Turn Those Cell Phones Off!

[theatretalk]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:43am

I am shocked and appalled by the lack of audience member consideration in theater. During recent performances, I have watched people text message. I have also heard cell phones ring. Are there any places that are cell phone free zones? It is crazy how the very device that unites at the same time isolates. A cell phone represents a device that whenever it is present causes you to be potentially absent. Isn't theater a time where you can simply sit, relax, and enjoy the moments? There was a beautiful line in Sarah Ruhl's, "Dead Man's Cell Phone" that summarizes this all. In the background we hear a hymn by Rogers and Hammerstein, "You'll Never Walk Alone." A character from the play says, "That's right. Because you'll always have the machine in your pocket that might ring." Is this machine in our pocket a good or bad thing while sitting in a theater? Certainly a question worth examining.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:51am

The best part of that show was when the phone rang during the funeral and Kathleen Chalfant looked at the audience and said "Would you please turn that fu*cking phone off?"

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:53am

There are devices to block cel phone signals - I think its time to put them in theatres - the audience will continue to recieve calls and text until they are stopped from doing so.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:02am

I'd do anything to have cell phone blockers in theaters.

I'm so paranoid about having mine off - I don't even trust it to be on silent, I usually just power the entire thing off.

And having it on silent but texting the whole time is ALMOST worse than having one ring. I hate that so much. It is really distracting to people around you. If you can't sit still and pay attention to a show for 2 or so hours, you shouldn't be there at all.

[george95]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:40am

I really think a lot of people don't understand why the text messaing is a nuisance. When you tell them that the light from it is distracting and like a flashlight in the face of the person behind them, people always say "Well I dont mind when other people have their phones out." Its so frustrating.

I actually just had a falling out with a close friend over this. A few weeks ago we sat front and center at Phantom, and at the end of the intermission, he was doing something on his phone, and the usher came by and asked him to put it away. He said "I'm turnging it off now" And when she walked away, he said "If you weren't here I would have really said something nasty to her" He said since I was a "theater person" he would restrain himself from starting with the usher.
I asked him if he thought it would be better for the usher to wait til act II started and then come tell him to turn his phone off, and he said yes, because then it should be off, it could still be on at intermission. I reminded him that he's in the front row, so there are rows and rows of people who would have been distracted by his phone.
And then sure enough, a few minutes after Act II started, the usher came back and told someone in the 2nd row to put away a cellphone. I whispered to him "oh yeah that's MUCH better now when its disrupting the show for all of us" He got so mad at me he wouldn't even say goodbye, and I haven't spoken to him since then!

[Mamie]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:38am

Since these people obviously have no concept of the words 'consideration' and 'respect' for other people, you'd think they'd at least respect their almightly dollars that went into those theatre tickets. Talking and texting are more important than that?!

[blondebaby589]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:49pm

Cell phones can also mess with the sound systems. Yet another reason to turn them off.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:59pm

Total distraction! Someone in the box not only kept checking the time on his cell phone (light on) but he even called in to retrieve his message "Push 1 to listen to you message, Push 2 to.."

At intermission, at my request, the usher went over to him to request that he stop because people were bothered by his distraction.

Escape from life for 2-3 hours people! The world will still be there when you are finished with the show.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:07pm

Back in June I was at Legally Blonde. A man two rows in front of me was texting while his kids played portable games - Nintendo DS I think. You spent all that money for you, your wife, and three kids to see the show and they played all through Act I.

The person in front of me said something during intermission and he argued that his kids couldn't sit still for that long. If he knew that ahead of time why bring them to the theatre?

