No Latecomer Seating @ DEAD MAN'S CELLPHONE

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:06pm

I do not know if this is a standard Playwrights Horizons policy or stanard for most non-Broadway houses or not, but I think it it one that ALL theatres should adapt to.

I got an e-mail from PW saying that there will be NO latecomer seating to DEAD MAN'S CELLPHONE until the second act.

Kudos to them! I've unintentionally been late to only one show in my life due to a subway car I was on being stuck for 20 minutes. If I have theatre tickets, I sometimes arrive there 30 minutes prior to the show!

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:10pm

Good for them...I never arrive late...if I know I am going to arrive late, i don't go...but most of the time I get comps and have the luxury of changing them so I can see the show whenever I want. I always make sure I arrive one hour early for each performance. 1/2 to get tickets and bathroom and get comfortable. Then house opens mostly at 1/2 till and I go in find my seat, get relaxed, maybe bathroom again and see the merchandise and concessions and then I sit down at least 10 minutes before curtain. Always want to be ready!

[jpbran]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:44pm

AGREED, Capn!!!

It is sooo distracting to the audience AND the performers when people stroll in 5-15 (ore more) minutes late.

And they're usually the trashy folks who talk, fidget, snore, text, and forget to turn off their m.f. cell phones.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 2:46pm

and take a good look at that fantastic auditorium your sitting in! bliss!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 3:37pm

Bravo! I'm in the always early camp. I'm paranoid about something going wrong and getting stuck on the subway or something, so I always leave plenty of time.

I'm glad there's at least one theatre making this stand.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 3:52pm

A few years ago i was at a West End show sitting about 10 rows from the front, the curtain rose promptly at 8pm. At around 8.05pm a party of 3 arrived and they had seats 3 rows in front of me and about 10 seats in from the side aisle. The usher brought them down to the end of the row and gestured to them to walk along the row. As usual the attention of the audience was broken by this lateness and people were making disapproving noises....
THEN....
something wonderful happened! The people already seated in the row refused to stand and let them in and they had to make a fast retreat to the rear of the theatre and sit in restricted view seats until intermission. At the intermission a few people made compliments to the ones who refused to stand. The latecomers sneaked off to the bar to hide and took the restricted view seats again for the 2nd act. The seats they should have sat in remained empty.

Updated On: 2/11/08 at 03:52 PM

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 4:11pm

WickedBoy2, wouldn't that have been more distracting than to just let them in? I get what the person not willing to get up was trying to do, but doesn't that just add to the distraction?

I've only been late to a show once to August: Osage County..but in my defense, it was my birthday and I was all the way in Brooklyn. My friend and I arrived 7 minutes late, and couldn't be seated until the end of the prologue. I walked to my seat, apologizing to everyone who had to get up. I was holding a plastic bag with a cupcake in it my friend had bought for me, and this one woman who had to stand says to me, "What, you brought take-out?"

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 4:16pm

The latecomers realized there mistake very quikly and it was over faster than them making 10 people stand up!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 4:16pm

Subway cars being stuck is legitimate. If you drive and there's a massive wreck or pile-up, that's legitimate.

Late because you planned birthday dinner in Brooklyn as timed too close to make it? That's poor planning. Sorry.

I'm glad you had a good time though.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 2/11/08 at 6:55pm

When I go to shows, I plan to be there for the opening of the doors (or, 30 minutes, depending on how you look at it). I'm usually in line 45 minutes before.

I have never been late, and will never be.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 2/12/08 at 10:49am

I only ever been late once and that was my 1st time ever driving in New York City at 5pm. It took me til almost 8:30 to actually get to the theatre. Now I take the train and like to get to the theatre about 15 minutes before curtain because I'm not that pantience and really don't like sitting there for 30 minutes before the show starts. I usually get aisle seats also so I'm not that much of a distraction either.