Brawl at Gypsy. — Page 3

We don’t need data. I go to the theatre every week. I see it firsthand.

This has been a known issue for years now. Playbill briefly published an article a couple of years ago about a number of physical assaults against employees that happened in the months following the COVID shutdown, and the theatre owners threw a fit and demanded it be removed. I'm lucky to have a great security team at my theatre that backs us up, but I've had audience members get aggressive towards me for just asking them to put their phone away.

Also, if you see someone near you repeatedly on their phone or filming, tell an usher or a house manager. There are a lot of blind spots where we can't see someone doing something like using their phone in their lap, but if it's reported we will absolutely speak to them and tell them to knock it off or at the very least stand nearby so we can see that specific location better.

Bottom line, it won't be handled properly until theater owners and producers are sued, very publically, for letting this kind of behavior happen.

Losing or spending money tends to make careless people suddenly care. A lot.

If anyone ever put their hands on me in this situation, my reaction would stop the show cold.

Obviously data is useful, though theater owners have done their best to prevent information about this issue from reaching the public, but to act like the direct observations of theater workers and extremely regular audience members on this issue post-Covid is equal to the way suburbanites draw conclusions from the decades-long TV sensationalist smear against urban life is not a serious argument. There's a reason why Playbills had to start including requests not to disrupt the show or assault the staff. There's a reason why that Playbill article was removed. I used to usher not so long ago and never, ever would today.

I've been an usher and a house manager for large theaters (2300+ seats) that host Broadway shows. Honestly, you always have to weigh whether getting involved during the show will be more disruptive than waiting until intermission or catching the guest on their way out. Guests always need to be reminded that "the artist" or "the show" is asking for this policy to be enforced, not the theater or its staff. If a guest is agitated or unruly, that's when our security gets involved. Any good house manager knows not to put their usher in the path of an irate customer because chances are they haven't been trained to handle that.

More than anything, what I find frustrating about most of these "no X (cellphone/talking/texting/etc.)" policies is that there is no context given to help people understand why the request is being made. Most guests don't understand why filming is not allowed (intellectual property of the artist), and simply saying "no filming" isn't enough to stop them. The message should be: "As a reminder, please do not disturb your fellow audience members or the cast by texting or talking during the show. If you can see your screen in the dark, so can your neighbor and the cast onstage. Due to copyright laws, taking photographs or filming any part of this show is not allowed. If you are observed recording or disturbing the show in any way, you may be asked to leave without a refund." Personally, I'd also like to see a message added that says: "A reminder to take any personal belongings or trash out with you as you exit the theater," but that always seems to be met with resistance.

I like how some Chicago theaters have ushers walk up and down aisles with signs indicating no texting/photographs, and the extra reminder at the end of intermission is also good. The worst are shows (like & Juliet) that just hold up a small sign at the beginning without any formal announcement. When I went the other day, about a quarter of the audience was filming all or part of the show.

There's bound to be tort claims if the ushers got involved physically. That's just how the law is.

I doubt that the theater could be held responsible for a patrons actions. MAYBE if they over served.

dramamama611 said: "I doubt that the theater could be held responsible for a patrons actions. MAYBE if they over served.



"

In this instance it is mentioned by various witnesses that security was slow or not caring. The guy hit should go to the police and press charges. The theater, with the known seat location, should help find him or if not.. then be held responsible. Untill we are loud about not putting up with this disruptive behavior it will keep happening. It is a fortune to see a broadway show. No one should have to put up with this kind of crap.

I guess our only option is to continue to be loud about it on our platforms.

On Tok they said the family was from Cherry Hill , Jersey..

Sutton Ross said: "Dame, this didn't make the news or go viral, nothing. That is what the theater wants. They sweep violent assaults under the rug because they don't need/want bad press. Ushers (I assume) are underpaid and would never put themselves in harms way, it simply isn't worth it for them.

But, security (armed or not) guards are actually paid to drag people out of the theater or place them under citizen's arrest until the actual cops can get there. Just like any concert venue. The fact that staff dragged the man who was hit to another location to basically suggest "We moved you, so you should be happy with that!", and allowed the man and his entire family to run out of the theater? That is on them. Charges won't be filed because the theater just thinks this behavior will never happen again. NYS can't state they "interfered with an investigation" but that's exactly what happened here. Unfortunately, until someone gets shot and killed, they will never do a goddamn thing about this increasing threat."

As a former usher for Nederlander who was assaulted at MJ and then dismissed because they believed the audience member despite another usher backing me up, you’re correct.