Should I complain to Roundabout/AA theater, would you?- Page 2

[EthelMae]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 8:13pm

OMG Pthespian! That is unreal. This is my second post on this thread because it's become my pet peeve-to put it mildly.

You don't only get your performance ruined, the person causing the disturbance threatens to kill you or at the very least blames you and wonders what your problem is.

I don't know folks. I was in a Starbucks today and two people almost killed each other over who was where in line. 

Updated On: 4/11/16 at 08:13 PM

[jen_in_toronto]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 8:34pm

The entitled behaviour of theatregoers is just getting insane. I was at Eclipsed on the weekend and a young girl in front of me pulled out her phone and started taking photos. I tapped her on the shoulder and she immediately looked flustered and put the phone away but I was nervous her parents were going to come for me afterwards. Didn't happen thankfully...I almost once got caught in the middle of a fight between audience members over the constant checking of phones and one woman got very irate over being touched on the shoulder by the other. I find ushers to often be ineffectual and we were sitting in the middle of the orchestra.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 9:08pm

PThespian said: "I believe a lot of the ushers at the AA are volunteers. They might not have known better. 

"

Roundabout uses volunteers to get people seated and hand out Playbills, but once the lights go down they just become audience members. Anyone you speak to during the performance will be a staff usher.

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:40pm

My friend had a similar experience during Beautiful with two groups of people getting into a fight during the show. One was talking loudly and talking pictures, the others two rows behind got annoyed and told them to stop, which made the talking group get annoyed back. My poor friend was caught in the middle and totally had the the 1st act ruined. She asked to be reseated at intermission, after explaining the problem to the usher, and they promtly did.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, my "favorite" story. I was in London seeing Top Hat for the 2nd time and had a seat in the 2nd row center. I loved the show so during curtain call I was giving a standing ovation, not being totally aware that this is not as much a thing in the UK as it is here, and not many people besides me stood up. The elderly woman behind me grabbed the back of my pants and pulled me down back into to my seat. Seriously. That happened. I was so perplexed I couldn't even react.

Her husband... and several other people sitting nearby... apologized to me on her behalf after the show, but man, way to ruin the exhilaration of just having seen a wonderful show!

 

To the OP, I think it would be better to call Roundabout (I'm not sure you would even get a hold of the house staff at the AA) and explain the problem, perhaps focusing on them training their staff better to handle such situations. Because there really isn't much they can do now to help you with your experience. Even if they were to offer you tickets for another performance (unlikely), you probably wouldn't be able to take up that offer, and even a refund (again, unlikely) wouldn't really help because those folks still ruined the show for you. So you should think about what you're trying to achieve before you get in touch with them, and it might be easier to speak to them over the phone, instead of just writing a letter/email.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:55pm

It is best to get out of your seat and alert a security guard or house manager. Do not confront other patrons because you do not know who you are dealing with. Some situations have provoked physical violence before and some people have been injured and then the police have been called to moderate and assist in filing charges.

 

 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 4:31am

It's called 'self entitlement' and that is now the way of the world unfortunately.

If you notice how EVERY person is transfixed and hypnotised by their fcvkin' mobile phones that it is now a love affair between the ear and the mouth and God help anyone who gets between them.

It is NOT necessary for every school child to have a mobile but this is an electronic age and there is no point in saying 'in my day' because this is 'THE day' and this is a current day problem.

Each theatre would have their own cable/electric/computer system so they MUST have something that can interfere with radio signals that don't affect the show--if they can put a man on the moon?? [did they?]

I do not think it should be the responsibility of ushers to be police.

Management should set a policy before a patron enters the building, something written on the ticket, a public anouncement in the foyer BEFORE entering but I honestly think that those offending, who are in the minority would take no notice because they have already become immune to rules.

Management have to be front and centre and be strong and forceful and physically eject the trouble makers.

If you need your phone on during the theatre then you shouldn't be there--simple.

 

...That was a rant and not a solution.

 

SL.........x

Updated On: 4/12/16 at 04:31 AM

[mordav]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 5:22am

I recently made my annual pilgrimage to New York and saw 9 plays while I was there and only had an issue with anyone sitting near one time; a woman behind me at Long Day's Journey shaking her drink so the ice cubes smashed into each other. But she stopped as soon as I asked her to stop, although she was on her phone when I turned around. To be honest I thought this year behaviour was better than when I came last year.

But the thing I don't understand is why someone comes to the theatre and then spends time on their phone or talking. Manners not withstanding, why would you spend all that money if you're not that interested in watching the show.

[KCW]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 7:21am

It's this darned ages obsession with technology. But they may be going to a show just to say that they see broadway. That would be just like a producer producing a show just to say be does but not being invested in the process. Or it could be that or she detested the show and their first impulse was to get on their phone.

[sciencegirl]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 10:17am

Box seats are my friend.  I am short of height and tolerance for inconsiderate theater goers...

But some people have developed an ability to tune all that out. Swear to God, at SOR, had a person in front of me  answer her texts (of course her alert chime was on), then take a phone call, take pictures, and finally started to take video WITH THE CAMERA LIGHT ON. 

I said something immediately, after the texting to no effect.  The people next to her looked at me with a "can you believe this" look throughout the rest of the show where she continued to do whatever, BUT never said anything to her.  

The best part,  during intermission, I turned to my friend sitting next to me to commiserate... She hadnt even noticed.  For reals.  

[BobBenson]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 11:58am

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. You can easily solve these problems with one word: TASER. Just give a quick BBBBZZZZZZZTTTTTTT. They shut right the f*ck up, brah.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 12:44pm

And it's only getting worse. Daniel Radcliffe's new show at The Public is specifically telling patrons to leave their phones on during the show! What a horrible precedent to set, especially for an audience that will likely skew young and who may not regularly go to the theatre.

