No More Stage Door Autographs — Page 2

Anybody on this board who acts as if they are entitled to an autograph from a performer will be put in their place almost instantly. I think the vast majority of us understand it's entirely up to the performer and are fine if they choose not to. For those performers that are OK doing it or even enjoy interacting with their fans, they do it. If they don't want to they don't. Simple as that. The actors are big boys and big girls and have no problem saying no if they choose to. And as was mentioned previously, a star in a show is going to require security to get to their car anyway whether they stop for autographs or not. I really don't understand why the OP feels he needs to advocate for the abolishment of something others particpate in willingly. Should we bar actors from signing and returning fan mail? I'm sure an actor in his or her dressing room would rather not spend 20 or 30 minutes every few days or even more frequently responding to fan letters and requests to sign a playbill and mail back. Should we end that practice? How about at CD releases of cast albums? Should we bar cast members from performing a few numbers and then signing CDs? Should that be stopped? Are the last two examples really that different than the stage door? Where would you draw the line of where actor/fan interaction is too much?

Updated On: 6/16/19 at 02:43 AM

Why would ypu care to intervene in something you ypu dont particpate in? I agree with SweetLips - stagedooring is a waste of time, I dont understand peoples obsession with it.

So you know what? I don't stagedoor. Why would I need to ruin their fun?

Other things I dont understand? Taking pix of your food, posting your entire life on social media, the desire for followers or going viral or why men want to legislate my uterus.

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I’ll admit that when I was in my teens I was obsessed with rushing to the stage door for any and every show. Now I am way more reserved but still enjoy doing it if I’m an admirer of their work or have really loved the show.

I can understand where this stage door events are becoming crazier and less safe. I really just wish they would limit stage footing to those who have seen the show. Like that night. Not someone hanging out obsessing or autograph hunting. So many times and it’s gotten worse people are just their to see or stalk a “celebrity” and the autograph hunters escalate the desperation and chaos.

As well. I had heard a couple performers say that when they get ask for an autograph they prefer that over a selfie or photo. 1) because they are just coming post show 2) takes less time 3). There are these ideas people have that if they are photographed with someone they are “in” the friends crowd which is once again creepy

I can’t seem getting rid of stage dooring. But I could definitely see them going to a double barricade. Where those in need to have a ticket to the show to enter it. To discourage hunters and dwellers

"Ok. Then let’s say Madonna did a broadway show and they said she will not be signing or anything at the stage door. Are you saying that there still wouldn’t need to be a security guard and barricades? Because you can see photos from 1986 when she did Speed-the-Plow that’s the exact setup they had. Just saying an actor (and you can substitute Ben Platt or anyone the younger kids flock to, also) isn’t going to sign isn’t going to stop crowds from forming at the stage door. You’re not going to suddenly get everyone to just clear out and let said person exit the theatre with a totally clear path of nobody looking at them or waiting to see them.

I believe there is more than one way to leave most theaters, I am going to concede you know better than me about exits from theaters. In your example of Madonna, I would be kind of surprised that somebody of her fame in the world we live in today would not have their own security team getting her out of a theater in NY without crowd bothering her. Once again, I am not an expert but find it hard to believe that somebody like her would depend on the show providing her security. Let me also say, 1986 was a long time ago and the world we live in today is crazier. Jordan, we could go back and forth on this forever and probably not change each others mind - oh well.


And again, if they don’t want to do the autographs/photos - they just don’t. Tell me the last time you saw an actor under duress who was forced to take a photo. And Matthew Broderick doesn’t count just because every photo he takes with fans makes it look like there’s a gun to his head.

Actually, my answer may surprise you. We saw "Something Rotten" and Christian Borle on the stage door line looked absolutely miserable. It was easy to tell by the sound of his voice and body language that line was the last place he wanted to be. Yes, it was not duress but I am sure he did it only because it was expected of him. Once again Jordan, we probably just not agree with each other regarding this issue.

"I'm going to steer slightly off topic since Madonna in Speed The Plow has been mentioned. I was there twice at the stage door. Once before I saw the show (the horror!!) and once after. Before and after she just stared down to the ground and made no eye contact or spoke. Both times there was no security, just an assistant."

