Bad Theater Behavior — Page 42

Last week at “The Young Man From Atlanta” at Signature Theatre, an older man and woman got up from their front row seats during the opening scene and said in full voice “We are leaving because we cannot hear anything!” Other audience members then said for them to be quiet at which point the man then yelled at actor Aidan Quinn that he needs to learn to speak louder!! (I will add that the old man was not using one of Signature’s hearing devices, and I was in row H and could hear Quinn fine.) before finally making their slow exit up the stairs and out of the theatre. I have never witnessed anything like that before! How entitled must you be to think that yelling at an actor onstage is acceptable behavior?

It was a very quiet scene and Aidan was in the middle of an emotional monologue. He was visibly upset by what happened and had to call for a line.

Updated On: 11/18/19 at 11:49 PM

I've been reading this thread on and off for years, and having seen my share of bad behavior at the theater over the years, decided after an experience this past Friday to finally post one I had to deal with sitting right next to me, and earlier in the performance of "Greater Clements". The lengthy show is three acts with two 10 minute intermissions, and the third act seems endless. A middle aged man behind me had licorice in a very thick plastic bag which he kept rattling all throughout the first act. I was able to catch a glimpse of it during the first intermission.

The young woman next to me seemed to have no clue about what "personal space" is, flicking her coat onto my lap throughout the second act, and during the intermission, bumping into me on several occasions without even acknowledging my presence. I politely just said, "Excuse me" when she bumped into me the third time. I wouldn't have bothered writing about this as I deal with such things all the time, but when she pulled out a paper bag and began to crunch on fried chicken (which stunk up the whole aisle I'm sure), I was aghast. She was trying to crunch and munch quietly, but sorry, it did not work. As the play is very intimate and every sound can be heard, I kept my cool, but I really wanted to tell her off.

I had read an article where Harvey Fierstein, I believe, once witnessed a family pass a whole chicken back and forth in the front row, but I never thought that I would encounter this in the very same theater where Patti No Phone once grabbed somebody's device when she saw them texting. I make a point of pulling out the battery from my phone just as extra precaution when I see Patti on stage and nearly lost the battery when I sat in the front row at "War Paint" out of fear that my phone might accidentally go on.

Updated On: 11/19/19 at 10:16 AM

Moulin Rouge also encouraged you to take pictures and video before the show starts. There are actors already on stage when they open the house.

dreamz said: "Whats worse than that is how people just leave all their trash on the floor. I can understand leaving some trash ( playbills, cups, candy wrappers) but when you stick gum on the seats or the rug. Spills nuts , chips, pretzels, M&M's and just leaving it in here for people to step all over it. Would you do that at home? Is it really that hard to pick up?"

Apparently, yes. These are likely the same people who blithely toss their Big Mac wrappers, Big Gulp cups, and cigarette butts out the window of their cars.

magictodo123 said: "Referencing a comment above---I HATE when people say "I paid -x- amount of money for my ticket, I'm entitled to record/take photos". Um, No. Incorrect. I don't care if you paid to sit front row at Hadestown, that does NOT ever entitle you to record a show.



But I also have a question regarding this topic...I know in Six they say you can record the end of the show, but is this also allowed at Moulin Rouge!? I've seen SO MANY videos from that show that it makes me wonder if you're told you can film the show or if the audience just doesn't care at all that it's 100% against theater rules to record a show...."

When I saw Moulin Rouge! back in August, an usher came and yelled at a woman sitting next to me filming the finale, so I don’t think it’s permitted.

dreamz said: "Whats worse than that is how people just leave all their trash on the floor. I can understand leaving some trash ( playbills, cups, candy wrappers) but when you stick gum on the seats or the rug. Spills nuts , chips, pretzels, M&M's and just leaving it in here for people to step all over it. Would you do that at home? Is it really that hard to pick up?


