Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

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Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 12:53pm

Just curious if anyone knew the reason behind this. No one enters or exits through the aisles or anything in the show- I assume it was the preference of Larry David or other cast members. Not a bad policy to have - keeps all the latecomers and non-theatre goers on their toes. Anybody know more?

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 12:57pm

I applaud management here

Wish this was a policy at each show.

Poster Emeritus

Updated On: 3/26/15 at 12:57 PM

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:05pm

What an absolutely INCREDIBLE policy. I applaud the people who decided this. Time management.....it's, like, a thing.

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:12pm

Pretty sure it's a Scott Rudin thing. If I recall correctly, THE RIVER and BETRAYAL each had no late seating and his DEATH OF A SALESMAN and A RAISIN IN THE SUN revivals only had late seating at intermission. I also recall all of those shows starting at :10 after the hour instead of the customary :05 to accommodate transit issues.

Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:14pm

Are they actually enforcing it at Fish in the Dark? When I saw Raisin in the Sun last year, they seated people late all through the first act.

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:27pm

Same for raisin in the sun. A slew of people were let in after the first scene and it was quite distracting.

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:30pm

They were absolutely enforcing it the night I attended.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:33pm

They don't enforce it at Book of Mormon

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Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 1:42pm

They most certainly enforced it when I was there in February. Although I didn't see if anyone was held from being seated, the usher in my section made the announcement about no late seating numerous times before Act One and several more times during intermission. I was inclined to believe that this was mandated by Larry, since I can easily picture him complaining that seeing people walking in and then seeing people stand up and down in their seats would be distracting, but it sounds like it's a Scott Rudin rule. I think it's wonderful, honestly, although it does make people nervous when they head to the bathroom during intermission!

#10

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 2:46pm

Unfortunately, I've been to many shows that have this 'policy', however, it's a coin toss whether or not it will actually be reinforced. I still witnessed ushers trying to sneak people to their seats ten minutes in.

"Mostly, I loved the size of these people's emotions. Nobody has emotions this size anymore. Outsized emotions. Operatic emotions. Kushemski and Vanda are like Tristan and Isolde, they're Paolo and Francesca. Nobody's in total thrall like this anymore. Nobody's overcome by passion like this, or goes through this kind of rage." Thomas, Venus in Fur

#11

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 4:41pm

Re: MORMON, it hasn't been the case with every Rudin production. I don't recall hearing it in place for A DELICATE BALANCE or THIS IS OUR YOUTH, for example.

I do recall other little house rules on occasion, though. RAISIN did not allow any snacks or drinks up from the bar into the house, which was revelatory. I had grown so used to the din I had forgotten what a show without is was like!

#12

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/26/15 at 4:47pm

It's a great policy, although I feel bad for the front of house staff. Having worked venues at the Fringe Festival in past years, where no late seating has been the policy across the board for almost every year of the festival, it can become painful to enforce even on a small scale for a tiny theater when people are literally screaming in your face. I don't envy doing it for a huge Broadway house.

#13

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/27/15 at 3:13pm

I love this policy but as someone else already said, I do feel very bad for the ushers. I'm sure its not fun to deal with latecomers' reactions to not being let in.

"Brevity is the soul of wit"--Hamlet

#14

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/27/15 at 5:21pm

I think it's easier to have late seating when you're dealing with a musical. Ushers always wait until the end of a musical number to show late comers to their seats because it's an appropriate break in the show that probably doesn't distract the performers.

I don't think the house staff gets enough credit for the people they have to deal with every night. I've witnessed patrons being outright rude to box office staff and ushers, especially when they have to be reminded that there is no photography in the theater. There's always a complaint to be made: the stairs are too steep, the bathroom line is too long, the aisle is too crowded all of which the house staff has no control over. I wish more theaters seriously enforced the late policy. It's incredibly distracting when you're up sitting in the rear mezzanine and you have people standing up every ten minutes because the late comers are FORTY MINUTES LATE. I make sure that I leave my apartment early enough so I'm in front of the theater at half hour, if not sooner. I would be too embarrassed to walk into a Broadway house after the show has already started.

#15

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/27/15 at 5:28pm

It was in place in A DELICATE BALANCE. Oh boy, was it.

I abhor lateness in all capacities, so this is one thing I applaud Mr. Rudin for, if it is indeed his "thing."

#16

Fish in the Dark - Why No Late Seating?

Posted: 3/27/15 at 5:50pm

It's the producers' call, not the playwright or an actor.

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