Rude People in Theatres- Page 4

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:00pm

"You would think that at a "highbrow" show like The Pillowman would filter out the riff-raff but you would be wrong."

Seriously, like the guy sitting behind me who called out "I am Jesus," during "The Little Jesus." It's called pausing for dramatic effect, dumb*ss

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:13pm

I've been a Broadway usher, too. The reason you should never move before the first act without an usher's permission is that inevitably there will be latecomers--sometimes a huge group. I've had entire rows fill up after the show has started. And, it can be CHAOS moving people out of the seats during the show. Imagine having to deal with all of that while TRYING to be quiet and not disturb the rest of the section. It's not fun.

After intermission is pretty much fair game.

But it all depends on the house manager or ushers. You don't know what logistics they are dealing with, so don't assume they are being ridiculous just because they won't let you move.

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:15pm

Yeah, that's the **** that John Simon junior was pulling--like he was offended by the show's conceit and wanted to make sure we all knew how smart he was...thank god he didn't return after intermission--i just wish he had taken the Curtain Call Bandit with him...I expect bootleg audiences at something like The Donkey Show or Tony n Tina's, but this?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:21pm

Oh, and moving people closer isn't just for appearance. Audiences respond more when they are in a group. That's part of the way tickets are sold.

[carnimiriel]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:36pm

Actually I've come across more inconsiderate behavior at The Pillowman than any other show I've seen this season. A lot of times it's people muttering away to each other about how horrible this is or how sick and shocking, etc. Then of course there was the Darth Vader-like breathing and snoring at Doubt. I just assume I hear more of this at plays because there isn't any loud music to cover it up.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:39pm

If you can't stay awake for DOUBT, you need to lay off the pre-show booze!

[carnimiriel]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:47pm

Actually I don't think this guy was really asleep even though he was making snoring sounds, or at least not the whole time coz people kept looking over at him and he was really obnoxious about it. Saying really loudly "What's your problem?" or "Why do you keep turning around?". Since I sat right in front of him, I could even hear when his companion whispered to him to keep it down and he got annoyed with her and said "Stop poking me!".

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:54pm

there was alot of craziness behind me too--at the back of the house--lights, shuffling, talking...

It was maybe the rowdiest crowd i'd been in--certainly the most phlegmatic! I've never heard more coughing and snotting and whatnot evah...

Maybe it's just The Pillowman!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 5:55pm

lol. So, it's more like he needs to lay off the desserts and join WW. I say that with love.

I love when people are in the wrong and they get indignant. Ain't it fun?

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 6:01pm

Another thing I hate are schoolgroups. I don't mind quiet schoolgroups, but a bunch of teenage boys at Wicked in the bathroom were talking about pissing on their school's wall, and laughed extremely loud when Elphaba started flying. I would've pounced if I could have. They were in the mid mezzanine, and my family members in FOURTH row orchestra could hear them laughing. I was in front mezzanine.

[hypertruffle]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 6:17pm

I watched the 'Man of la Mancha' revival with my school group. Majority of the kids made fun of the merchendise and decided to add commentary for a scene, to make it less boring. I was very tempted to tell them to shut up. The plus side was, Stokes' singing "The Impossible Dream" made them shut up.

[Miki]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 6:41pm

She wasn't rude to me but when I went to see Miss Saigon on B'dway a few years ago there was a couple sitting next to me in the balcony. I could over hear their conversation & they were obviously on their first date. She kept asking him, "Why aren't we sitting in those seats?" as she pointed to the orchestra. She kept moping b/c they were sitting in the balcony. He was incredibly nice. I just hope for his sake that there wasn't a second date.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 6:59pm

Middle school groups should be limited to Disney shows on Broadway. I'm serious; a group of 13 year old boys is basically on on the same maturity level as a 6 year old, so they should be treated as such. At least at those shows, the audience members are already assuming they're going to have to deal with children.

[Lamenting_Alto]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:07pm

I went to see Flower Drum Song, TMM, and Phantom with a middle school group. our group was, actually, perfectly calm and quiet. at phantom however, there was another school group behind us and they talked and laughed loudly (the entire row behind us) throught the entire show. we stared at them, shushed them, asked them to be quiet, and talked to their teachers but they kept going all through the show. its so annoying!
other than that i've been lucky at shows and no one has annoyed me much.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:14pm

Forget the show ON STAGE, sometimes the best one is in the audience (there are some entertaining idiots there)!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 9:35pm

Argh. wHen I saw RENT in July, I sat first row (lotto seats). There was a group of elderly people behind me, and they were complaining from the time they sat down. "The seats are too small." "The set looks like it came out of someone's basement." "What is that supposed to be?" etc.

