Why is leaving a show at intermission insulting?- Page 5

[midtowngym]

Posted: 6/14/05 at 9:15pm

I recently saw Picon Pie, a musical about Yiddish star Molly Picon. June Gable (Joey's manager from Friends!) worked hard and is quite talented. But the show wasn't very good and there were only 10 other audience members. I noticed her staring at me since I was the only one under 70 (no joke.) I didn't have the heart to leave during intermission. It would be like abandoning your mother. I did grocery shopping in my head during the second act.

Updated On: 6/14/05 at 09:15 PM

Posted: 6/14/05 at 10:06pm

Middy - certainly there are special circumstances that warrant special consideration - I'm sure there's a center-orchestra seat in heaven for you.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 8:32am

Ok, you didn't get my analogy. Understood.

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:15pm

Vbplayer, I got your analogy...I just don't think it applies to this topic. Those people who walked out of your meeting should be fired if they work for/with you and if they are clients than you are the one who should be fired.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 01:15 PM

[Tom1071]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:25pm

Why is this thread still going?

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:29pm

I don't know but posting questions like that are not going to stop it.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:35pm

Funny how some of the people posting have never performed before, but are speaking from an actors view point.

And for those of you actors who are noticing tht audience, why are you not concentrating on your work instead of being worried about who left at intermission?

To me, that's as unprofessional as peeking through the curtians to see how big the house is.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 01:35 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:38pm

"It is rude no matter which way you look at it."

No it's not.

vbplayer - So if you order something at a restaurant and it tastes horrible or even makes you feel sick, you'll eat it all anyway just so the chef's feelings won't be hurt if the waiter brings back a plate that isn't empty?

As I said before, most actors are aware that not everybody likes everything. If they're not, then that's their problem, not the audience's. People do not buy tickets to a show simply to make actors feel better (with the exception of close friends and family, who are not likely to leave at intermission anyway).

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:41pm

Rude is wasting two hours of my life sitting through something I hate.

It's two hours of my life I'll never get back.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 1:57pm

I paid for my ticket, it's my money, I think I'm entitled to decide whether or not I want to stay through the whole thing. Leaving in the middle of the act is rude....there's nothing wrong with leaving at intermission. As an actor, it IS disheartening to see people leave before the show is over, but you can't take it personally.

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 2:37pm

I agree with TheatreDiva....oh wait..that's kind of like agreeing with myself.....oh well. great screen names think alike.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 2:54pm

Give it back, you B!TCH!

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 2:57pm

No way, ya whore.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 4:22pm

Ok.....bad analogy. So I will go to my corner once again beaten down by the Legend Brigade. Aren't opinions fun?

[ckeaton]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 4:39pm

OK then here's my two cents.

Do nothing in the theatre that could distract the actors... That includes coming late and leaving early. At the interval, you are not distracting them.

I do hate it when people leave during the curtain call. Showing your backs to the actors at that time is disrespectful in my opinion. If you can get out in the final blackout, do so.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:05pm

Look, if you have been on a stage before you know that people are gonna leave during intermission and during curtain call. You get accustomed to it and it doesn't phase you in the least bit. As far as leaving a Broadway show goes, I'm sorry but am I the only person who saw 'Titanic' on Broadway? One time we had to leave at intermission because the couldn't carry on with the performance due to technical difficulties with the boat sinking. I sat through that **** three times and every single time I wished that I had left at intermission. Painful! Every theatre patron has a right to leave if they do not care for what they are seeing. If droves of people are leaving at intermission well, then the show more than likely sucks and the cast has a clue. Hell, I've been in shows that I wished that I could have left at during intermission. Now, cell phones on the other hand...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:04pm

I loved Titanic. One of my favorites, actually. It was quite well-received the night I saw it. Richard Dreyfuss stayed for the second act.

[~Jer~]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:22pm

Ok. There are certain "codes of conduct" for everything you do in life. There are certain places where you have to act a certain way, even if you paid money... If you were going to have dinner with the Queen of England and you didn't like the food, would you get up and leave or would you just suck it up?!?

The last show I directed we had the Fire Alarm go off, and we had to evacuate the theatre because the sprinkler system was going to go off (it didnt) but everyone (except 2 cars) came back in and watched the rest of the show...
Despite the uncalled for event, and how pissed they were, most people were polite and respectful enough to come back in and finish watching the show.

What I am trying to say is that it isnt polite to leave a show at intermission, if you think that you could do a better job, then you go on stage and do it - otherwise, keep your mouth shut, keep your @$$ on the seat and suck it up.

---...rant...rant...rant...---

[XOsweet_dancerOX]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 9:22pm

i'm sorry but how is it not insulting? Would you really enjoy the fact that someone left in the middle of a musical you were in? It would be quite rude. If you must be somewhere else then why go? There are many nights available to go to.

Posted: 6/16/05 at 2:25pm

I loved TITANIC as well.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 3:47pm

Well, we all have different tastes in theatre. I was just using 'Titanic' as an example. I don't think I ever saw it after they officially opened and changed the logo (the original logo was MUCH better by the way). As an actor, you cannot take someone leaving during intermission as personal. I think that is one of the things that really separates professionals from non. It's a job. You gotta do it and hopefully you love it but you can't take offense if audience members want to leave.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 4:51pm

I quite agree with Greek. As a customer and can choose to end an experience I am not enjoying.

I also think I can judge if there is any remote chance I might enjoy the 2nd act, or if the show deserves any more of my time.

There were quite a few walk-outs at Pillowman- mainly because it was just not what some people expected. Personally, I loved it, but if people are being disturbed or offended, they are quite within their rights to leave.

I knew I had to leave at the intermission of Anything Goes: I realized I was the wrong person in the wrong place. Why prolong the agony?

It would only be rude if you made a big deal of it, disturbed other patrons and interrupted the performance.

To suggest people should ENDURE a show for the sake of the performers is pure self-indulgence!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/16/05 at 5:21pm

"If you were going to have dinner with the Queen of England and you didn't like the food, would you get up and leave or would you just suck it up?!?"

I probably haven't paid a ticket to do so, but rather have been invited, nor would I be there for the food, but I would probably pretend to eat the food until dinner was finished without having to actually eat it, if possible. The point is, your analogy doesn't make sense. You go to a restaurant and pay FOR THE FOOD. You buy a ticket and go to the theatre FOR A SHOW. You have dinner with Queen Victoria to meet the Queen and admire the jewelry.

"Despite the uncalled for event, and how pissed they were, most people were polite and respectful enough to come back in and finish watching the show."

Another bad example. It had nothing to do with the actual performance. They probably came back because they liked the show and wanted to see the end. That's not what we're talking about. I don't pay money just to "suck it up" and sit through something that I personally think is terrible.

"Would you really enjoy the fact that someone left in the middle of a musical you were in?"

I have been in that very position and I thought, "Guess they didn't like it." Unless I'm doing a one-man show, I don't immediately assume that they left because they didn't like me or my performance. They could be leaving beacuse of the script or the staging or diarrhea or a hundred other reasons. As an actor, I do not expect everyone to love the show I'm performing. As an audience member, I don't expect to be held hostage until the end of show that I hate.

If I was doing a one-man show and people left at intermission, I would rethink my material. Jackie Mason has to do that every year. Sometimes premature audience departure can be constructive.

Updated On: 6/16/05 at 05:21 PM