Bad usher/ theatre employee stories? — Page 2

Nah, she hadn't asked me yet. I was turning my phone off, too, when it happened because I didn't even have any voicemails.

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Updated On: 5/27/05 at 10:23 AM

Doodle brought up a good point. Why are people seated late in live theater? Personally, people should not be seated late and should stand in the back until intermission. Theater employees need to enforce the rights of the people who bothered to arrive on time.

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Certainly. Obviously, I am showing no love for the latecomers by barring them from the theater until intermission.

Ushers should incorporate enough common sense to at least seat people when it will disrupt the show minimally.

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Mikewood, the court of condescending sensitivity is now adjourned.

romanov,

You are so wrong in so many ways it would be sad if it wasn't so offensive.

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Updated On: 5/27/05 at 11:22 AM

"It takes a LOT to remove someone from property."

That's not true. I have seen police officers literally come to a persons seat and escort them out for being a disturbance.

As far as cellphones in the theatre goes, I say if you can't afford to be out of contact for a couple hours then perhaps you shouldn't be there.

There used to be a bit of sanctity regarding the theatre that in recent years has just been shot to hell. People don't know how to behave in the theatre anymore. Now people come and put their dirty feet up on the seats and talk on their cellphones and they want to eat food in the seats. A friend of mine who is an usher at the Walter Kerr told me at one of the performances of Gem of the Ocean a woman literally got to her seat and pulled out a bucket of fried chicken. I was in a performances of Cabaret when a woman's cellphone rang and she actually answered it and started having a conversation.

People think that the price of their admission gives them license to act however they want no matter how classless they may appear.

we must have been typing our posts at the same time.

I should have phrased that better. What I meant was that it takes a lot for NON-POLICE to remove someone from property. Although talking on a phone is illegal in theatres (though, I doubt if challenged it would hold up), it is only a misdemeanor, and talking on a cell phone in and of itself is legal. Therefore, to remove someone from the premises the person would really need to be uncooperative (bordering on assaulting someone, verbally or physically).

The most abusive patron I remember was at Paper Mill's Follies a few years ago. It was a matinee and the show had started, LOTS of candy wrappers that were so loud we couldnt help but laugh to ourselves. Then there was shushing going on behind us that turned into, "no YOU shut up", " NO YOU SHUT UP!" This went on during a whole number, it turned out the two loudest arguers were in wheelchairs and very old...it was too strange to be angry about...course the ushers did nothing, to get back to the thread

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whoa. I apologize. multiple message.

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Updated On: 5/27/05 at 02:08 PM

I have never seen anyone answer there phone while a performance has been going on. I have seen people at the movies talk on their phone, but never at a stage show."

I have.

June 2001. Les Miserables. Right at the beginning of "On my Own."

Edit: That is....I have seen and heard someone. I haven't done it.

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Updated On: 5/27/05 at 02:08 PM

FYI, usually, the ushers are told by the producers, house managers, when to do the late sitting.  They pick the appropriate time.

3 years ago when I saw "Misery," I was in the rear Mezz and about 2 minutes before curtain, the few of us who were there realized that it's not going to be full.  At that moment the usher on our side, said we could move down front and fill up the seats.  He then walked away, as we were moving, the usher on the other side came running over telling us we cannot move seats.

We said, "Your co-worker just told us we could."  He kept repeating - very loudly, "You can't move.  You have to go back."  

I walked over to him and said, "As we have all told you now numerous times, your co-worker said we could.  If there's an issue, you need to speak to him - not us."

He stood there - so defeated, and the lights went down and the show started.