Fosse76 said: "That's bizarre. The usher who seats you should be the one distributing Playbills (at least at Shubert houses). Ushers do not take surveys, so I'm not sure what is going on there. However, I take the side of the usher who stopped you from grabbing from a pile. Until you are handed a Playbill, they technically don't belong to you. While you do get one free, that doesn't entitle anyone to just grab them from (makeshift) storage areas.
Ushers can bea bit possessive of Playbills, but there is usually a practical reason for it. They only have a limited number to distribute (even less when thereare inserts), usually only enough for their section. When people who haven't yet been seated, or are in different sections of the theater, ask for Playbills, it can create a shortage on that aisle. I've personally seen people freak out when an usher directs them to their specific aisle, or when they ask staff who don't distribute Playbills. People seem to think the world is ending if it isn't handed to them within seconds of entering the theater. Personally, I think it's time to get rid of them. They serve no real purpose anymore, with all the information available online, and practically everyone entering the building is in possession of a smartphone.."
Hold on, is this even in the right thread? This gave me whiplash for how out of the blue it was
Updated On: 6/4/19 at 12:11 PM