Feel stressed when arriving to the theatre? — Page 2

One thing that may help is having *larger* signage/directions on where the concession/bar or mezzanine or orchestra or where the restrooms are. These front of house staff probably get the same questions again and again throughout the walk-in process.

Also, what's sometimes confusing is the EXIT sign. In some theaters, there is an EXIT door on one wall but we aren't allowed to use it at all and have to exit on the other end of the theater after the show (Jacobs for example.)

JSquared2 said: "Wick3 said: "Also, what's sometimes confusing is the EXIT sign. In some theaters, there is an EXIT door on one wall but we aren't allowed to use it at all and have to exit on the other end of the theater after the show (Jacobs for example.)


The red neon EXIT signs are required by law in all public spaces -- they need to show every possible way to exit (not just the "preferred" exit stations. In case of an emergency, people will need to use EVERY possible exit. It's the same in movie theatres -- there's usuallyEXIT signs in front near the screen -- but no one uses them(unless there were to be an emergency and the other exits were blocked.
"

I understand but if a person had never been there before and the show just ended and walks to the nearest EXIT door, it makes sense why that patron is doing that. I've seen ushers yell at patrons to not exit there and go to the other side of the theater to exit. Again, it's confusing.

BdwayLife said: "JoeW4 said: "It's an interesting question -- I'd be curious to hear from people who have been attending Broadway shows for many decades, to hear theories about what might have caused a change, if there's been one. Because it seems to me that the hardest things about this process -- having to shepherd a large number of people into a confined space with assigned seats, in a short amount of time -- has theoretically stayed the exact same for however long they've been operating as Broadway venues.

Could it be the rising ticket prices increasing the feeling of high stakes and tension between the audience and the staff?"

Great question, Joe. I agree with you, the process pretty much remains the same, compared to decades ago, with the exception of metal detectors, and bag checks. I guess the ticket scanners are relatively new(er).

I attended my first Broadway show in 1974 on a high school field trip. I've been seeing Broadway shows for 50 years. As I remember, there have always been lines to get into a theater, especially for hit shows or celebrity vehicles, albeit the more recent security checkpoints make the process a bit longer, but I don't find it stressful. Sure, some of the staff may have poorer attitudes than others, but I just go with flow. Personally, I don't remember ever being treated poorly by house staff. I had 2 encounters with rude ushers that I recall, one recently at the Nederlander and one years ago when the August Wilson was the Virginia, but they didn't spoil my overall experience.

Something that I notice has changed can be frustrating, but likely more for the ushers. In previous times, theater-goers waited for ushers to seat them, presenting their tickets, being escorted to their seats, and given a Playbill. These days, many people don't wait to be seated, often pushing or rushing people still accustomed to being seated, who try to find their own seats, and then find the ushers to get their Playbills. The aisles seem to be filled with more traffic that disrupts what used to be a more orderly practice. I also notice that more people who are seated tend to get up and go back and forth between concessions/rest rooms than in the past, adding to traffic in the aisles.

Jarethan said: "JoeW4 said: "It's an interesting question -- I'd be curious to hear from people who have been attending Broadway shows for many decades, to hear theories about what might have caused a change, if there's been one. Because it seems to me that the hardest things about this process -- having to shepherd a large number of people into a confined space with assigned seats, in a short amount of time -- has theoretically stayed the exact same for however long they've been operating as Broadway venues.

Could it be the rising ticket prices increasing the feeling of high stakes and tension between the audience and the staff?"

I started attending the theatre in the mid-60s. There was NEVER a line to get into the theatre. People just milled about, working their way into the theatre. I will never understand these lines that are so long that you need to ask to verify what line the people think they are standing in. Once, about 5 - 7 years ago, I got it wrong. I thought I was in the line for On Your Feet, when in fact I was in a Hamilton line.

I am sure that security plays a role in this process, just not sure how much. When I was in London last year, I do not remember waiting on any lines to go in.

i don't know that I find it stressful, but I do find it annoying. Unless security checks are the real reason (and they were not in London), they have made a processthat worked fine for decades awful nowadays."



Yes, the whole "line thing" is definitely from a tourist mindset -- they're the same people who form a straight, orderly line to cross the street at a red light. Times Square = Disneyland. Now all we need is a FastPass!

jv92 said: "And Studio 54 (and recently, the Todd Haimes) is like f*cking TSA."

I'm so glad I'm not the only one having that experience at Studio 54. A friend used to work at the Roundabout and I saw everything cause of him. It was always such a pleasure dealing with the Roundabout front of house staff back then. But now? Ooooof. I keep thinking 'You are pricing this as a luxury experience but you're treating us like middle schoolers trying to sneak a shiv in.'

