Who’s stagedooring?

Tell your friend to go home directly after the show, stage dooring during a pandemic is stupid.

Nobody is (I would hope). I'll admit that I waved to Timothy Hughes from a distance (he was NOT stage-dooring, btw, luckily) after I saw Hadestown in November but for the love of everything, please don't actually try to stage door! It's not worth the risk to yourself or the cast. It's not even allowed at the moment.

If you want a hello, maybe you could hit up Cameo. If you want a signed playbill you might be able to mail one out [edit: with a donation]. I don't think any shows - Broadway, touring, West End, regional, or otherwise - have stage-dooring in place right now, as well they shouldn't! I understand wanting to compliment the cast (and get material things such as selfies or autographs) but please know that, right now, it's not worth it and is frankly stupid and risky.

Updated On: 12/30/21 at 11:54 PM

I spend much less time with MDs after musicals - if I don't already personally know whoever is conducting, I would just introduce myself and my goals, and ask for a phone number / email address to reach out to in the future for a phone call or Zoom conversation. All masked and more distant, of course.

Miguel from Hamilton is probably the only one admitting to doing it

broadwayfan128 said: "Miguel from Hamilton is probably the only one admitting to doing it"

Is he actually? Shame on any performer setting awful precedents.

Love this idea

wondering who should I write the check to for the donation / signing my playbill

I am no conservative, but this is ridiculous. Any activity in which people are outdoors and masked is low risk compared to anything except quarantining.

I totally get it if there are a ton of people not wearing masks or if the actors aren't wearing masks, but if everyone stays masked, it is less risky than going to the grocery store.

Just like ANY activity that has resumed since the initial shutdowns (including live theater itself), it needs some extra work put into it, but can be done responsibly.

quizking101 said: "jkcohen626 said: "I am no conservative, but this is ridiculous. Any activity in which people are outdoors and masked is low risk compared to anything except quarantining.

I totally get it if there are a ton of people not wearing masks or if the actors aren't wearing masks, but if everyone stays masked, it is less risky than going to the grocery store.

Just like ANY activity that has resumed since the initial shutdowns (including live theater itself), it needs some extra work put into it, but can be done responsibly."

Masking becomes much harder to enforce when you’re outside the theatre, plus also with all of the shutdowns going on, you can bet that Equity and the shows are trying protect their casts best they can with this policy because one fan interaction could be the reason a show gets cancelled a few days later. Since stagedooring is considered an “optional” activity for most actors (meaning, it’s not mandated in their contract), many would likely swerve to avoid anyway for the the sake of their own health (which you would see with just regular seasonal illness).

They don’t owe you nothing other than a performance."

EXACTLY!! Agree with you 100%. I don’t get the point of waiting for a brief wave anyway, when most people there (ugh, I hate when people who haven’t seen the show stagedoor but that’s a WHOLE other conversation) have just spent a few hours inside the theater with those performers. What’s the point of waiting for a split second wave??

Realistically if everyone is masked it makes no difference if someone signs a playbill with their own sharpie, as Uzo Aduba has been doing. Actors go close to people in other settings, probably maskless too.

Some people are so uppity about it.

spicemonkey said: "Love this idea

wondering who should I write the check to for the donation / signing my playbill"

What I did was donate online and send the donation confirmation page. I didn’t want to worry about tracking the check and see if/when/how long it took to deposit. It worked with DEH stage managers so I’m assuming it would work with other shows too.