Bad Audience Behavior: Newsies cast member's family edition — Page 2

It is my assumption that the role and responsibility of the ushers and theatre management is to minimize behavior that is inappropriate or disruptive. If they are unable or unwilling to take on that responsibility, I feel it entirely appropriate to inform others. I believe my actions in the theatre were proactive: attempting to prevent further disturbances. I also believe that my actions since leaving the theatre: writing to management and yes, even discussing the incident here on the board, are also proactive. If ushers and theatre management know that their lack of action will be publicly criticized, then perhaps they will be more diligent in the future.

In the defense of Dr. Mike I was there too and they were terrible. Many people complained myself included and even spoke to the Production Manager who said that there was not much they could do since they were guests of a cast member. There were literally 15 people there to see him. There was Nederlander security, ticket takers, ushers and even merch reps there trying to get them to quiet down.

---

His family mentioning his name at top volume throughout the show was also uncalled for.

Sorry, but "the actor had no control over it" ??? He obviously KNOWS their behavior, since they were family and yet HE invited them and as a result, many paying audience memebers' experience was ruined ! Of course he didn't do it on purpose, but it WAS the actor's fault that these people were in the audience and he could have told them something about theater etiquette beforehand or at least, send them a message at intermission to calm down ! No one says the actor should be fired, but somehow actors have to take some responbsibility about the people they invite to their show, when they cause such a disruption !

I wasn't there that night so I cannot say how disruptive they were but I don't see how the actor could be held responsible for others' behavior during a show. Who said that he invited them to the show? They could have all bought a ticket on their own accord to support him and the show's he's in. Are you saying it's his fault for even being in the show so that they would attend? That's a stupid argument, too.

Judging by the comments of those who were present, the disruptive behavior should be blamed on the disruptive party and maybe the theatre staff for not doing anything. The actor shouldn't be blamed for the actions of something out of his control.

Dame, the ushers are under the directions of the House Mgr, who is "supposed" to manage the house. They can TRY and instruct on "manners", but obviously trying this didn't help. The HM, and/or security usual handles these types of disruptions in different ways in different theatres, depending on the situation. Sounds like they either didn't want to make the situation even worse, esp. since the offenders were friends of a cast member. If I were Mgr/Security, they would be out on the street, after 1 warning. And I HAVE seen that happen at other houses, once in a while.

There was this incident, but I don't remember reading that the patrons were related to cast members in any of the versions I read about it:
Drama on-stage and off-stage at Paper Mill Playhouse as scuffle breaks out in crowd

The link posted was the most thorough account of what happened, but it was mentioned by two or three other media sources, one of them including the information that the offending group was part of a large party who were relatives or guests of a cast member. Sorry I can't be more specific about the source, but I am sure that information appeared somewhere. It's not the kind of thing I would have pulled out of thin air. The behavior was so particularly offensive that it was pretty easy to remember, specifically the connection between the rowdy patrons and a cast member.

Updated On: 4/15/12 at 11:45 AM

freakin' Jersey.

"The house management are solely to blame for the behavior continuing on past the first circumstance."

If we assume that the offending group at Papermill and the one at the Nederlander share a connection with the same cast member, then that cast member must accept at least part of the blame. However, the thing that is obvious from reading accounts of both incidents is that Papermill seemed to deal with the issue quickly and professionally, while Nederlander completely dropped the ball. That people behave in a manner that is so disrespectful to other theater patrons, as well as the actors on the stage, is a failure by those who were responsible for the alleged upbringing of these yahoos. The fact that they were allowed to get away with it in this theater, is a failure by theater management. It's probably too late to correct the first failure, but it is not too late to correct the second.

I was actually partially agreeing with you, dramamama, by offering the only circumstance that would shift some of the blame to the actor. Note that I said "if".

There is no "proof" either way that the incidents are or are not related. However, there is some circumstantial evidence that would point to their being related, so I don't think it is unreasonable to offer that possibility as a circumstance by which the actor would take on some of the blame. I suppose if someone were to take the time to search through the Twitter accounts of cast members during the time frame in question, it may be possible to find the smoking gun that would "prove" that the incidents are related, but we would still be getting away from the primary point. That point is that two theater house managers were confronted with very similar circumstances regarding rude patrons, and the regional theater manager responded much more professionally and expeditiously than the Broadway house manager. Two examples of management, one good, and one bad.

That doesn't mean he realized how disruptive they were to the other audience members.

(And what's he going to post publically? "I'm totally ashamed of my family"? IF he's aware of the problem they caused, its a private matter. It also wouldn't suprise me that he's been told by house management that it was no big deal -- if he's even been made awae of these discussions.

---

I'm not saying he should be ashamed of them, just pointing out that he knew they were there. And he calls them "functioning dysfunctionals," so that very obviously gives an insight into their behavior, joking or not.

If he were "likely mortified by their behavior," as you suggested he was, I would expect that he'd tweet something along those lines... an apology, an acknowledgement, anything.