From the press release:

"This provocative theatrical event will ask audiences to charge their phones, leave them ON during the performance and to embark on a fascinating dive online and into a new reality where we're all connected...for better or worse."

 

Lovely. Guess that's a show I won't be seeing.

[mpkie]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 10:51pm

Well, they should use the opportunity to do a PSA at the start and emphasize how it really is not ok at all and is actually illegal. And then remind people again at the end.

Reminds me of when this band OK GO performed "Needing/Getting" in a theater with an interactive app developed for audience participation. And before they start, the host begins by emphasizing how it is NOT OK to use cell phones in a theater and basically this is the one time they should ever turn on their phones; he had to lobby the theaters' CEOs to do it! LOL. And immediately told them to turn off their phones again once the performance was over!

[@z5]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 11:07pm

I'm not surprised by this, Roundabout theaters have some of the worst ushers and service I have ever come across.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 11:38pm

I might have gone to the house manager during the first intermission and asked to be reseated.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 4/12/16 at 11:56pm

I know a few theatres have decided to use collapsible seats where the offending patron is dropped though the floor into a tube thus sliding down and exiting through a back door. They have tried this out in Santa Fe to much success and many think it will be the norm in New York by 2018.

[RJEvans]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 12:26am

I was at that show. Sat in front row Mezz. Great performance all around.

I would of definitely complain. It's rude not just to you but the people around you. I've never had something like that happen, but if it did, I wouldn't be able to resist shushing them.

Updated On: 4/13/16 at 12:26 AM

[Robert16]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 12:02pm

I complained to the Roundabout during the recent run of Cabaret, when the Ushers were useless at Studio 54 and they never replied to my email - they won't hesitate to call you a hundred times to talk you into their Subscription tickets but Customer Service is not their strong suit

[Robert16]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 12:15pm

I worked Guest Services/Front of House at the Barclays Center for three years, one Summer at Shakespeare In The Park, The Public Theater and The Tribeca Film Festival so when I say the Ushers were "useless" they certainly were

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 12:50pm

Bad theatre behavior - especially with phones - drives me up the wall.

 

A positive note: When I saw Bright Star last week, the aisles were stocked with ushers and staff going almost literally person to person to make sure phones were turned off. (Like, I put mine on the "do not disturb" setting while they were watching, and they asked me to turn it all the way off.) I've never seen such diligence and such heavy staffing. And I'm sure some people were annoyed. But... it totally worked! There wasn't one disruptive peep from the audience during the whole show! They really shouldn't have to go to such measures, but if that becomes the norm, I'd be thrilled. 

[jen_in_toronto]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 1:14pm

I've seen people put their phone away and it's still on..."do not disturb" or "mute" or whatever isn't enough as I've still heard them vibrating.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 2:45pm

I actually always put my phone on silent and do not disturb rather than shut it off. I have vibrate off so it will not make a sound unless the alarm is on (which I check). I used to turn it off but then I had a blackberry that would spontaneously turn itself on because it only took the slightest bump of the power button to do so, and it seemed putting it in my purse, jostling my purse, or breathing on it powered it on. I used to take the battery out but I can't do that with my iPhone. I wish I could. It's the only way I feel 100% safe because I'm super paranoid even though my phone has never rung or made noise in a theater. 

 

I am one who gets very distracted. I wish I were one of those people who could ignore it. 

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 3:01pm

Agree on just muting - vibration can be distracting - but the whole point of the "do not disturb" button is situations like the theatre. Your phone won't ring, buzz, light up, anything. I prefer it to turning my phone all the way off because I usually need to check work email at intermission, and I'd rather not have to power back up, never mind the battery power restarting eats up. But I would never check my phone during the actual performance. 

[rodrigo_ca]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 3:33pm

Cellphones and disruptive audiences are a worldwide thing. It happens to me all to time here in Brazil. But for me, it does never happen in expensive seats, but when I'm in the mezz or the back of the house it feels like I'm a cabaret. The other day I had to actually stop watching a show, turn around and shoosh someone who was singing. It was awful. The theater did nothing when I complained after. I should have called the usher, but I'm yet to do so (and I swear I'm the most patient person. If it comes to me getting up and calling an usher middleshow, the disruptive person better be escorted out of the life).

Cape Twirl of Doom said: "And it's only getting worse. Daniel Radcliffe's new show at The Public is specifically telling patrons to leave their phones on during the show! What a horrible precedent to set, especially for an audience that will likely skew young and who may not regularly go to the theatre.

From the press release:

"This provocative theatrical event will ask audiences to charge their phones, leave them ON during the performance and to embark on a fascinating dive online and into a new reality where we're all connected...for better or worse."

 Lovely. Guess that's a show I won't be seeing."

I REALLY hope it is something like "you will leave your cellphone on? ok, see how this is disruptive AND NEVER DO IT AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE". Really, but I doubt it.

As for ChiTheaterFan post: I usually silent my phone all the way, including vibration and keep in my pocket all the time. But the other day, I could SWEAR that I had an alarm set up for a time that would be in the middle of the show. And I would NOT take my phone and lit it up to see if it was true. I spend the whole first act suffering of an iminent heart attack. At intermission, I discovered that I had exactly 0 alarms. I'm considering not even taking my cell anymore.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 3:37pm

If you really want to be careful, put your headphones in (the phone, not your ears). That way even if your alarm does go off, it's only through the headphones. And maybe the vibration.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 4/13/16 at 5:42pm

When your phone is on Do Not Disturb, text messages and phone calls still come through, which can disrupt the sound system (allegedly). Also if you have any contacts on your VIP list, their calls can come through anyway, depending on your settings. I put my phone on Airplane mode during a show.