I used to work front of house for years so I have empathy for the ushers, house managers, etc. And I cannot even begin to imagine just how much worse audiences have gotten since the pandemic (actually...I can). I also understand that, in this moment, security is something all theaters should be prioritizing. But there are ways to do it (Carnegie Hall) that make it feel a part of the experience rather than a gauntlet to run.

Thank you everyone. Genuinely, I began this thread, because I wondered if I was alone or if others could relate. To be clear, I never felt anxious, but stressed. :)

I never mentioned this in my original post, but, I find intermission quite bad. At Tommy, one staff member was literally screaming as loud as she could, “GENTLEMEN LINE UP HERE, LADIES GO TO THE LEFT, LADIES GO TO THE LEFT, GENTLEMEN LINE UP HERE, LADIES GO TO THE LEFT, LADIES GO TO THE LEFT…” over and over and over and over. I saw many in the line having a visceral reaction to her, like, WTF? Again, I don’t envy their jobs—getting close to 1000 people to the bathrooms and back in their seats, in 15 minutes, is a lot to manage, but…gosh.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Perhaps there is medication or other steps you should take to reduce your anxiety prior to entering situations like this.

I find the yelling security staff to be obnoxious and the lines to be irritating when there's a lack of clarity about Will Call vs ticket holders (especially when there are a ton of comps/TDF/rush tix to be picked up at will call), but I've never been anxious about it.

I've found Nederlander houses have a little more chaos and a little more yelling, but that's not a scientific observation."

Suggesting medication for someone who asked a legitimate question is the height of snark and totally unhelpful in all ways. Those suggesting an arrival closer to curtain time have the perfect solution.

Matt Rogers said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Perhaps there is medication or other steps you should take to reduce your anxiety prior to entering situations like this.

I find the yelling security staff to be obnoxious and the lines to be irritating when there's a lack of clarity about Will Call vs ticket holders (especially when there are a ton of comps/TDF/rush tix to be picked up at will call), but I've never been anxious about it.

I've found Nederlander houses have a little more chaos and a little more yelling, but that's not a scientific observation."

Suggesting medication for someone who asked a legitimate question is the height of snark and totally unhelpful in all ways. Those suggesting an arrival closer to curtain time have the perfect solution."

Thanks Matt. Yeh, I don't need meds. I found the recommendation of getting a prescription drug because I found something stressful to be wild.

Solution either have a drink(s) before take a klonopin or just arrive at 7:45 is more than enough time to enter, use bathroom, get another drink lol and then chill for a few minutes as the show starts 5 min after 8 - 8:05 or 7 - 7:05 and that should work and you'll be ready for showtime. That's what we do and avoid all the crowds lining up 45 minutes prior is simply nonsense as doing that seems to stress you out and your anxiety kicks in.

PipingHotPiccolo said

I dont think my response was all that harsh, which confirms a hyper sensitivity here that isnt my problem, but I wish you all the best with. I am pointedly disagreeing with you: we NEED ushers to firmly move the lines along, and warn ppl about intermission times, and do it all quite loudly for all patrons to hear. That disagreement is the very conversation you claim to want to spark, so I dont really know what to tell you."

I like smart front of house staff doing their due-diligence, too, and to have that information communicated properly. There's a difference between that and the surly, rude, unprofessional staff that litter the particular Broadway houses mentioned here. And clearly, it doesn't need to be that way if you look at the praise the staff at Carnegie Hall and The Met have gotten. And the megaphones and loudspeakers, airport security security, and that one person on staff at the Nederlander who thought they were manning a nightclub line rather than a Broadway theatre. Men here, ladies here... I've never heard of something so ridiculous for that situation.

Maybe everyone's gotten dumber and needs to be screamed at and treated like cattle. I don't know. All I know is, it's a turn-off. In any event, give a local bartender or barista the business, or order desert at dinner, and wait till the last five or ten minutes before curtain to try to avoid the nonsense mentioned here.

JSquared2 said: "You appear to have solved your own problem. Don't arrive an hour early -- everyone has an assigned seat -- it's not first come, first served. There is no reason to be there "early". Opening the house earlier isn't an option as it triggers overtime pay for every single department."

Well, one reason to get there early is that some people are furious with you if they have to get up to allow you to get to your seat. I still rarely get there more than 20 minutes before show time but I've become accustomed to the glares.

VintageSnarker said: "Well, one reason to get there early is that some people are furious with you if they have to get up to allow you to get to your seat. I still rarely get there more than 20 minutes before show time but I've become accustomed to the glares."



I find that it's practically Newton's Law that the couple who are sitting on the aisle are there when the house opens -- and the couple sitting dead center (and ESPECIALLY in the first couple of rows) arrive late after the show has started!

And then those same people in the middle of the row will also return late post-intermission after Act II has already begun!

I thought that was normal. Treating us like a herd of cattle .