Dumpster Diving After a Show Closes

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 8:34am

Has anyone ever done it? Do the workers accept it and think it's appropriate? If anyone has done it, what have you gotten?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 8:51am

Hepatitis.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 8:52am

Lots of people have done it. The workers wouldn't want you doing it while they're still working but likely won't care what you do after they leave. It can be unsafe because of freshly cut metal with razor-sharp edges and splintered wood, etc, but after everyone's gone, I doubt anyone would stop you.
Old thread

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:22am

I have always wanted too but never have. We have done it locally- not just theatres, but video stores and stuff like that and ended up with lots of those cardboard giant displays they make for movies. Looking back I really wish I had done it when Hairspray and Priscilla closed- as I saw both shows closing night and saw them taking things down later. Imagine finding Nick Adam’s yellow shorts from the ‘Color my World’ scene. But I would imagine that pretty much all of Priscilla’s stuff was saved since they were touring.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:23am

I will admit to having dumpster-dived back in the mid-'80s when Triton Gallery either moved locations or just liquidated a lot of their older stock (don't ask me why).

There were hundreds of sealed cardboard boxes containing window cards from every show you can imagine, prior to that date (around 1985).

My two friends and I were walking down the street one night and saw about a dozen people crawling through it (one of those large, temporary dumpsters that takes up two parking spaces). They were pulling out original posters for Dreamgirls, Nine, Hello Dolly!, Evita, Annie, Sweeney Todd, Merrily, Night Music, Pacific Overtures, The Wiz, The Little Foxes (Elizabeth Taylor), and many, many others.

We all jumped in as well and started swapping and sharing whatever we found. There were two soap stars who also happened by and joined us! It was fun and surreal, and we each made off with about 200 window cards, including some dupes, which I would give away to friends for years.

My two friends who were with me went back the following night, because Triton was still clearing out the old merchandise. Everyone started to get more window cards, when apparently, someone from the store had gotten wise to it, and they ran a hose out to the dumpster and flooded it with water, ruining the remaining boxes of posters.

Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:26am

That is just so stupid that Triton would hose down window cards they decided to throw out anyway. How selfish! "We don't want it...but you can't have it!"

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:40am

I was looking through MCC's old twitter pictures and saw that they posted a picture of the dumpster they used to clean out for "CARRIE" and stated, "Who will get Margret's knife or Carrie's prom dress?" Showing that they support it.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:42am

Especially when they are just windowcards- I mean, really?! What's the point.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 10:35am

A friend of mine was able to get some of the mural on the 46th St. side of the Imperial theater right after THE BOY FROM OZ closed--lucky her!

[sanda]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 11:19am

Especially when they are just windowcards- I mean, really?! What's the point.

huh, because they are free? Everything is great when it is free.

[ullabelt]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 11:22am

gosh! thats so sad that they destroyed them! I just don't understand that.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 11:30am

Now all that overstock goes to Flea Market every year.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 12:54pm

@ Sanda ,What I MEANT was what was the point of them flooding the ben to ruin them.

[viola13]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 2:38pm

When Rent closed, the workers actually brought stuff to the fans that were waiting across the street. Of course the workers took most of the good stuff, which all ended up on ebay after, but I know people who got quite a few props that were being thrown out, like the answering machine, the stuff used during Christmas Bells, and pieces of the Christmas tree. I have a couple wine glasses someone saved for me. They were also gutting the theatre itself, and people took theatre seats, including one of the OBC cast members who was walking by.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 3:52pm

Welcome to HOARDERS:THEATRE EDITION.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 4:05pm

^ Only one person should be on that show, for his mistreatment of archival materials. He's wiping his ass with a diamond to prove he owns it. No good will come of it.