Do audience members have any recourse for truly rude ushers?

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:31pm

Is there any recourse audience members can take for an usher who was legitimately being rude to them? I did a search of the archives and found a lot of evil usher stories, but no discussion of what to do.

Before you think I’m needlessly complaining, allow me to explain.

Tonight at High my friend turned off her cell phone after the pre-show announcement. Like many phones, hers takes as long as 30 seconds for the screen to actually go dark while it still says Powering Off.

The second the lights started to go down, the usher came up to us and told her she had to turn it off. My friend explained that she was and showed it to her. The usher then slapped it out of her hand. Hard. The phone dropped to the floor under the seat of the woman in front of us.

Then as Kathleen Turner began her first monologue to the audience the usher yelled at my friend to find the phone. She got right up in our face. No less than a foot away. I said, “Excuse me,” and moved my head to the side to try and watch the show. Then she threatened me, saying “Don’t you dare tell me what to do. I’m getting security to come here and throw you two out of here.” The second scene had already started by the time the debacle was over.

Security never materialized, but the usher reappeared again to scold us on our bad behavior during the intermission. She claimed she saw the phone on the floor and was worried someone would step on it, an excuse that makes no sense when she clearly slapped it out of my friend’s hand.

She was watching us like a hawk the entire intermission. As the show ended, we wanted to get as far away from her (and the theater showing the not so great play, if I’m being honest) as possible.

I understand that many ushers are grouchy from having to deal with mean audience members, but slapping and threatening patrons is clearly crossing a line.

Should I have talked to the house manager? Should I send a letter somewhere? Or should I just grit my teeth?

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:33pm

The house manager should be your recourse for rude ushers. After the fact, maybe a letter to him/her would help. Sorry about your bad experience!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:36pm

Agreed, you should have gone to the house manager. That is crossing the line. Sorry to hear it.

I am an usher and I had a patron FLIP the hell out at me tonight because I wouldn't seat him and his date until the appropriate late seating cue. Out of nowhere, he literally just started yelling at me and refused to lower his voice or listen to anything I said. I had to literally order him back to his place. He was probably embarrassed in front of his date so he started acting like a child.

People on both sides can be absolutely unbelievable.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:43pm

My immediate reaction was one of surprise over the fact you didn't rush to the house manager to complain, but I also understand how actually experiencing something so appalling can leave one stunned enough to want to just get away from it as quickly as possible. I'm sorry you and your friend were treated with such blatant disrespect.

It sounds serious enough that I'd consider writing a letter or giving them a call as the member above suggested. Being yelled at and scolded is bad enough. Being hit like that is more than just crossing the line.

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/15/11 at 11:54pm

The house manager is almost always the saving grace for a patron who has been wronged.

I'm surprised about the ushers at the Booth being rude, since the two times I've been there, they've always been sweet people.

...maybe someone had simply pissed in their Cheerios.

Updated On: 4/15/11 at 11:54 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 12:18am

Definitely contact the House Manager. Use the address of the theater and put Attn: House Manager on it and it will make its way there. Or, drop it off at the stage door for her.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 12:19am

Just tell Kathleen. She'll take care of it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 12:38am

What section of the theater were you seated in?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 1:07am

You can drop off a letter at the Booth, or better yet, stop in and ask to speak to the house manager in person, well before showtime so s/he's not too busy, or send a letter to:

Shubert Organization Theatre Operations
attn: Peter Entin
234 West 44th St
New York, NY 10036

Do this as soon as possible. Like quizking101, I'm surprised to hear this. I've always found the Booth ushers to be excellent. I understand this event was upsetting, but should anything like this ever happen again (God forbid), get to a head usher or the house manager asap, either at intermission or immediately after the show. That is totally unacceptable behavior. Writing to the address above should get results (and hopefully they won't offer you free tickets to see the show again, since you didn't care for it). Good luck.

[sueb1863]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 6:31am

That's inexcusable. Yelling is bad enough, but slapping the phone out of your friend's hand really crosses the line. If your friend had wanted to, she could have called the police and had the usher arrested for assault.

This usher sounds mentally unstable, frankly. I would imagine the theater would make sure to tell them that you NEVER touch a patron, unless they're doing something that endangers others. Once you lay your hands on somebody you're opening up way too many troublesome legal issues.

I'd definitely let them know about this. The usher might be doing this to other people and shouldn't be working there any more. Who knows what'll happen the next time!

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 4/16/11 at 9:23am

Thanks for the information everyone.

I've decided to let my friend handle this one and will forward this thread along to her so she can act accordingly.