The stage door management at A STEADY RAIN is absolutely HORRENDOUS — Page 3

I know it was frustrating what happened, rocks, but it's just not the backstage doorman or the security team's job to make sure anyone gets an autograph. It's not their job to run the door so that everything is fair. It's not their job to tell those people who wait during the performance to leave. As people have said, it their job to keep the company safe and able to get in and out.

There are many people who may be deciding the set up of the barricades. It may not even be how the backstage doorman or the security people want it set up. But that setup is about keeping the actors safe and allowing the bulk of the audience to exit the theatre first. Maybe it sucks, but there aren't really that many options. Trust me on this. A number of logistics and requests and desires from everyone from the theatre manager to the star to their people to the cops to the stage manager gets thrown into the mix on deciding which set up to use.

The doorman can not and will not ask the actors to wait until the stage door fans are all organized and positioned. Most of the time, the doorman doesn't have much notice that the actor is leaving, so he or she can not always move the barricades at the time that would seem better.

And, the backstage doorman is likely being harassed by many people everyday trying to get autographs and wanting to drop off gifts and notes and random nonsense from people. He probably wasn't in the mood for the complaints he was getting--that are not even his job to appease. Never felt that way at work?

I just don't think some of you are grasping the logistics of what is going on at that door. How many times have you been at a job that other people tried to tell you how to do it--and you knew darn well that what they were wanting was not possible? Same situation here.

I wish you well in getting that autograph, but it's going to be like this when things are that chaotic with such huge stars. It's a gamble--where to stand, etc etc etc.

Advice: always be nice, ask before taking pictures, be ready whether pen or camera. They want to get home.

---

Did he really make that big of a deal?

When I dropped off my request for a playbill He took it, looked at it, and said "Ill make sure they get it" and that was that.

---

The doorman doesn't have to be nice to you. It's not in his job description. I'm not saying I think it's great for anyone to be rude to anyone. And, I imagine theatre management would rather the doorman be civil and respectful to the public. But it's not a customer service job. And, if called for, the doorman has every right to not be nice, if need be. Your ticket includes 0% of the stage door.

---

Manners cost nothing, well, thats how I was raised.

In my book, if someone has the inability to use them in a general conversation, it shows them up to be the mug that they really are.

If its ridiculous, why comment on it? Its a democracy, correct? So if people feel aggrieved regarding issues with the theatre, are they not entitled to say so? Personally I dont think I used the word horrendous - that would be far too kind for the sd management.

As for the SD - no one has said that they are entitled to an autugraph, or a meal with the stars, just a little more organisation, and dare i say, manners and I think certain members of the public would be appeased. Having seen the crush when the barricade was moved, one wonders why there wasnt a temp. diversion in place for the short period of time, for instance. As this is likely to become a common occurrence, a diversion to the opposite sidewalk would surely help in some way. Not being from the US ive no idea how that would stand, I can only go from experience in my own country.

wickedrocks has given a valid opinion and appears to be criticised for it. Thats pretty poor in my book.

Id love to come on here and say 'how sad you are for wanting an autograph' and 'why bother stage dooring', especially as I work in the media and I see 'celebs' quite often and dont get star struck, so to speak. But I understand that these people are idols, role models to their fans, without them, they'd pretty much be nothing! So in my book, theres nothing wrong with trying to (politely) obtain an autograph or photo to treasure.

As an aside, on our second trip to the theatre, the crush was so bad, younger/smaller folk who appeared to have waited for some time, were trying desperately to get out of it, if anything, the lack of organisation is dangerous.

ps wickedrocks, I shall be in and out of the city over the coming days, if you dont get a signed playbill, drop me a pm and i'll see if I can help.

Updated On: 9/26/09 at 01:42 AM

Lets hope the candle burns brightly then eh, chap?!

Lets just jope that there are no injuries for the duration of the run, as it stands, it could only be a matter of time.

I re-iterrate, I agree noone is entitled to anything, but there should be an issue of public safety too. Why should it have to be dangerous to stand in line - for want of better words, and patiently wait for an autograph. Im 6ft 2 and fairly well built, so in a crush i have an advantage over smaller people obviously, but I did my best to assist other in getting past me. Even the cop (or 2) didnt seem too bothered that a number of people were in some distress. Interesting..
Perhaps an answer of 'well dont stand in the 'line' then, but really thats not acceptable answer or solution is it.

I doubt the procedure will change nontheless.

Wow, a complete solution, followed by the moon on a stick!

Be careful with that candle..

Yes!

I got the autographs, a bunch of pictures, and even a picture WITH Hugh! So I guess everything happens for a reason, otherwise I wouldn't have had the great experience I had on Friday if I didn't leave on Thursday.

...Really?

After reading this thread, I'm struck by the ignorance that you so called "theater aficionados" have regarding the way theater works.

The sense of entitlement is overwhelming.

If you must have a picture and/or autograph after the show, consider yourself lucky if you get it. That's it.

---

The bashing on this thread is a terrific example of what I find disturbing about boards like this. I was there, I'm probably twice rOcKs' age, and like him, had a hard time justifying the amount of money I spent on the Steady Rain ticket. Yes, incredible as it seems, middle-aged people don't always have tons of money to spend on theater either.

It was a poorly-managed, frustrating stage-door situation, and posting that here doesn't mean he--or I, for agreeing with him--have entitlement issues. Plenty of people on this board like to stage-door and share info on how it works out at different shows, which is exactly what rOcKs was doing.

Yes, the internet affords people a great opportunity to be nasty with complete anonymity, but there's still no excuse for it.

Well, April, I don't think I'm too anonymous, nor do I think I was "bashing." Nor was Jane. I can't remember if anyone REALLY did any bashing in this thread, but if you think what Jane or I posted was bashing, you really need to look up the word bashing in this context.

And am I understanding that the only way you justified spending money on a ticket was to get autographs? That just seems odd to me. Normally when I go to the theater I purchase a ticket and see the show. I enjoy it, I don't enjoy it, and that's it. Then I go to Joe Allen, sit at my table and have a nice meal. I don't need to justify the cost of my ticket with anything other than a desire to see the show for which I've purchased the ticket. I just don't get this need to get autographs or stage door or have photos taken - as I said, this is all a new phenomenon for the last decade - it's become a game. And it has nothing to do with the price of your ticket.

If I'm not mistaken, it was wickedrocks who told me a while back that I didn't know what I was talking about when I said that ROA had hard rock music in it.

When people who claim to be experts in a topic are mistaken, they may be corrected. It isn't "bashing."

---

That is the same way they handle the stage door at the Broadhurst, at least when I went to see Equus, and personally I don't see a problem with it at all....first off, the use of the barricades allows you to actually get a chance if you saw the show, because (at least at Equus) they checked to make sure you had a ticket, which if they didn't, well the people who actually saw the show wouldn't have had a chance cause the stage door would have been swamped. And the whole thing about how they change the barricade right before the stars come out, allowing the people in the back to get to the front, are you seriously complaining about that!? Just because EVERYONE isn't smart enough to plan ahead and buy their aisle seats the second they went on sale doesn't mean they don't love these guys just as much and deserve just as much chance to meet them. Not everybody can be the first out of the theatre, and it isn't their fault, so why should they suffer and not get a chance!? That's ridiculous. personally I thought it was a really great way to run the stage door...