Unpleasant theater audiences — Page 5

why did the theatres allow snacks and candy in the theatre

Money of course. They literally care about nothing else. Not if people are respectful of one another, if people start fighting, if people scream "THIS IS SO BORING!" when Daniel Craig is speaking, if someone gets off to Tom Hiddleston in the middle of a dialogue. All they care about is cramming as many people in as possible, regardless of how miserable people are being are to one another. I have now heard about assaults, verbal abuse, criminal threats and other illegal sh*t. Security is too soft, it's disgusting and they need to be trained better. If you cannot follow rules in a theater, your ass will be kicked out or you will be arrested. Simple.

And it will never stop being this way until no one shows up to any Broadway shows, which will never, ever happen.

Thanks for the kind words all. Now I'm a big guy and this woman wasn't all the large as I remember but it still rattled me when she wouldn't shut up about me calling her out about recording. She had said it wasn't going to ruin her night yet I think that's exactly what she ended up doing.

I thought about contacting a house manager and believe me, as I was walking up the aisle and up the stairs I kept waiting for someone or something to bop me on the head (more likely the bag she was carrying with her water and snacks in it).

In retrospect i probably should have gotten someone at the beginning of the show. Next time will be different.

Recently at a Performance of Sweeney Todd. I was enjoying Act 1 along with the rest of the patrons of the theater. That includes laughing at the comedic moments. There was a young lady sitting behind me who was also enjoying the show and laughed at appropriate moments along with the rest of us. When Act 1 ended the woman who was next to me in my row turned around to the young girl and yelled " I wish you would find another way to laugh your laugh is obnoxious" At first, I thought they were together but then I realized the young lady did not know this woman. At this point she had made such a scene that she embarrassed the young lady almost on the brink of tears. My friend and I asked the young lady if they were together. The young girl shook her head No with tears swelling in her eyes and I lost it. Now, we all paid our money to enjoy a night at the theatre. No one has the right to tell someone how they should laugh or enjoy themselves. She was not disrupting the show in any way. I told the lady in my row that she was completely out of order and gave her a piece of my mind. I asked if she planned to reprimand every other patron in the theatre for laughing or just the ethnic young lady? How Rude! luckily we were able to get the young theatre student moved to another seat thanks to the amazing house manager who quickly defused the situation. I don't know what has gotten into people these days but they are out of control.

Saw 2:22 A Ghost Story in London today. The gentleman sitting in the seat next to me took his phone out in the first act because someone was trying to call him. Rather than do the right thing and turn the phone off, HE FREAKING ANSWERED THE CALL!!!! He was on the phone for like 2 minutes. When he finally ended the call, I thought that was the end. NOPE! He made another call which probably lasted for like 30 seconds, and spent the next 15 minutes texting. I whispered to him to turn it off, but I don't think he heard me. I did not want to escalate anything, but clearly, this man either did not want to be at the theatre or just does not understand the rules. I still do not know how the ushers did not see him as they were in the audience. Guess he was just lucky or something. Still, it's very rude to other people and the actors on stage.

Somehow, theaters got along just fine without allowing food and drink into the theater - when did that begin - in the 90s or late 80s? It's like people cannot sit without their little sippy cups of whatever or stuffing food into their gaping maws for a couple of hours - you know, like audiences did for decades. But how many people here who are complaining about this disruptive behavior (along with cell phones, texting, and that stupidity) whoop and holler every time some singer hit a high note, like it was an episode of American Idol or AGT? How many people scream like banshees after every number? How many attempt to do those inane mid-show standing ovations, again as if they were watching an episode of American Idol, which is where all THAT behavior comes from? It's simply a chore and a bore to go to most musical theater today.

BrodyFosse123 said: "The food and drink scenario started in the late 2000s. I’m remembering shows from the early 2000s and none of them had sippy cups. We were still in the era of no drinks or food being permitted past the lobby. You had to gulp your beer down or eat your brownie before entering the house to walk to your seat - with ushers holding fort monitoring the doorway."

Maybe just me, but I hate sitting next to ppl who drink during the show - the smell from their breath - OMG - I still remember the breath smell from this women sitting next to me in Jagged Little Pill - I had to cover my nose whenever she whispered to her friend.



Does Ambassador Theatre Group sell crunchy snacks to patrons? When I saw Salesman at the Hudson, the couple next to me was snacking half of the time, the noise was very distracting. Not sure if they bought the it from the concierge or outside. Asking this because I found ATG quite greedy in general LOL

I'm so sorry that happened to you @buddystarr. Feeling frustrated and distracted is one thing, feeling unsafe is another.