Do you think the same would be true today that there would no security and just assistant?

"I was really sharing the story of how she didn't look or speak to anybody and that the marquees were covered in dirty graffiti calling her the c word and theater management didn't think it was important to clean it off. I guess, I found my story more amusing than everybody else."

I understand her putting her head down and just getting out of there, she was very controversial back then. That is pretty pathetic of the management in regards to the not getting rid of the graffiti calling her the "c" word. I thought reviews of her performance in that show were not horrible, do you remember?

In all due fairness...Nathan Lane used to stage door. He did when he was in the Producers. At the time I waited, spoke to him, he signed anything you provided: Producers or Lion King etc. So something between then and now clicked or went wrong or he just got tired of it. The masses of people surrounding the stage door were ridiculous then and they are now.

20 plus years ago, before eBay, I do not remember it being as bad and as un-enjoyable as it is now. I am sure that far too many actors assume that the things they sign are going up for sale...why? because they are. If you haven't waited at a stage door for an "autograph" - go on eBay and search for a few of the current stars in shows playing now. Their "autographs" are merely scrawls. Years ago Bebe Newirth used to actually sign her entire name and it was legible. If you see what it looks like now it is a scrawled Bebe.

The only time I really wait now is if a store has an event where there is an official signing.

The whole “eBay people are invading the stage doors” hysteria is much like trump’s “caravan of immigrants” - ridiculous and highly blown out of proportion. The craziest stage door right now is “Hadestown”. So I went to eBay and looked at what’s being sold and it’s about 25 Signed items from the show. When you have 8 shows a week with maybe 100 people waiting at the stage door and lets say a third of them want two things signed that’s 1064 signed playbills/posters etc (and I even think that’s a low number for this show) and you have 25 things on eBay - well, let’s just calm down with the rhetoric that eBay people are ruining the stage door experience.

That’s 17 items of the thousands that have been signed. That’s nothing.

"Other things I dont understand? Taking pix of your food, posting your entire life on social media, the desire for followers or going viral or why men want to legislate my uterus."

I never get that taking pictures of food either. Posting your life on social media is just a ego thing IMO, trying to show the world how wonderful your life is to your friends.

yankeefan7 said: ""The Queen was ignoring me when we were so close to each other, we were both in each other's personal space. I'm sure she wanted to say to me "get the f out of the way". I wanted to say something.... anything. But in reality, we said nothing to each other. Her, looking down at the ground and trying to avoid any sign of someone human. Me, too scared of what she would say, so I said nothing. Our paths so close yet with zero contact.'

Such a shame. Don't you wish you had something witty to say at that moment just to get her to possibly respond to you - lol."

Yankeefan7, Unfortunately that has happened to me, too many times to mention. I was speechless when Bette Midler stepped on my foot at the Golden Globes and didn't say anything to me. I was too shocked, that she didn't apologize or even acknowledge it, to say anything to her. I would have loved to say to her, "girl, you just stepped on my foot". Yet, I was silent and she kept on walking. More lost moments.

How would the stage door experience be stopped? Most stage doors on Broadway open out onto the public sidewalk. Actors who don't want to deal with the stage door can exit through a different door.

Tom5 said: "I was once on line with Sylvia Miles at Emigrant Savings Bank. Her cowboy boots got my attention. I remember saying something complimentary about the column she wrote in one of the local newspapers. But if I hadn't thought of that I would have kept my mouth shut. I don't know what anyone could shout of merit at a celeb running the gauntlet at a stage door except I'm sorry you have to go through this."

Exactly! I don't like to stage door even when I know the actors. What am I going to say that they haven't heard a thousand times before? I'm certainly not going to say anything critical of the show or their performance, especially not when they have to continue performing eight shows per week. On the rare occasion when I have found myself near a celebrity--in line at a bank, say, which used to be a thing--and acknowledged his or her presence, the celebrity proceeded to graciously ask questions about ME! I can't imagine anything more boring (though I appreciated the graciousness)!