Ever have someone be rude at a stage door? — Page 5

I can guarantee that there are more than a few actors who will not do Broadway because they don't care to run the gauntlet night after night.

Skip23 said: "Not rude, but....

Celeste Holm would only give an autograph if the signee gave money to her for Unicef.



Wonder if Unicef ever saw the moolah?

My guess is yes; this wasn't uncommon once upon a time. During WWII and the Korean War, Mary Martin only signed autographs (by mail, at least) if people sent in a donation for the USO.

"Next to Normal:

Had great experiences with the cast, but Ben Stiller was in the audience and stage doored with the rest of us non-famous people...really cool guy!"

Alice Ripley was fantastic to my oldest daughter at the stage door when we saw "Next To Normal". She noticed my daughter's NYU bag and then started talking to her about college and theater. The stage door was not crowded that night (early in the shows run) and she must have spent 10-15 minutes talking to us.

I already posted this in another thread but I thought it would be fitting here:

I went to see [Boys in the Band] recently and had a good time at the stage door. I don't normally post when I see people acting weirdly at the stage door but this has to be one of the weirdest experiences I've had so I thought I would share.

When I went to the stage door there was this fan behind me, and it was very clear she had seen the show, and been, to the stage door plenty of times (she remembered the security guards by name and they remembered her too) but was here again tonight. She was pressed up against my back, as it was pretty crowded, and was literally shaking. She had several bags she was digging through to find whatever she had and was dropping things everywhere.

When each actor came out she gave them a photograph of her and the actor, that she had personally signed for them, and asked if they could sign a larger photo of the two of them. Then she had her Playbill from this particular night and another pride playbill for them to sign. Additionally, she would ask everyone if they remembered her and then recount some story of her previous encounters with them, some stayed and listened but others quickly moved past to get to other fans. And she was screaming the entire time.

She was also talking to the security guards, referring to them by their first names, and asking them to pass things along to the actors when they came out.

I've seen people do this sort of thing for one individual actor at shows but she did this to literally everyone. It was upsetting because I wanted to just say something quickly to a few of those who came out but she took the time away from everyone around us. No one else got time to talk because of her. But the show was fantastic and I'm happy that while the stage door experience wasn't my favorite thing in the world, the show definitely was!

Updated On: 8/12/18 at 06:41 PM

Speed wrote, "///People stage door because THEY WANT TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE ACTOR(S). Or they even want to date one. Talking to them at the stage door makes you feel like they're your friends and that's what you want. Saying "I want to thank them for their performance" is BS....Second of all, no actor is "the sweetest person ever" because they'll talk to you. You are not experiencing real life with them.
...That said, I'm a well known actor and I like talking to my fans and I have become friends with some of them...."

Well Speed, identify yourself b/c your posting is just BS. I have no interest in becoming friends with any actor, much less dating one. For the few times I did SD, I did say "Thank you, Mr. X or Ms. Y for your performance and your kindness to take the time to meet with us today." That is called manners and respect in case you never heard of the terms. And yes, I have met some "kind actors," who were kind enough to put up with the most incredibly rude, self-absorbed, disinterested people I've ever seen. I've never asked for a selfie. I never asked anyone to sign multiple copies of junk including Playbills so I could sell them online.

I lived next door to Sylvester Stallones' father for years and never felt the need to be authenticated by that individual. We are all folks on this earth. So I don't know what cretans you've encountered, but your reality isn't mine. I love the shows and I respect the performers. And no, I don't expect them to "be my friend." That's what we all have Mr. Rogers for...a neighbor and friend, even if in memory.