Fight nearly breaks out in audience at LOVEMUSIK — Page 3

I guess I'm weird. If I have to be somewhere I always allow extra time, especially if I know I'm going somewhere there's going to be traffic. Well, I did when I drove. Now it's public transport all the way. You couldn't pay me to have a car again.

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Sometime you can't help being late.

But I agree with Jane2. Whenever I work front of house we always get people coming in and then going off to the bathroom. And of course I have to stand and wait for them before I can send them up to an usher.

I always feel bad when there are nice people who know they are late and wait..this old married couple came and sat on a bench in front of this large vent while waiting patiently. This other group kept trying to open the doors when I turned my back (though I could see them in the window). Idiot.

This lady by the vent was wearing a shawl and the vent sucked it up - luckily I told her in time.

I always arrive to the theatre at least 1 hour before curtain. THEN I'll walk around and come back in a half hour. I've never been late.

EXCEPT once. I had to talk with a police officer about an incident I witnessed with a homeless man. I arrived to my seat at the tail beginning of the opening song in A CHORUS LINE.

Arriving late DOES happen.

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Off-Topic, but seeing logan0215's avatar I want to congratulate Sherie Rene Scott on winning the 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Featured Actress!

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To sum up-having worked in foh for the past 7 years, in every capacity-I'm in a position to notice that the amount of latecomers to the theater these days is astounding, and more astounding is the unconcerned attitude of most latecomers.

It's gotten to the point that in some of our houses, we need extra staff to assist in late seating.

I'm not surprised, though, because this is in lockstep with all the other instances we talk about on these boards concerning people who lack consideration of others.

I'm telling ya, folks, this is the era of entitlement-"the rules are for other people, not me".

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I'm pretty sure it was Michael John laChuisa who talked about hitting someone rude with a rolled up program. It wasn't to be taken seriously though I heard one or two people did think he meant it!

^Interesting you complain about the elderly. I gave it a moment's thought, and realized that all the people who come late to theater nowadays are young.

" But most of the people who try to jump the line are just as capable of waiting in line as I am"

How do you know that? How do you know if an older person is just as capable of waiting in line as you are? Did you know there are many conditions that older folks get which makes it awfully hard to wait in line? I could be in that position in about 20 years!

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Updated On: 5/8/07 at 12:15 PM

I almost got into a fight last week at a show, but at least it was after the show as people were leaving. When a man threatens to beat up a woman in the audience, there is no way I'm not gonna throw down.

Akiva

A couple entered SWEENEY during "A Little Priest". Explain to me why we should excuse/allow that REGARDLESS of the circumstances?

I might just be a compulsively early person, but if you pay 110$ to see a show, you might as well leave early enough to be positive you get there for the rise of the curtain. If someone enters five minutes late, I can deal with that. But there needs to be a "cutoff" point.

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Unfortunately, my observation is that latecomers tend to be the worst audience members for the remainder of the performance.

I get nervous any time I have empty seats around me as the show starts. At the very least, latecomers seem to continue to talk and giggle about the fact that they were late even AFTER being seated, and then of course it takes several more minutes for them to get settled, adjust their coats on the backs of their chairs, offer gum to the entire family, and then get up to pee 10 minutes later because they weren't at the theatre in time to do it before the show started.

I realize "life happens," but I think that's the exception, not the rule. Far more often that not, I think latecomers just don't plan ahead, and don't think about the courtesy of arriving on time.

I've worked in professional theatre box offices for over 10 years. I can't count the number of times someone comes in AT showtime to pick up their tickets and then asks, "They'll wait for us to start the show, won't they?" So many people just don't take personal responsibility, and feel entitled by purchasing a ticket.

Jane2, I have lots of respect for house managers and ushers who have to handle belligerent patrons so as not to inconvenience others, but also without pissing off the patron so much that they go telling everyone and writing letters to the theatre owners, etc. about how rudely they were treated.

I spent over a decade working front-of-house on Broadway and I've seen lots of situations and the way the house managers handle them. Personally, I've often wished that any patron that gives attitude for something that is their fault (being late, not liking the seat they bought, etc.) should not be done any favors. But usually the managers placate them as much as possible, which I understand from a public relations perspective, but what I learned from that is that if you buy a seat in the nosebleed and then complain and yell like a total jerk that you're too far from the stage, you'll get moved up. A nice person who asks, "Excuse me, might there be a better seat?" will get the correct answer, which is that they have to sit in the seat they bought. I just don't like the way that belligerence is encouraged, especially when the theatre has done nothing wrong and doesn't owe the patron any apology.

Of course when the show is going on there's the added consideration of not disturbing everyone else. I like it when a patron is being really loud and purposely disturbing the whole audience because of their localized problem, to see them removed by the cops, in handcuffs if necessary. But that's just me. I think people like that need to get what they deserve or it just proves to them that bullying works. I applaud the house managers that do that, because they probably catch some flack from the owners for that kind of "customer service."

"Jane2, I have lots of respect for house managers and ushers who have to handle belligerent patrons so as not to inconvenience others, but also without pissing off the patron so much that they go telling everyone and writing letters to the theatre owners, etc. about how rudely they were treated."


thank you Dover-you have outlined exactly why the job of house manager is sometimes so difficult. It's pretty damn hard to please everyone.

"
, but what I learned from that is that if you buy a seat in the nosebleed and then complain and yell like a total jerk that you're too far from the stage, you'll get moved up. A nice person who asks, "Excuse me, might there be a better seat?" will get the correct answer, which is that they have to sit in the seat they bought"

Well, that may have happened where you work, but I'll tell you-most of the people I work with have the opposite reaction. When a patron is rude, we're much less likely to break any rules or to even give them much, but when they are polite, we are more than happy to try and help them.

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Updated On: 5/8/07 at 05:18 PM