her up off the seat and still she never clapped or anything. I was embaressed. Afterwards I wanted pictures but she refused to stay (which I was kinda glad because I didn't want the actors to possibly know that I was with this 'rude girl.') After I got pictures taken, I met her at the restaurant.

From that day....I haven't talked to her much.

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