Why is leaving a show at intermission insulting? — Page 3

I just like to remember every rule has exceptions. When I saw Little Shop of Horrors, I was next to a little girl with her mom. She was very anxious going in, asking if it was going to be scary, etc. She was pretty scared and the mom kept saying no it's funny. She was like 6, she wasn't getting it. After Orin was eaten, the girl was absolutely terrified, she refused to look. Thank god they left at intermission, I felt so bad for the child and the stupid mom who didn't realize her child would be scared. As soon as Mushnik was eaten, I turned to my dad and said this part would have given her so much nightmares...

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As a theatre reviewer I am given a pair of free tickets to each show. I feel to give a proper evaluation I have to stay and see the whole show. Sometimes a weak first act will give way to a stronger second act. (BOUNCE being a prime recent example of that.) And its not as if I have someplace beter to go.

I feel bad sometimes when I can't find someone to go with me and an expensive seats goes vacant, but fortunately I have several friends who enjoy theatre and can usually go with me. No one has ever wanted to leave at intermission so far.

That said, if you really hate a show I would rather you left rather than being restless in your seat or whispering nasty comments to your companion making them giggle! (Yes..I have witnessed this type of behavior.)

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I don't think there's anything wrong with leaving at intermission. Whether the ticket was free or whether I payed $100 for it, it's my right as an audience member to walk out if I'm not being entertained.

People who think leaving at intermission - or any other time before the end - is rude, seriously - get a grip.

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I agree with Munk, that ticket is not a requirement to sit through something you choose not to.

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Hi SUMOFALLTHINGS...

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Thanks

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Better to waste the money than waste the time.

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If you go to a restauraunt and the food tastes terrible, do you eat it all just so the chef's feelings won't be hurt?

It's not rude to leave during intermission. I've done it a few times. If you buy a ticket, the show already has your money. If you think the first act is painful enough to want to make you leave, then there is no logical reason for someone to force themselves to sit through something that they hate. Most performers usually understand that not every show is to everyone's taste. And as for insulting, I have been to a couple of shows where it was the audience that was insulted. And most of the time, the cast knows it, but they get paid whether people stay for the entire show or leave.

Slipping out at intermission is not unsulting, but doing so during the middle of an act definitely is, and I've done that before as well. There are times when every aspect of a "professional" production is so bad, that the audience will make a statement about being ripped off. This was the case with the 25th Anniversary Tour of Hair. I left after "Donna" and many others followed before intermission. It was like a high school production of Red White and Blaine. I'm not exaggerating. They had no business charging what they did for that production. I would have left before intermission during Man of La Mancha in Madrid, but my boyfriend felt embarrassed to do it. He usually stays to the end for EVERY show, but even he couldn't wait to get out of there. It was THAT BAD.

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I'm a firm believer in "let's cut our losses". Besides, I've seldom seen a second act save a show with a bad first act.

If the actors are true professionals, they will have a thick skin. I have walked out of a few plays after the first intermission. As a paying customer, it's more rude for them to give me a mediocre production than me walking out during the intermission.

If the actors or writers can't handle it, they need to find a new job. The artistic world is ruthless when it come to reviews and its patrons. I've been to concerts where people actually booed the performers because they were playing like crap. I saw the same band the next day and they played 100x better.

I saw a matinee of Forbidden Broadway on a Wed. and the theatre was relatively empty, there was class trip there and about 30 other people in the theatre (if that).

When I saw it, I took my friend who is a comedian. We were in like the 3 row center, the actors couldn't miss us. At intermission, my friend turned to me and said, "I can't do this" and walked out. I was speechless.

ALso when I went to the vanessa williams concert this past christmass, half the theatre left during intermission.

I'm not sure if Vanessa knew, but I know the Forbidden Broadway cast noticed.

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My friend is not really into theatre so she didn't get most of the jokes. But I really thought it was funny and I haven't seen all the shows they were singing about at the time. The class that wasd there didn't get the show either, they were talking thru out the whole show. I really really felt bad.

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