Cell Phone Nightmare: Laura Benanti Stops the Show — Page 5

ArtMan said: "I'm years older...so excuse me. But your generation is so sad."

No it's different. Better in some ways and worse in others. The way our generation champions social justice and human rights issues trumps the fact that we don't like to talk on the phone IMO.

How about if the same people are tagged for cell phone use during the show, their personal info gets put into a computer system connected to every box office. Once on that list, when they try and buy a ticket for any show on Broadway, the box office get a warning and they tell the person politely they cannot sell them a ticket due to repeated infractions. If they want to take it further, they can complain to the theater owners.

gypsy101 said: "Agreed, way better than talking on the phone.



"

I still have a land line with an answering machine. I must sound ancient!

Mr Roxy said: "Do not feel bad.We just got rid of our land line about 1 year ago. Old habits die hard.






One good side effect is that you drastically cut down on the b.s czlls and tele marketing calls

I miss having a land line and when life slows down for me, I am getting one again. I hate using my cell at home. Also hate text conversations. If we need to exchange more an 5 text msgs, we need to actually talk. That is my personal policy.

What works for one person is not good for another. We were changing phone carriers and between cell & landline we were getting taken to the cleaners by Verizon. It was simpler for us to change carriers and drop the landline. We honestly do not miss it. Obviously, this does not work for everyone.

Oh, I get it, and agree that sometimes it's a mistake. But get this - there's a simple solution. Check your phone when you hear the announcement.

BRAVA JANE!!

Jane2 said: ""Saying millenials 'literally can't last a minute without using' their phones is as stupid as saying all old people don't know how to use their phones."

I'll excuse that ignorant statement because you don't know hyperbole.



"

This. I hope you won't be offended if I generalize about old people being more condescending because, well, it's a hyperbole. :)

IF I had a college aged son or daughter trying to decide on a career, I would aggressively try to push them in the direction of orthopedic surgeon because in 10 years from now, there will be an epidemic of neck and shoulder problems . The constant downward positioning of head and neck will ultimately do damage to ones body.

GavestonPS said: "Broadway ushers have taken a beating here on this subject (perhaps they need more Twitter followers to merit protection from BWW.com?), and no doubt deservedly so in some cases. But now that we have more than 100 different responses on the "correct", "effective" and "professional" ways to respond to cell phone interruptions and the like, perhaps we should remember that an usher has to make the same decision every time a patron takes out a phone.

There must always be an internal debate: will I cause more of an interruption by intercepting the phone user or by overlooking the offense? Should I act quickly, or wait a minute and see what ensues? Maybe the owner is just now remembering to turn off his phone...

Depending on where the phone owner is seated, what to do may not be as obvious as it seems until the moment when the entire show is interrupted.



Gaveston, as an usher on Broadway I thank you for your post. And, you're totally right, it is always a split second decision on what to do in situations of cell phone usage, specially if you're unsure if they are quickly checking something or about to play a round of Angry Birds. Furthermore, if the phone is being taken out for longer than a quick glance, you then have to stop and think that if stopping that one person from having their phone out for a second is something that would annoy the enjoyment of the other audience members around this person too. It's a fast paced balancing act of quick judgment calls with no real answers.

As an usher I hate how some shows don't have a pre show announcement about not using your phone. And, I honestly find any insert that states the same thing to be a half assed job on the part of the production. No one honestly cares about inserts. Ten times out of ten, from what I'experienced, people open up to the page that the inserts on, takeout the insert and throw it to the wayside. For example, when working at An American in Paris, I was pissed to find out that no only is there no pre show announcement, theres's no any notification of any kind to not use your cell phone.

I can deal with the fact that as an usher, you're trained to go into work with the mindset that those who go to the theatre are people who are visiting NYC and seeing a Broadway show is on their bucket list etc. Or, that they are locals who go to maybe one or two shows a year. Those people are ones who, unlike us on here, don't know the do's and dont's of being in the theatre. Sad to say, its societally becoming acceptable to whip out your phone no matter where you are. There's a good chance that, since the audience doesn't know what's right from wrong while attending the theatre, that mindset gets carried over to them going to the theatre.

Do keep in mind that I am not condoning cell phone usage, just trying to play a little devil's advocate and look at things from the other perspective. But, I hate it when ushers get flack from situations like this. There are a ton of moving parts to figuring out if and how to stop someone from whipping out their phone. And, it's totally unfair to assume that the usher's not doing their job. There's a lot more to it than that. And, as an audience member and usher, I find it insulting when an actor stops the show. From an usher standpoint it comes off as them being totally ignorant to how our job works and makes us look unprofessional. From an audience member standpoint. I find that it pulls me out of the moment, more than a little ringing of the phone.

Hell, any sort of stopping of the show pulls me out of it. Couple of weeks back, I was enjoying a performance Paramore. During the last perhaps fifteen min or so, there was an announcement over the PA system asking the performers clear the stage due to a tech issue. Granted, it was a preview and things like that happen during previews etc, still annoying thought. Though, I wasn't as mad as I would have been if it had been open for awhile.

jimmycurry01 said: "I understand her frustration with the ringing phone, but she should not have stopped the performance. It really isn't professional behaviour to stop the show. I know people here want to argue that, but they would be wrong, and chances are her contact stipulates that she should not stop the show.



"



i don't think i have ever heard of a contract that specifically addresses stopping a show for an audience disturbance. yes, there are basic terms about when one is 'permitted' to halt a show in many standard Equity contracts ("only for emergencies or safety concerns" -- i'm paraphrasing) but I STRONGLY doubt there is anything in Laura's contract.

Sigh, okay. Shame some of the older people on here don't have the maturity to show it.