When did Stagedooring become a necessity? — Page 3

The majority of my friends who I have gone to see shows with in NYC and DC, including my partner, would never even think of stagedooring. Granted, none of them are as enthusiastic about live theater as I am, and none of them log on to BWW. If I see a show with a friend who like me...loves Broadway and loves the magic of live theater, I will ask that person if they want to hang at the stage door. I have only ever wanted to stage door to actually meet the cast if I have felt a need to thank an actor for their performance. If I'm by myself though, I do enjoy going and watching the other people meet the cast. I also like going to a show after it has been nominated for or won an award to say congratulations. Or if I have a cush on a an actor. (Cough..cough...cheyenne jackson"). If I knew where the stage door was at the Delacorte I would have definately gone to say thank you to the cast of HAIR. I did get to say thanks to Will Swensen when everyone got up on to the stage at the end on Tuesday though.

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I do not stage door. I have in the past, but I dont do it anymore.

I don't do it, but I see nothing wrong in stage dooring.

But I also don't see anything wrong in actors who want to ignore the people stage dooring or actors who want to go out another door and skip the people all together.
The actors owe nothing to people stage dooring - they don't have to sign autographs, they don't have to pose for pictures, they don't even have to be nice.

I've never "stage doored," before. I'm a performer, I do a lot of musical theatre here in LA. Just don't feel comfortable asking a total stranger for an autograph.

I have a dear friend who lives in NYC and he stage doors, all the shows that he sees. But, he does it because he collects all the Playbills, adds them to his collection, etc. He's not demented like a lot of the people who stage door are.

There are soooooooooooooo many people who stage door the same show over and over and over and over again.......getting a person's autograph for the 55th time, getting their picture for the 347th time. Thinking that they have some "connection" to the actor, because I WAS FIRST IN LINE TONIGHT, or I GOT MY PICTURE FIRST TONIGHT. These kinds of people are clearly demented...demented beyond belief!

Then they go online and post how they are friends with the actors, blah blah blah. Obvioulsy, that's not true, because if you were, in fact, "friends" with the actor/actors, why would you have to tell everyone? You would be secure enough not to make people think that you're friends with them.

Then if their favorite performer walks by them at the stage door and doesn't look at them for 587th time, then they go on this board and post HOW RUDE that actor is.

There is nothing in any actor's contract that says that they have to "stage door." Many performers will go out a side entrance when they arrive and leave the theatre. It's their choice to sign, pose for pics, etc. They have absolutely no obligation whatsoever to "stage door."

There have been quite a few postings on here from people that get angry with various performers because they don't leave from the stage door and talk to them. They don't have to do that.

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 12:39 PM

Oh please do tell about the stories involving fans and Susan Blackwell after Title of Show. I saw the show tonight and enjoyed it very much. The cast was very friendly and genuinely appreciative of everyone's kind remarks...same goes with the cast of Boeing Boeing, which I saw last night. Christine Baranski was a very kind and warm person. Greg Germann, who took longer than usual to come out (the stage door manager was starting to get annoyed) because he was having a long phone conversation and when he did come out, he was sort of moody. Gina Gershon did come out last night...I've been told that in the past she would sneak out the side door on the opposite side of the front entrance because she was moody due to some comments about her performance in some reviews or articles on the show. When she did come out, she was quite a nice lady. Thus, if any of you haven't seen either of these shows and like to go to the stage door after the show, you'll have some pretty good luck with obtaining signatures.