cellphone incident at BURN THE FLOOR thursday

[BroadwayLuv]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 2:41pm

I was appalled by something I witnessed Thurs. nite at BURN THE FLOOR. There was a group of 4 young people (together) in a row. For the half hour before showtime, 2 of them were texting or whatever nonstop. These were not cellphones but IPhone or Blackberry--one with a bigger screen. When the lights went down, an annoucement was made to turn off cell phones, and the first 2 performers came on stage, one of the women was still texting. The person behind her told her to stop, the show was starting. I guess the texter said she was almost done or something like that, but the other person repeated that she should stop immediately. A guy in the group of 4 then started telling the person behind them to chill out. At intermission he started yelling, cursing at the person, saying she was a horrible person and shouldn't be allowed in a theater. And he wouldn't let up. He even threatened to have her kicked out of the theater (for trying to stop during-show texting???). The mgr. and ushers got involved and it was quiet from then on. But WTF? The person objecting to the cellphone use is the bad guy? Isn't it technically illegal to be using your cellphone in a theater?

[saveusmike]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 2:55pm

I actually do believe its a crime. I remember reading in the times that the lights and noise can be distracting and even harmful to the actors. Not to mention they cant be sure if your taking pictures which is highly illegal since the show/set/everything is all protected by a copyright law.

I doubt though the police would be called (or even take it serious) for someone texting but they should deffinetly be escorted out of the theater,

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 2:56pm

Where's Patti when you need her? She would've straightened that kid out.
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 02:56 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 2:58pm

"The person objecting to the cellphone use is the bad guy? Isn't it technically illegal to be using your cellphone in a theater?"

It isn't illegal to use your cell phone in the theater; however, it is proper theater etiquette to neither text nor talk on your phone during the show (before show and intermission I do not care about).

I don't think a person objecting to cell phone use should be the "bad guy" unless he started making a big fuss that is more distracting than the cell phone incident.

From you story, it sounds like the person was did not like the texting is not the bad guy. Did the ushers get mad at him or the other party for yelling? He told people to stop texting. If they refused, the person should have spoken to an usher or the house manager instead of trying to provoke the situation more by telling them to "stop immediately." Technically as a patron, the person was right in asking if the girl would stop texting, but if the other party won't listen, he should have spoke to a worker right away. Perhaps the intermission situation would have been avoided.

ETA: Let me clarify what I said about cell phone use in the theater. It isn't illegal to talk/text on the phone. You can be asked to leave a performance for distracting patrons during the show, but you cannot be arrested unless you cause a scene or some nonsense; however, it is illegal to take cell phone pictures because the material is copyrighted.

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 02:58 PM

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:09pm

Nope. Since 2003, it is against New York City law to use your cell phone in a theater.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/04/13/broadway.cellphone.ban.reut/

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:12pm

Then the pre-show announcements should say "It's illegal to use a cell phone." Though I doubt it will make much of a difference.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:14pm

Some do. I know that I have heard pre-show announcements saying something like, "It is against the law to use your cell phone during the performance. Please turn it off now." But it should be more. I don't know if it will help, but it can't hurt.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:16pm

Cell phone use in New York City theatres has been illegal since April of 2003 when the city council passed a measure banning use within "any indoor theater, library, museum, gallery, motion picture theater, concert hall or building in which theatrical, musical, dance, motion picture, lecture or other similar performances are exhibited." The law carried a $50 fine.

However, Mayor Bloomberg has always been against this law because he says it's unenforceable, so don't expect any effort to catch and fine offenders while he's in office.

EDIT: Ah, I see you already posted a link while I was writing this.
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 03:16 PM

[saveusmike]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:16pm

The theaters do take taking pictures extremly serious.

I can atleast recall 3 shows (phantom,shrek,avenue q) where the people who gave out the playbills yelled at people to put their cameras away or be escorted out. Once in Shrek this asian woman told a woman to delete a picture she took or she would @_@

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:38pm

Well some of the ushers at Shrek have like a bug craled up there ass and are really aren't nice people. The only person there that I actually liked was the lady that sat people for the right orchestra. She was very nice.
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 03:38 PM

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:40pm

^

Maybe they're just trying to get into the 'ogre' spirit?


They should have the ushers at Mermaid make fish faces at the audience. :)

"Excuse me, sir, I can't find my s--"

"O_O Glub, glub."
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 03:40 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 3:46pm

It really depends upon the theater and the ushers how good they are about taking pix. At Ave Q last week the ushers were FABULOUS.

I have a susupicion there might be more to the story than you know. I cannot imagine someone holding rage in until intermission from one "put away your cell phone". So, I'm guessing that the texter continued to text and continued to be reprimanded. And if that's the case....an usher should have been contacted instead of the patron taking it into his own hands.

I don't know if I posted this previously: At Shrek, back in April, a man sitting on the aisle a few rows away from me was contantly on his cell phone all through Act I. I found it terribly distracting (OK, if the show was better maybe it wouldn't have been, but I digress) At intermission, I talked to an usher that had been pretty vocal PRE-show. She made sure that she knew who I was speaking of and APOLOGIZED for the disruption. I have no idea what was said, but there was NO texting during Act II.

Sorry for the detour.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:19pm

"Cell phone use in New York City theatres has been illegal since April of 2003 when the city council passed a measure banning use within "any indoor theater, library, museum, gallery, motion picture theater, concert hall or building in which theatrical, musical, dance, motion picture, lecture or other similar performances are exhibited." The law carried a $50 fine."

True.

"However, Mayor Bloomberg has always been against this law because he says it's unenforceable, so don't expect any effort to catch and fine offenders while he's in office."

True again. Aside from First Amendment and possibly safety issues, the law narrowly defines the word "use" and would not include texting. So as far as texting, it would not be illegal.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:37pm

I don't think Bloomberg has much to do with the enforcement. What are you going to do: post a cop in each theater for each performance?

Unless an officer is personally being distrubed by an offender, it will never be enforced.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:49pm

Yero My Hero: Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was totally unaware of that law. It obviously is not being enforced because I haven't heard of anyone being fined. I think the problem is most people don't even know there is a law banning cell phone use in the theater.

Speaking from a theater etiquette point of view, I don't see anything wrong with someone using their phones in the theater, as long as it is during intermission or before the show. Additionally, they should use it responsibly and remember to turn off the phone or silence it during the performance.

[saveusmike]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:54pm

I dont know about you all but I think its silly we even need to require such a law.
When I go to theater my cell phone goes on vibrate. If I get a text or call I look at intermission. (I only leave it out incase of emergency)

But what happend to common courtesy and etiquete?

We shouldnt have to tell people to not use there phones during a show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 5:57pm

No, we shouldnt' HAVE to, but we do.

We still have to explain how its RUDE to wear a hat indoors.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 6:10pm

don't ushers have a job to watch out for that stuff? or are they REALLY just there to take tickets and show people to their seats... when i went to san diego comic con this year it was crazy... they made announcements that people were not allowed to film any of the footage shown on the screens and if anybody was seen even remotely showing something as much as a screen they would be removed... and they did! it was crazy how this woman next to me claimed she was turning off her cell phone but that didn't stop the ushers from pulling her out of her seat and then bringing her into a back room so she could prove she was just turning it off and not filming... i'll just say this... she never came back!!! i honestly think ushers need to be watching from the back the whole show to make sure people are being respectful... but that's just my opinion

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 6:19pm

I think they TRY to (well, some of them) but unless the offender is sitting on the aisle, they are going to end up disrupting about three or more rows of people by trying to take care of it. Once the show starts, it's a slippery slope.