#1
Posted: 1/18/09 at 3:03am
At the final show tonight, there were a few school groups from out of town seeing the show, and many of them were up in the balcony where I sat. When I came in, the usher handed me a playbill. No one checked my ticket. I had to ask one which side was even-numbered seats, but all the usher did was point- a drastic difference from the strict ushers down in the orchestra who snap at the patrons who start to walk down the aisle by themselves.
As it got closer to 8pm, I noticed many of the students getting up and moving to other seats. A chaperone sitting near me got up to figure out what was going wrong. It turns out none of them actually read their tickets to find their seats, they just sat with their friends. When the people with those seats arrived, they had to move. This went on until the show started- with only the one teacher helping. A teacher sitting next to me told the other teachers that since the students never attended theatre, they didn't understand that it was different than general admission seating.
Then the show started. And a few late arrivals trickled in to find groups of students in their seats. They called the ushers over, the ushers shined flashlights to read their tickets, then moved them all over the balcony to their correct seats. This continued off and on through the Dance at the Gym- nearly 30 minutes into the show.
At intermission, I went downstairs to find an usher who could direct me to the house manager, but she didn't answer the phone in her office when he called. I explained to that usher the issue, but who knows if he'll pass it on. I've never complained to the staff before, but this was above and beyond.
This isn't even the first time this has happened to me. I was stranded in the aisle of the second tier at the Kennedy Center during the Wicked tour because two girls from a school group were sitting in my sister and my seats and refused to move. These aren't community theatres with one usher for the entire house- these venues host major tours and should know better. But in both instances, the ushers upstairs just stood at the door and passed out playbills, and let seating dissolve into a free-for-all.
Who is at fault here? The teenage students for not having the sense to read their tickets? The teachers who didn't explain to them that they should read their tickets? The ushers who should have sat the people in the cheap seats just as thoroughly as they do downstairs? Me for expecting everyone to be in their correct seats by the middle of the act? I mean, it doesn't really matter whose fault it is, but since apparently this is a continuing trend, what should be done the next time I see this happening?
As it got closer to 8pm, I noticed many of the students getting up and moving to other seats. A chaperone sitting near me got up to figure out what was going wrong. It turns out none of them actually read their tickets to find their seats, they just sat with their friends. When the people with those seats arrived, they had to move. This went on until the show started- with only the one teacher helping. A teacher sitting next to me told the other teachers that since the students never attended theatre, they didn't understand that it was different than general admission seating.
Then the show started. And a few late arrivals trickled in to find groups of students in their seats. They called the ushers over, the ushers shined flashlights to read their tickets, then moved them all over the balcony to their correct seats. This continued off and on through the Dance at the Gym- nearly 30 minutes into the show.
At intermission, I went downstairs to find an usher who could direct me to the house manager, but she didn't answer the phone in her office when he called. I explained to that usher the issue, but who knows if he'll pass it on. I've never complained to the staff before, but this was above and beyond.
This isn't even the first time this has happened to me. I was stranded in the aisle of the second tier at the Kennedy Center during the Wicked tour because two girls from a school group were sitting in my sister and my seats and refused to move. These aren't community theatres with one usher for the entire house- these venues host major tours and should know better. But in both instances, the ushers upstairs just stood at the door and passed out playbills, and let seating dissolve into a free-for-all.
Who is at fault here? The teenage students for not having the sense to read their tickets? The teachers who didn't explain to them that they should read their tickets? The ushers who should have sat the people in the cheap seats just as thoroughly as they do downstairs? Me for expecting everyone to be in their correct seats by the middle of the act? I mean, it doesn't really matter whose fault it is, but since apparently this is a continuing trend, what should be done the next time I see this happening?
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
