Plastic Bag Rant

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 2:07pm

Ok, I know we have had many posts on these type of topics, but I am going to tackle on in particular. Plastic Bags.

I can not tell you the number of times I have been at a show and a person near me insists on holding a plastic bag in theit lap. All it does is crinkle all show long. It has got to be one of the most annoying things to me. Most of the time, they look at you like you are crazy to even ask them to put their bag on the ground. Can't they hear the noise they are making.


To everyone out there that takes a Plastic bag into the theater with you - PUT THE BAG ON THE FLOOR.

Thank you - have a nice day. I felt a bit better.

[Gpvegas]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 4:38pm

I have to agree. It is very annoying. I thought I was alone in feeling this way. I agree put the bag on the floor. I was witness to a very irate woman, when someone asked her to put her bag on the floor. She said, I will not, it is my bag and I can leave it on my lap. Then at intermission the usher came and asked her to please put the bag on the floor. She finally did.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 4:52pm

Seals and dolphins don't like them either.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 4:53pm

But if you throw them on the ground and let the wind catch them, it could be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 11:33am

in American Beauty, the musical... haha

[TenThousandThings]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:50pm

I did a show once that, because of its subject matter, attracted a mostly elderly crowd. They seemed to like to bring their lunch or dinner in a plastic bag and dig around in it as much as possible for maximum rustle effect. We (the cast) got so fed up with the noise and distraction that during a scene change blackout, a woman in the cast walked to the lip of the stage, shouted "Stop with the bags, already!" and then hopped back into the scene just as the lights came up.

The rustling stopped, if only momentarily, and the rest of us nearly peed our pants from trying not to laugh. :0)

[folkyboy]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:53pm

i secretly dream of Richard Griffiths moments like that

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 4:10pm

paphillyguy - AMEN.

you just made my day.

i honestly thought "do people not realize that plastic bags make noise?" i recently went to mamma mia! and sat in the mezz. it was a great show and everything, but the people surrounding me insisted upon commenting on every single thing that occurred on stage. everything. one woman also had a plastic bag of lord-knows-what in her lap, which she continued to shift back and forth, re-crinkle and re-close, and use to annoy me. another family shared a box of raisonettes or something that clunked. they're fat fingers couldn't fit into the box opening, causing them to shake the box every time they needed a piece of candy. they also proceded to pass the box to every family member.

it's not like we're in the local regal or amc (and even if we are, it's still generally unacceptable in my book to talk and be loud and obnoxious). there, you pay $10 or so. at a broadway theatre, it's ten or eleven times that on occassion. out of decency to everyone around you - couldn't we all be quiet? what has america come to?!

[jess20882]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 4:36pm

oh my gosh i have been looking for an outlet to vent frustrations to and here it is! i agree - the whole plastic bag thing is REALLY irritating. do you think complaints like these would lead to people not being allowed to have food in the theatres (i.e. all the snacks and candy sold at the concession stands in the theatres)? i wouldn't be so opposed to that...

another thing that bothers me is when i go to see a show and are surrounded by foreign tourists that feel the need to talk throughout the entire show in whatever language they speak. no, i am not against foreigners by any means, but don't you think it's just common sense that you not talk out loud in the middle of a performance? contrary to belief, the actors onstage CAN hear everything the audience does.
**case in point - saturday night i was at beauty and the beast and in the scene when belle enters in her pink dress and lumiere tells the beast to say something about the dress, a little boy in the way back of the orchestra said 'it's nice' and steve blanchard stopped what he was doing and walked to the front of the stage and held his hand to his ear...sarah u berry was cracking up, too. VERY funny, but just goes to show the cast isn't totally oblivious to the goings-on in the audience**

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 5:36pm

I think it's just ridiculous at all if people are eating anything more than candy. I've seen people bring in chinese food or KFC into a theatre! It really is pathetic if you can't spend 2.5 hours without eating. I usually only chew gum, and if I do ever buy candy I make sure to make the least amount of noise that is humanely possible.

[MandaGurl]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 5:45pm

I agree! And what about people who just have to eat candy during the show and instead of opening the bag before it starts open the bag during the show??!! Not fun.

-Amanda*

[folkyboy]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 5:51pm

i told a lady in Annie once "Are you really THAT hungry?!" because her Chex Mix bag was rustling far too much for the numbers.

her mouth was too full to reply :P

[jess20882]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 6:00pm

during one of the many performances of wicked that i've seen, i was sitting next to a family that had the balls to eat pre-packaged sushi during the show! not only was it kinda noisy since they kept asking each other to taste one another's food, but it smelled!

[actor]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 7:31pm

That's disgusting.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 7:55pm

There is actually a thread goin on bad behavior in theatres.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=884898&dt=178