Is something going on with the ushers at Shrek? — Page 2

As stated before, it's actually illegal in New York for your phone to be on in the theater. And it does mess with sound equipment, headsets and possibly some of the hearing devices (which is lovely, because then the person will undoubtedly blame the house staff). And on a personal note, the only thing I could do about my house manager or stage manager coming on headset telling me to go and deal with someone who has their phone out....was go and deal with it. Maybe I should've lectured them about how it's no big deal? It varies from house to house, just because audience members feel entitled, most ushers and house managers let that kind of thing slide to avoid how unpleasant people get about it. But for those that do try their best to, I don't know, do their jobs, it is rough going.

I really do love the qualifying statement that comes before people complaining about this sort of thing. "I know you're doing your job but...."

But what? You need to text your friends so badly that my job can just wait? Your voicemail is so direly important that the rules don't apply to you? If you don't play solitaire on your phone RIGHT NOW puppies will die? Give me a break. In the two cases I ever dealt with that were a legit need to leave a device on (doctors with pagers), they spoke with me before the show, and were fine with whatever had to happen (I moved them to an aisle seat. See? I'm not that mean). But it's usually just someone feeling like they are more important than everyone else around them.

Look at it like traffic laws, the people who have to enforce them vary in degrees of strictness, but you can't really get mad at the cop that pulls you over for going 5 over the speed limit. It's annoying, and seems over-zealous, but at the end of the day you broke the rule, so you face the consequences.

Of course, there's no excuse to be rude about it (or any of the other ridiculousness that FOH has to handle), but there's also no need to decide that the rules don't apply to you.

*edited because I should never try to spell at that late of an hour*

Updated On: 1/16/09 at 04:32 AM

It isn't expected for them to automatically know, I just think that it's nice to point out that asking them to put away a cell phone isn't some weird, arbitrary paranoia that they won't turn it off.

OK you do realize that tine ushers and FOH managers are not the ones who set the rules for Phones, Cameras etc?
The production company who are producing the shows are the ones who brief the Front Of House staff and managers on their policies, the ushers are just doing their jobs.
They will shine torches when they see a flash, thats what they are paid to do.

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I put mine on silent when I leave the house. I don't even receive voicemail notifications or receive text messages period when my phone is off.

>>In the two big ancient Theaters in Greece that plays are performed in the summer, they have installed for years this wonderful system that BLOCKS all cell phones, as soon as you enter ! Problem solved !<<

The theatres actually tried to pass a law or initiative that would legally allow a signal to shoot out to not allow incoming network signals but that got shot down from the assholes that DO attend the shows and feel they are more important.

As far as rudeness, yes. This is not JUST for using cell phones or cameras but even trying to find a freaking seat which is their job! I remember attending the Wicked 5th concert and I don't know if they were understaffed or what but a huge line formed in the mezz. Well, I knew I was row A in the front and saw some classmates there, so I decided to cut through and the woman insisted that I HAD to wait for the usher in the middle. I asked for a playbill and she honestly did not want to give it to me until I told her she was making more of an effort in not giving me a program and blocking the line behind me then letting me go, and she did. I also understand the whole, "sitting in the wrong seat" especially when the seats are on the armrests and people don't check. Fine. I get up and move a seat over!

But the deal with cellphones I just can't stand and I think the city would make a fortune if they started ticketing people with cell phones on, just like in CA (where I'm originally from) start ticketing people driving holding their cells phones or now texting, which they really don't enforce.
But, this must be an usher thing cross country because I remember seeing a show at the Pantages in LA, and I was actually turning off my cellphone and this kid starts yelling at me. His excuse is because I have a pda = camera phone.


PLUS, on a side note, if you are expecting a really important call, email, text... then why the hell are you in the theatre? Stay home! This is something that sucks with seating in the mezz is seeing the lights below.

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Updated On: 1/16/09 at 08:47 AM

yeah, that had happened to me on a few occassions. It has to do with the angles of the aisles with the height and leaning forward DOES obstruct the view. But good job in leaning back though and being compliant.

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I was at a performance of "Cry Baby" where the audio was off as the beginning of the show and they had to delay it temporarily because people apparently left their cell phones on.

Ridiculous. The longest the cell phone would be turned off is an hour and a half, and if you can't feel comfortable enough with yourself to turn off the phone for that long, you don't belong in the theatre.

I wish more ushers, and doormen, were more over the top. I love it when some egocentric poster gets their nose bent out of shape and runs here to post about.

Me too!

I have to agree with orangeskittles.

At Liza's show, some people moved into the seats in front of me (in the balcony), and the guy directly in front of me sat that way much of the time. And I missed much of the show.

I didn't actually say anything, mostly because the way the seats are configured, it would have been very difficult to talk to him without shouting.

So, for those of you that keep you phones on VIBRATE just for emergencies. Are you planning to rudely climb over the other audience members to go view your phone message?

Or worse yet, if it's bad news scream at the top of your lungs and go into hysterics?

I HAVE been in the theatre when a family member (my grandfather) was in the hospital and on the verge of death. I live here in NYC and could not get down there until it happened because I was teaching. My family who was there understood that I had already purchased tickets that would be used unless I was en route to NC ~ and that I would check my messages at intermission and turn the phone on directly after the show. No biggie.

Seriously ~ for those who live in fear of something happening, unless the person is in the hospital in NYC (or wherever you're seeing the show), what the hell are you going to do AT THAT MOMENT? There is a delay while schedules for transportation and that kind of thing are worked out. And I highly doubt a flight would be sold out during the time you're in the theatre.

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There are different levels of breaking the law. People on here are giving me the impression that they feel that having a cell phone in the theatre that is turned on is comparable to murdering someone. Yes, jaywalking is technically against NYC law too, but I don't think everyone on here gets as up in arms about it. In fact, I am sure all of us who do live in NYC do it on a regular basis. Myself included.

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I'm guilty of having my phone on/texting before the show starts, but when the show starts, my phone is put on silent and then turned off, in case for whatever reason it stays on it still won't ring.

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I (and several people I know), have become so paranoid about our phones ringing in a theater that I almost always end up taking the battery out.