[mikem]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 9:58pm

I've had two experiences worth sharing. When I saw the recent revival of Oklahoma, I sat next to a five-year-old who squirmed and asked questions during the whole show. I spoke to the mother, who basically said that they paid all this money for these tickets and she didn't say anything to her child at all or do anything about it.

When I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the back edges of the orchestra were empty. Two young women sat in empty seats at intermission, and the guy behind them had a fit. One of the women was somewhat overweight but not obese, but not especially tall, and he made loud nasty comments about how he didn't want to sit behind this fat girl who came down from the mezzanine and made a huge fuss. It was mortifying -- he kept making comments about how big and fat she was and was practically yelling at them. He got the usher, and the usher came over and asked the girls to go back to their original seats upstairs.

Updated On: 9/13/05 at 09:58 PM

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:01pm

When I went to see Avenue Q (Johnny T's last performance), there was a woman who complained for 15 minutes about not being allowed to take a doggy bag into the theatre. She was clearly intoxicated and she was so angry that she'd paid $100 for dinner and all she wanted to do was take the leftovers home to her dog and how unfair it was that the ushers made her toss them. Then she proceeded to loudly tell whomever was dealing with her fit at the time, that she had a good mind to ask for her money back.

At intermission, she was in line for the bathroom, telling the girl behind her how overrated the show was and how if she wanted to see a "real" show, she should go see "Wonderful Town."

[kec]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:03pm

"When I saw the recent revival of Oklahoma, I sat next to a five-year-old who squirmed and asked questions during the whole show. I spoke to the mother, who basically said that they paid all this money for these tickets and she didn't say anything to her child at all or do anything about it. "

And you paid all your money to sit and listen to her child talk? I hate when people take that attitude. As though the fact they spent all that money entitles them to be as rude as they want.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:03pm

"Seriously, like the guy sitting behind me who called out "I am Jesus," during "The Little Jesus." It's called pausing for dramatic effect, dumb*ss "


Dumb*ss is right! That would piss me off beyond belief if somebody started making comments during climactic parts during scenes. Although that scene did seem intended to be a bit funny, or at least, that line.


The worst for me would have to be this: I was at DRS front mezz. There was a group of elderly women behind me, I have no problem with elderly women, I even chatted with them before the show, lol. During the show, one of them goes very loudly, "Can you hear anything?!?!?" and the other one goes, "Sort of!!!" The whole group of us burst out histerical laughing, thankfully this was during the end of Act I. Then, beginning of Act II one woman finally decides to say to the other (after the 15 minute intermission where you're encouraged to watch) "This show is a bit dirty, wouldn't you agree?!?!" needless to say and usher had to help them fix their hearing aids or whatever it was that just wasn't working well, lol. I have to admit it was a bit funny.

[japhun]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 3:28am

OK guys....this has BY FAR been the most entertaining thread in the history of the message board. I have to give you my story...it might top everything.

My best friend and I are avid theatre goers. We live in North Carolina but go up to NYC quite often for a week of solid show-seeing. Keep in mind this story takes place in WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA at a national tour of Fiddler on the Roof in Asheville, NC....

My friend and I bought student tickets as we always do. We were in rear mezz of course and right after the show started this lady walked in with two kids...my first thought is whatttt...ok so about twenty minutes goes by and of course the children are restless. Well, the baby started crying and all of us back there are like shhhhhhhh! So, what does she do? SHE FLOPS OUT HER BOOB AND STARTS FEEDING THE CHILD. My first thought was like OMG! So she stands up and goes to the side of the theater and stands there with her little boy swinging on the rails and stuff. I was LITERALLY laughing about how rude it was and how CLASSLESS! (I won't even go into the man behind me at the same performance who was on a VENTILATOR that made sounds every 10 seconds!). THANKFULLY, at intermission we got to move to 7th or 8th row orchestra!

THought you guys would enjoy that!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 3:54am

How rude of that guy on the VENTILATOR to ruin the show for you with his assisted breathing, japhan. Clearly he should have forgone that machine so as not to disturb the other patrons, and simply gasped for every breath until the show was over. And those people in wheelchairs are such a pain to get around at intermission when you need to rush out for a smoke, or to get fresh air.

What's wrong with those rude disabled people? Don't they know they're hindering our enjoyment?

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 4:47am

hahah Ghostlight .. I was thinking the same thing.

Posted: 9/14/05 at 6:26am

Wow!

All of this is terrible. The rudest person I had to deal with was a guy eating non-stop through the first act and then falling asleep (and snoring a bit loud) througth the second act.

[japhun]

Posted: 9/14/05 at 8:29am

I think you are missing my point...the ventilator didnt bother me...i just threw that in to show what a disasterous seating arrangement i had. nothing against handicapped people at all. neither of you responded to the woman...i just thought that was totally uncall for. (especially having 2 children at the theatre)