My struggle is always to either silently suffer or say something and risk setting the patron off, making more of a scene.

I was at & Juliet the Tuesday after Tony's (hmm a theme here... maybe that show needs to explore a more in-your-face announcement rather than just a sign). I was in the front row next to a woman who shamelessly filmed all of Larger Than Life, had her feet up, pressed against the stage, took Pringles out at a tender moment, checking texts etc. Sitting so close, I was mortified the cast would think I was with her. However, hearing stories like @buddystarr I'm nervous to say anything because I just don't want anymore attention in my direction.

I ended up moving to an open row, but it's such an obnoxious situation that can eat this anxious theatre goer alive. Ruins the whole night!

60'splayoff said: "I'm so sorry that happened to you @buddystarr. Feeling frustrated and distracted is one thing, feeling unsafe is another.

My struggle is always to either silently suffer or say something and risk setting the patron off, making more of a scene.

I was at & Juliet the Tuesday after Tony's (hmm a theme here... maybe that show needs to explore a more in-your-face announcement rather than just a sign). I was in the front row next to a woman who shamelessly filmed all of Larger Than Life, had her feet up, pressed against the stage, took Pringles out at a tender moment, checking texts etc. Sitting so close, I was mortified the cast would think I was with her. However, hearing stories like @buddystarr I'm nervous to say anything because I just don't want anymore attention in my direction.

I ended up moving to an open row, but it's such an obnoxious situation that can eat this anxious theatre goer alive. Ruins the whole night!"

Thanks. yeah I thought the same thing about the show maybe being a bit more proactive in their "no recording/picture taking" policies.

Sorry you had to go through this too, it really does make an unpleasant experience and taints future visits to live theatre.

So another interesting interaction last night at the Cottage. Luckily it wasn’t directed at me. My friend and I were walking down 44th street after the Cottage got out and crossed the street headed towards 8th Ave. This young girl was on the side of my friend who was holding his Playbill up and she said to him “Did you enjoy the play?”

Without waiting for an answer she said “I couldn’t”. Those four women up there (they were ahead of us on the street) talked throughout the whole play and even took a selfie in the middle of it, I didn’t want to make a scene.”

We just kept walking toward 8th avenue when the woman who was talking to us hurriedly pushed/shoved one or two of the women into the street and continued to cross 8th Avenue. One of the four women said “she just assaulted us” while another of the four took out her phone and started recording the women who did the shoving following her across the street. (We were also following them because the “walk” sign was lit.

I was sort of not shocked how this behavior in the theatre is manifesting itself outside of the theatre.

dramamama611 said: "She didn't want to make a scene but then assaulted the women? Sheesh. She could have pushed them in front of an oncoming car. Road Rage Broadway Style? Sounds like they were all in the wrong."

Actually, under New York Penal Law 120.00, for an assault to have occurred there must be a physical injury and intent to harm. This was just rude behavior.

I feel like opening a can of worms this morning, so let me leave you with this:

When I was at the final final performance of Phantom of the Opera closing (yes, that one with the gala) I had never experienced such a disruptive crowd. Not with applauses or anything... but with RECORDING. During the final Masquerade... I do not exaggerate when I say EVERYONE pulled out their phones to record. Did the ushers or anyone care? Not really, but it created a wave of phone screens being held up which was insanely distracting. One man in front of me kept his flash on throughout THE WHOLE SONG, not stopping to think how disruptive he was.

Now here's the thing: This audience is 95% theatre workers/VIPs... one would think they know theatre etiquette. So here's the question: Did I overreact by being pissed off that multiple people ruined a special memory because they wanted a keepsake on their mobile device? Or have we lost all hope of humanity remaining a shred of shame? Because I swear people just don't feel shame for their actions anymore.

Anyway, shoutout unrelated to Laird for being a kick ass Phantom that night. What a show. But the phones will always stick out for me.

Being a theatre professional def does not guarantee they know how to behave in the theatre. (I already wrote in this thread )I was at ITW at St James. This woman sitting behind me is a working actor (she kept talking about it loudly before the show / during intermission, something about herself and her boyfriend working in TMM with Hugh Jackman). You would expect her to respect the performers and audience better right ? But no! She was snacking at the beginning of act 2 (the noise of the crunchy snack did make me hungry tbh LOL)

Updated On: 8/11/23 at 11:34 AM

I'm just tired of garbage people.

As a New Yorker, I call them out. If they don't like it, they can tell me to my face. They usually don't.

Weak, rude, stupid people pipe down immediately and are usually smart enough to be embarrassed.