People should also keep in mind that the ushers who are there through the end of the night...this isn't true of Broadway theaters, as I've ushered there and haven't had to do this, but in some theaters the ushers stay and pick up the garbage. I can't tell you how often I'd come home from working at Shakespeare in the Park with my hands smelling like beer because people left cups-or in some cases, almost FULL-cups of beer behind. Why would you pay so much for concessions to not even finish it or leave it behind? I would think if you could pay so much for a show, you'd have manners to make sure you didn't leave anything behind...or if you did, that you picked up after yourself before leaving.

Here is something good in a bad behavior thread. Wicked is in town in my city for the next two weeks. I switched my evening performance to the matinee on Thursday (21). When I got to the theater there were multiple school buses. My friend who ushers at the theater told me there were 1400 (of 3000 seats) school kids. Most very young. I was not happy, thinking they would talk, text, etc. There was not a peep other than laughter out of those kids (at least the kids around me). How well behaved they were. Since this is a bad behavior thread, I could not believe the number of adults, at least 50, who were held at the door, since they arrived late. All of them walking and talking, to find their seats, not caring they were disturbing others including the school kids who were able to get to the theater on time.

The latest happened to me at the Betrayal play. There was a couple sitting next to me and the woman was eating peanuts out of a ziplock bag. Which is fine, as long as you aren't severely allergic. The peanuts dust was up my nose and I was thinking that if I was a person with a nut allergies I wouldn't be able to stay and watch the play.

dramamama611 said: "Except it's a myth that you can be contaminated with an airborne peanut essence. (My son is highly allergic, trust me, I know.) He wouldn't LIKE the smell, but that's besides the point."

My son is also very allergic to peanuts and treenuts and it was my understanding that some airborne reactions are possible.

From the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology:

“Still, food particles containing peanut proteins can become airborne during the grinding or pulverization of peanuts, and inhaling peanut protein in this type of situation could cause an allergic reaction. In addition, odors may cause conditioned physical responses, such as anxiety, a skin rash or a change in blood pressure.”

Now it is unlikely someone could go into anaphylactic shock inhaling peanut dust, but obviously not all reactions take it to the nuclear level of anaphylaxis.

Updated On: 11/22/19 at 03:03 PM

gibsons2 said: "The latest happened to me at the Betrayal play. There was a couple sitting next to me and the woman was eating peanuts out of a ziplock bag. Which is fine, as long as you aren't severely allergic. The peanuts dust was up my nose and I was thinking that if I was a person with a nut allergies I wouldn't be able to stay and watch the play."

I’m a deathly allergic 15 year old. If I was sitting there I would tell them to put them away, or if they won’t, go to the usher (I always choose isle seats when possible) and I would ask the usher to relocate me. Yes getting up in the middle of a performance is rude, but my life would literally be in danger.

I don't know if this is "bad theatre behavior" per se but there's ALWAYS that one person who coughs in the quietest part. This has happened at pretty much every Broadway show I can remember! Any one else relate?

*I am guilty of doing this myself when I had a sore/itchy throat at Les Mis Broadway and started hacking away right after Gavroche said "Lamarque is dead" and I guess the likelihood of having sick people in the audience is pretty high in a large Broadway theatre but still! It's not a show without that one guy/gal coughing!

OKBroadwayFan said: "Kea4 said: "OKBroadwayFan said: "Moulin Rouge also encouraged you to take pictures and video before the show starts. There are actors already on stage when they open the house."

When I saw MR in October, this was NOT true. The actors came out on stage maybe 15 minutes before the show started (not when the house was opened). You were allowed to take pictures before the actors came out but not after. The ushers kept telling people to stop taking pictures."

I saw it during previews. I could see how it would get very distracting and hard to control after the show started as well. "

I saw it about two weeks ago. There are signs everywhere now saying pictures are not permitted at all inside the theater (I think the lobby is ok though). The ushers made that very clear as well. The whole pre-show may have been cut down as well, because I showed up about 25 minutes before the performance and the line was around the block to get in. It didn't start moving until ten minutes later. Speaking of the ushers, a woman in the row in front of me was on her phone multiple times during the first half hour. At one point an usher rushed over with a flashlight and told her to get off her phone. I wanted to high five her :)