pet peeves in theatre — Page 4

1. Large school groups where the kids are out of control and the teachers don't do anything to stop them.

2. People who smell--either from drowning themselves in perfume/aftershave or forgetting to bathe. Either way it's disgusting.

3. Men who have to sit with their legs sprawled out at 180 degree angles, taking up all the legroom on either side of them.

4. People who use their cell phones in the theatre--even if it's silent texting, it's distracting.

5. People who bring kids to the theatre when they're way too young, and then don't do anything when the kids are bored and kick the seats/whine/talk/etc. Sorry, your five year old really doesn't need to see Inishmore or Lestat...

6. People that can't be bothered to wait to be seated, and shove right past the line of patrons who *are* waiting patiently.

7. High ticket prices.

8. Actors who phone in their performances, or take off every other day.

Marona, I am with you on the large school group thing! At the June 14th matinee of Hot Feet, the entire upper balcony was full of out of control kids. I couldn't take it and asked the usher if I could move down. She said no problem. (She actually told me that I could move to the dress circle but I didn't) I had almost an entire section in the lower balcony to myself during the second half.

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I hate people who take a half hour to open a sinple candy wrapper!

I think most of my pet peeves involve the audience.

1. After carefully selecting my ticket online or at the theater boxoffice in order to get the best possible view, having some big tall person (who is usually next to a small person) sit right in front of me, blocking my view.

2. At Mamma Mia, I knew the woman next to me (a large woman whose heated fat spilled over into my seat) was going to be trouble when she started gyrating in her seat to the overture and later started singing to the songs. If that wasn't bad enough, she was chewing gum with her mouth open and I could keep seeing her jaw making these huge movements.

3. Yes, knees in the back or a seat ahead being so close that it damages my knees.

4. People who are sick and cough a lot.

5. Flash cameras.

6. Mothers who manage to squeeze their way through where you are waiting outside the stage door and get their kid in front of you.

7. Obnoxious fans who shout out stars' first names like they are best friends with them.

8. People who get multiple items signed, and you know they are going to end up on ebay.

I also have peeves regarding Broadway theaters:

1. No elevators to get to the top mezz. (And why do they put the oldest ushers way up there?)

2. Tiny, cramped seats.

3. Some have nasty or cold personnel.

4. Getting a ticket from online or the boxoffice and being assured it is the best possible, but when getting to the theater find there are plenty of seats more center and closer.

5. Ushers who don't take away flash cameras.

Updated On: 6/26/06 at 02:29 PM

This past week I saw both The History Boys and Shining City and both times I heard feedbacks from those hearing devices. It's annoying having to hear everything TWICE.

And why on earth are theatres so damn cold? I know it's the summer but c'mon!

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I don't believe I have ever heard the term "phone in a performance". Can someone please explain?

In regards to tall people:

It annoys me if I move to the left or right to see around the tall person, and then as soon as I do that, they shift in their seat, only to block my view again!

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Yes. I meant to mention that before. It becomes a chain reaction.

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I hate armrest hogs. The seats are cramped enough, I don't need another limb to be squeezed in there.

I hate it when people eat fast food right next to me! It happened last week. I had the smell of Subway to my left for the first 30 minutes at least. But it made me want to grab a bite!
CV:)

A general (and yes, some may think irrational) pet peeve of mine is when people are clapping along with music to the wrong beat. (Like on the up beat rather than the down beat.) The two women sitting next to me during Jersey Boys clapped along to every song on the wrong beat. Drove me nuts! It just grates on my ears and ruins songs for me! Sorry, maybe I'm a bit crazy and unreasonable. I don't know why it bothers me so much.

Updated On: 6/28/06 at 11:36 PM

Nasty Ushers

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Maybe not a legitimate critisim, but a 'peeve'...

I think it sucks that there is only one real thrust theater stage on Broadway (or, I think this is the case...) at Lincoln Center. I really dislike proscenium theaters because I would LIKE to sit at the back of the orchestra, but hate having the mezzanine above my head and cutting off the view of the entire stage. I also like the idea of looking down on the stage better than looking up at it.

My favorite stage in NYC configuration-wise is the Delcorte in Central Park - where even the bad seats are pretty decent.

I guess Broadway theater is so expensive to produce, they have to cram as many people into a limited amount of space as possible - but for a city which is supposedly so devoted to theater - I think a lack of more thrust stages is really lame.

My sincere apologies to all you proscenium theater lovers out there!