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:17pm

And they've really got to be off and not just on silent. The buzz from the vibrate mode can be incredibly loud and, of course, if someone gets a call the phone will vibrate the message alert throughout the show at fixed intervals.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:21pm

They've started getting amusingly/depressingly strict with cellphone announcements in the West End. When I saw 'Zorro', they made a point of explaining to people that the screens of Blackberries were terrifically bright and distracting so OFF meant OFF. And when I saw 'The Woman in Black' last time, they did an additional announcement at the top of act two reminding people to switch off their phones if they'd turned them on during the interval. They also did the pre-show announcement in Japanese as well as English, but it was Japanese Week, so it made sense at least. XD

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:24pm

Yep, the sound system is a big reason phones need to be off, and not just on silent or vibrate. Also, I did not know this, but one of the ushers at Xanadu was telling people that their phones could make the projector with the chalk drawing on the stage turn off too. Obviously that is a big part of the show.

[george95]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:46pm

One good thing about always taking my students on trips to shows is that I get to say nice and loud before the show "Ok everyone turn off your phones! Let me see that they are off!" And sure enough, one of my students will whisper to me about some person near us who is still texting/calling, and I'll say in a loud voice "Oh I'm sure they'll turn off their phones too, Don't worry his phone will not bother you because I'm sure he will turn if off well before the show starts!"
I always hope that people are embarrassed to be bad role models to the kids so they turn their phone off out of guilt : )

[jv92]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 3:15pm

There's a very special announcement being made before both acts of Gypsy regarding cell phones. Gotta love Patti.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 4:08pm

Britney Spears kept looking at her Blackberry during In the Heights. It was distracting. Almost as distracting as Britney Spears sitting a few rows ahead of me.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 4:21pm

Why should they? There are rarely any real repercussions to the perpetrators. Until theatres start getting serious in the way they deal with the problem it ain't gonna get any better.

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 5:18pm

I was at Salome at Lincoln Center last week and they have apparently installed a cell blocker there. When my friend and I went to turn ours off, neither of us (different networks) had signals, and we checked again at the end and got no signal until we were outside. I was thrilled.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 5:20pm

I thought that was illegal.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 5:45pm

I was surprised to read in my South Pacific program back in August, that cell phones need to be OFF and not just on silent. I can understand why though, especially if it's going to mess with the sound system. As Pocketsquared Fanadu said about Lincoln Center, maybe they installed one at South Pacific since then.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 8:11pm

Fanadu - I hope you are right about a cell blocker at the MET. I attended a performance of Die Walkure last spring, and a cell phone went off in the row just in front of me during the MAGIC FIRE MUSIC!

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:27pm

At Cyrano, the man next to me answered his phone during the final scene.

[winston89]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:51pm

They can't have cell phone blockers at the met those aren't legal. If they were then every broadway theatre would have them.

And the problem with those is that they don't just block the cell phone reception in the theatre they block cell phone reception around the outside of the theatre as well. So even though you might be sitting and seeing a show there could be a person who is just walking down the street while the show is going on and not be able to talk on his phone. I understand that you all don't like having cell phones going off during the show and I am in the same boat. But, why should some innocent guy walking down the street who doesn't even want to see the show suffer?

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:16pm

I guess I don't characterize inability to use a cell phone as "suffering." Amazingly, until fifteen years ago, the human race managed quite well with no cell phone reception at all, anywhere.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 4:17am

I think that using a cell phone to either receive a call or text someone during any kind of performance is disgraceful!! If he/she gets caught by an usher, I think they should be removed from the theater. Obviously, they weren't that interested in the show anyway....

[thtrbear]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 5:46am

I think they should make a point of mentioning texting and reading your lit-up phone/blackberry, in the pre-show announcement. Most people know they're SUPPOSED to turn off their phone or not talk on it during a show, but there are obviously legions of people who have no idea there's any objection to texting. And get very pissed off if you say so! At a minimum they could say "and please- no texting" so it wouldn't have to take up time- with what they are charging for tix and paying their employees, maybe they could have thought of this a year ago.

somewhat o/t: and please don't file your nails with an emory board; it makes NOISE; I don't think this has happened at a play but it has at 2 movies so far. A lot of people have no awareness whatever that things they do produce noise: constantly rubbing your trouser leg (noisy to the person in front of you in stadium-type seating like off-bway), fidgeting with your program, opening it at the York at the beginning of every song (folded Xerox paper is noisier than a Playbill), jangling bracelets, etc.