Broadway needs to fight back — Page 3

I might be wrong,but.....I go to quite a lot of theatre on the eastern coast of Australia. There is always an announcement to turn off etc and I have never once encountered txting,talking or recording during a performance. Never heard a phone ring, people eating or slurping drinks.

Have I just always been extremely lucky or are Australian audiences generally well mannered?

Buggered if I know but apart from some dud performances where I would have welcomed a cell phone distraction all has been quiet on the audience front.

SL....x

A couple of weeks ago when I was in New York, I went to see A View From the Bridge at the Lyceum Theatre and I had seats on stage. As you went up the stairs to the stage, you were met by two ushers. The first one told the people coming up that no photography was allowed and to please switch off their phones now. Then they moved to the next usher just a couple of feet away who was going to show them their seats and give them their Playbill. I was sitting in the middle of the front row next to the aisle and so was next to the usher and as soon as the person went up to her, she would repeat what the first usher said and then politely asked if their phones were off and that she needed to check that their phones were off before they could be seated. Apparently, a phone from someone sitting on the stage seats rang during the climactic end scene a week before and ruined the moment.

Anyway, the usher pretty much got most people happily showing them their phones being off or else they would gladly turn them off in front of her. However, there were quite a lot of people with so much attitude who would say "I'll turn it off before the show starts" or "I'll turn it off when I get to my seat" and the usher would repeat that she would only seat them IF they turn off their phones in front of her prior to going to their seat and show her the phone. A couple of people told her that they had their phones off and when she asked to see the phones, they would go, "Oh, no, I swore I turned it off!" A gentleman in his 40s with his father who was probably in his 70s came up and went through the first usher and then reached the second usher. The second usher asked if their phones were off, the man rudely said "Yes, our phones are off! I turned them off when the first usher asked me to!" and then started cursing. The usher insisted to see their phones and the first man pushed his phone towards her face and said, "See? It's off!" and then the usher asked his father to show his phone and he got it out and showed her and it was still on! And he goes, "I don't know how to turn it off." The son apologised for his father and then as the usher showed him his seats and gave him his Playbill, he apologised to her and said that it was a good thing that she was checking.

I thought this usher was really good and I can't believe people were just rude to her repeatedly. All she was trying to do was make sure that the audience got the best possible experience in that theatre. I don't understand what the problem was that they couldn't turn off their phones right then. The good thing about this show was that there was no intermission, but if this show had an intermission and they had to keep checking the phones again, it would just be a real big hassle.

Have never really witnessed it in person before until yesterday. I've heard noise when phones go off, but never SEEN someone take out their phone and use it. At Fun Home's matinee yesterday, a woman seated below me (it's leveled seating, so I had a clear view of her the whole time) had her phone out. She was on it for most of the show visiting Facebook and scrolling through posts. Nobody asked her to put it away, and I was too far from her to do it myself, but clearly I saw it and it distracted me. Ugh!

blm2323 is absolutely right ... you can laugh off my idea as dippy -- because, hey, it is seriously remedial -- but nothing less than a focused visual cue is going to solve the problem. anything less is just wishful thinking.

A lot of the "free wifi" signs do have an additional "but please don't use it during the show" sentence at the end. And just from being in wifi-equipped theatres during a performance, I can think of a couple that have turned it off once the curtain goes up. Or maybe it was just my phone and I was not quite in the lobby at the time.

blm2323-quite a good idea. Perhaps like pre-flight safety advice is now filmed, SHOWING all the 'do nots' might register better as most people are hung up on visuals these days--that might get their attention.

Perhaps it could be in the style of each theatres' production or one generic fits all.

Digress[a little]. My niece has beautiful table manners-her husband doesn't and their 12yo son eats like a pig.My niece does nothing to correct her son.

So-Educate-Example-Ignorance-Blind-Peace--what upsets me obviously doesn't upset some/others.

SL.....x

Updated On: 12/31/15 at 02:53 PM

DramaTeach said: "Have never really witnessed it in person before until yesterday. I've heard noise when phones go off, but never SEEN someone take out their phone and use it. At Fun Home's matinee yesterday, a woman seated below me (it's leveled seating, so I had a clear view of her the whole time) had her phone out. She was on it for most of the show visiting Facebook and scrolling through posts. Nobody asked her to put it away, and I was too far from her to do it myself, but clearly I saw it and it distracted me. Ugh!"

I sat next to someone (at a touring production in Pittsburgh, but STILL) who TOOK A CALL during the show. She repeatedly told the caller, "No, I'm still at the show. I'm still at the show." Sigh.

Theatre goers need to make it clear to the producers/theatre owners that the audience wants this to stop. It would take a New York minute to get the City Council to pass whatever ordinance would be requested by the "Broadway community."

But the key to this is for the audience to make it clear to the producers that this has to stop. So people need to complain about the few who are ignoring what is just common courtesy.

It seems to be a problem somewhat unique to live theatre at the moment -- our symphony orchestra reminds everyone right before the Concertmaster comes on stage -- (they just play a ring tone -- no words at all -- it's not like people don't know what it is....). They started doing this about 5-6 years ago -- and I've only heard one or two phones ever go off since then.

As a few of you guys mentioned, maybe mentioning the consequences would help. Don't just ask people to turn off phones and expect them to do it because it's the right thing to do, tell them what happens if they don't. And of course following through would be key.