Fight nearly breaks out in audience at LOVEMUSIK — Page 4

I'd seek treatment if I were you, Josh.

No, I am NOT joking.

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Jane2, glad to hear you do the nasty people no favors. That's the way it should be.

Josh, if this very thread turns you into such a wreck, then don't go. I wouldn't want to be the person sitting next to you when you finally have a breakdown in your seat.

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Updated On: 5/8/07 at 07:20 PM

Josh, seriously-if you're referring to the person who hit another-that is a RARE occurance! There's no reason to fear going to the theater.

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Couldn't something like this happen ANYWHERE?

So, Josh, would that be justification to never leave your house??

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Josh -- that was a rare occurance. Go see theatre. On your own or with peeps. Just show up on time.

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Bad behavior in a theatre is definitely not limited to annoying teenagers. I remember at a performance of The Pillowman, this extremely annoying old, old lady complaining (loudly) from the moment she sat down about her seat and how she couldn't see, etc. Then throughout the show, she gave a running commentary to her husband about what was going on onstage. In the scene with Katurian and Michal, she shouts in an even louder voice "oh my god, is he killing him?!!!" By that point, everyone in the audience was wishing that Billy Crudup would toss them the pillow to be used on HER!

Oh wow. I work FOH and don't know what I would do if this happened. But it doesn't surprise me, somehow. Honestly, I tend to have the most trouble with elderly audience members. Granted, I work at a subscriber-based theatre, so that's almost all we have a lot of the time.

And, as for the whole "seating latecomers" debate, I think that it's alright when done at scene breaks or blackouts. Sometimes the patrons don't move as quickly and discreetly as I do, and that KILLS me, but 9 times out of 10, it is the better choice because n oone wants to watch a show with some guy screaming in the background the whole time about how they want to take their seat. It depends on the house, I guess. I have no space for all the latecomers to stand in the back, and if we made them wait in the lobby till Intermission, you could probably still hear them screaming (not to mention I would definitely lose my job). I do strive to do favors for people that are nice and friendly to staff, as opposed to those who feel entitled to be completely rude. It's a tricky balance, though, because I will honestly never be promoted where I am because of my non-placating ways.

But, WOW, I cannot believe someone actually got slapped. I take that back, I can believe it. People break out into ridiculous arguments with strangers quite often.

Ha! I totally work at Second Stage right now. I guess you figured that out from all the context clues (aka you can hear everything that happens in the lobby).

And, yes, I know that I will be old myself someday. But the point is, no matter what age you are, there's no excuse for behaving like everyone should cater to you. I get it, their bodies are falling apart, but there's no reason to be out and out rude to everyone around them. Spilling coffee on people on purpose? Hitting others? Yelling? Sorry, there's no excuse for that. Also, my feeling is, if they know they have such trouble moving/hearing/seeing, they should just be on time. Instead of arriving late and then yelling at me because I can't get them down to their assigned seat since they can't use stairs. That was realy just in response to the comments made that the younger latecomers are the most ill-behaved. Because, honestly, in my experience, they understand that they're late and are grateful that they're being taken into the theatre, and even more grateful if I can get them in any seat at all.

*Edited beceause Second Stage is not one word*

Updated On: 5/11/07 at 04:03 PM

As for latecomers... do you think there's a point where they just shouldn't be admitted? When I went to see the Les Mis revival, there were about four empty seats a few rows in front of me. I was debating moving down to them during intermission, but decided not to on the off-chance the ticket-holder would come.

Act II begins. About halfway through, at the scene of the final battle, all of a sudden the latecomers walk in. Everyone in the row had to get up to let them in. I guess they were so late the ushers didn't care if it was in the middle of the scene.

I have respect for latecomers because I know all the traffic in the NY metro area is absolutely atrocious, but when a show starts at three and they walk in at five, I think that draws the line.

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