The importance of shutting off your cell phone in a theater — Page 2

Broadway Forever2 said: "Did the phones ring or something during the show.? That would be awful.



Yes, the phones must have rung taking Lin Manuel Miranda out of his moment in the performance.

Heck, I bet the actors would even chip in if it meant their concentration wouldn't be wrecked by some jerk in the second row playing games on his cell phone instead of watching the show.



i will bet you $1,000 they definitely wouldn't chip in but.... okay. i mean, what you're suggesting already happens. there are ushers assigned with the task of monitoring audiences for cell phone usage. the problem is that those ushers don't do a very good job, or it's simply not enforced enough. this is more of a philosophy or mentality shift needed -- not an actual change in the planning or strategy.

JM226 said: "the problem is that those ushers don't do a very good job, or it's simply not enforced enough"



Yes. I agree with this. The "rules" are in place but they aren't doing a very good job of enforcing it because if they were we wouldn't be having this conversation.

I don't think it's asking much to put the phone in airplane mode or to shut it off until intermission.

I don't understand why people can't just wait until intermission to take care of whatever personal business they need to attend to, and if your personal business is that urgent that it demands your undivided attention maybe you shouldn't be in a theater in the first place.

I understand that "life happens" but back in the day when cell phones did not exist people went to the theater and got by just fine.

CarlosAlberto said: "JM226 said: "the problem is that those ushers don't do a very good job, or it's simply not enforced enough"

Yes. I agree with this. The "rules" are in place but they aren't doing a very good job of enforcing it because if they were we wouldn't be having this conversation.


"

That is a completely ridiculous statement. Ushers only have so much control over idiots and you can tell people over and over to turn off their phones/cameras but somehow they feel the rules don't apply to them. I've sat next to people who text but are smart enough to pay attention & then turn them off just when the ushers are nearing. You think it's easy for an usher who is maybe standing 15 rows back to pinpoint an open phone and get there in time to be effective...plus running up and down the aisles is distracting in itself.

Ushers can't make a scene and disrupt the show either/or block the view of others...so they have limited options on how to handle things. And I am not saying every usher is working at A+ level 100% of the time. But to make a blanket comment like we wouldn't have this problem if ushers did their jobs is completely naive and not putting the blame where it belongs.

KathyNYC2:

You are entitled to your opinion but with all due respect the truth of the matter is that they are not enforcing the rules and are not doing enough.

No one is suggesting that the ushers disrupt the show what is being suggested is that theater management come up a more effective way to curtail the excessive and unnecessary use of cell phones during a performance. It is clearly a problem that is growing and not decreasing and it needs to be addressed.

Maybe the performers who are being affected by it will take it up with theater management. It's obviously disruptive even to the actors up on the stage.

For someone like LMM to go on facebook and post what he did and how it almost f*cked up his performance - - - that's major.

For someone the caliber of Patti LuPone to physically grab a cell phone from an audience member to get her message across - - - that's major.

You just can't turn a blind eye to this.

Clearly not enough is being done.

Updated On: 4/29/16 at 10:59 AM

You go PThespian!!

It was important to turn your cell phone off before Lin Manuel Miranda tweeted about it

CarlosAlberto said: "KathyNYC2:

You are entitled to your opinion but with all due respect the truth of the matter is that they are not enforcing the rules and are not doing enough.

No one is suggesting that the ushers disrupt the show what is being suggested is that theater management come up a more effective way to curtail the excessive and unnecessary use of cell phones during a performance. It is clearly a problem that is growing and not decreasing and it needs to be addressed.

"

You are disagreeing with my comments about ushers and yet you are reinforcing them at the same time. Yes maybe the theater management community needs to come up with a better way to handle the annoying situation of people using cell phones during a performers. That is not on the ushers...the ushers can only enforce the policies as written.
Yes the policies in place are not enough to take care of the problem. An usher is not authorized to take the phones away people who don't follow the rules, are they? And continually running up and down the aisles throughout the shows IS terribly distracting..and what else can an usher do when basically they are basically being ignored by some. Yes of course, there are better employees than others in all fields of employment ushers included. But to BLAME the ushers for the patron's rude behavior is passing the buck. IMO.

@KathyNYC2: I wasn't BLAMING the ushers. They're only following directives from management. I believe that management needs to sit down and look at the problem and try to find a better solution because the way it's going down now it is not working. So if that's what YOU got out of what I wrote I apologize. That was not my intention, let's be clear on that point.

Updated On: 4/29/16 at 01:01 PM

I've been at shows where the person next to me will wait until the last possible moment to turn off their phone and, unlike me, they don't shut it off but clearly put it on vibrate, silent, etc. Infuriating.

As for people coming late, I was just at a show where a guy showed up late, took forever to find his way to his seat (so the usher kept pointing her flashlight down the aisle), and then kept talking to his seat partner about why he was late, etc. I wish I could remember what my old teacher used to say but essentially, if you're going to be late, at least don't be any more disruptive than necessary.

CarlosAlberto said: "@KathyNYC2: I wasn't BLAMING the ushers. They're only following directives from management. I believe that management needs to sit down and look at the problem and try to find a better solution because the way it's going down now it is not working. So if that's what YOU got out of what I wrote I apologize. That was not my intention, let's be clear on that point.

"

I appreciate your comments that you are not blaming the ushers personally but I hope you understand that when you write as you did...."You are entitled to your opinion but with all due respect the truth of the matter is that they are not enforcing the rules and are not doing enough", it indicated it was the fault of the ushers who are not enforcing the rules that are in existence..

But we all write things with lack of clarity at times (and I personally have written comments that were confusing at best)...so I am happy to read that's not what you actually meant.

Also Hellob wrote.." It's more likely that a cheaper ticket holder has more respect for the show." That coule be true but the worst case I have ever seen was someone who actually was a guest of the show and didn't pay for her ticket (she was accompanying a large group) who told an usher in front of others (myself included) that she didn't have to follow any theater rules since didn't actually buy a ticket and she was not included in the rules. If someone gave me a free ticket, I would be doing whatever was asked...

Updated On: 4/29/16 at 04:07 PM

Just about all my theater going is in the Boston area, where phones are not that big a problem for whatever reason. However, I make it a point to make a big production of turning off my phone before the show. I stand up, turn off my phone, and then say to anyone in the immediate vicinity, "Does anyone need any help turning off their phone? I'd be happy to help you in any way I can." (while smiling). Usually people laugh a little because they don't need to be reminded, but there are those who appreciate the reminder and pull out their phones, and once or twice I have actually helped some elderly patrons turn off their phones, and then turn them on again when the show is over.

I agree that the behavior of audiences is atrocious and needs to be addressed. One suggestion that I have is to have the cell phone announcement repeated at the end of intermission as many people who do turn their phones off for act 1 turn them on during the break and may forget to turn them off again. Just a thought and it certainly will not solve all the rudeness but at least for those who are not intentionally rude, it may cut down the instances of phones going off during the second act.