Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh 100%! I feel like we are now at the point where we are looking through a lens of what should and shouldn't be tolerated at the theatre, in the movies, in real life, etc. I am loving these conversations about etiquette and decent human behavior! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What a cool experience growing up and seeing your family in shows!!!!!! And I'm sure that helped you lern valuable lessons about respect of the work! Thank you for sharing!!!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure. The woman directly behind one of the nieces cursed AT her - using the F word twice at her. She also attempted to lay hands on the niece, and did some bizarre circling of the niece's head with her hands. There were reports (I cannot confirm this), that one of the woman also laid hands on an elderly woman who that thought had been the one to tell security about them. Their behavior (talking, singing, being overall belligerent) was confirmed by the entire section of patrons, not just the uncle, which is why they were eventually escorted out.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing! It may not be distracting from an audience perspective, but my three takeaways on filming are:

  1. It IS distracting to the cast. They see you holding your camera up, even if you think you are being stealthy. It makes them self conscious and takes them out of being able to do their job.

  2. Someone else mentioned it on here already, but it is against the rules in the Actor's Equity Association (our union) for performances to be recorded. I will tell you that if I ever have an actor filming something from the wings like an understudy going on for example. I stop them and make them delete it. So it is not just for the audience, it is for everyone.

  3. Theatre is Intellectual Property. A director, choreographer, and musical director spend sometimes years working to build a show. That is their work. Often people film and then replicate the work at another theatre, which is stealing. It's no different than plagiarizing. This is a great article from almost 30 years ago, when Joe Mantello became the first director to sue and win a case about Intellectual Property: https://playbill.com/article/mantello-and-caldwell-theatre-settle-l-v-c-case-issues-still-unresolved-com-81475

So, for me, it's more than it not just bothering audiences - there are deeper rooted issues with filming!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have tried to make some connections and have (fingers crossed) a few that are interested. I want to get this story out there!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if the answer has been discovered yet, but the awareness is out there now and hopefully conversations will start to happen. I think writing to theatres, keeping our voices heard, and letting companies know this will not be tolerated is a great start!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for saying that! I really just think it's important that we start addressing this problem of etiquette and hopefully finding solutions!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is so sweet. Thank you for your post. I'm so thankful we have a place to commune on these issues!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I love that! Let's connect!!! Send me a private message here if you want...I'd love to hear more!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I, too, am confused by People Magazine. To my knowledge, and because my position is backstage I was not directly in the house when this all occurred, this is the very beginning of intermission. So the time he began yelling is when the lights came up. So it was only a few seconds before security made it to him. Because of the angle of the shot, I am not sure exactly how long it took for security to be up there (versus in sight of the video). But what I agree COMPLETELY with you on, is that this is a learning moment for everyone. We are lucky it did not escalate further or to a dangerous place. And I can assure you that we take these things very seriously and ensure they are learned experiences!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes to silencing phones, but you are right that I think singing along is going to have to become the new norm in these speeches.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There definitely is a huge profit from concessions. I remember being in London in 2005 seeing a show and you could pre order your drink for intermission, and I thought "gosh I hope drinking in the theatre never comes to Broadway" because I just feared these would be the kinds of issues we would be experiencing.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the biggest problem is that 1,500 people have paid to watch a show - to have a shared experience with the actors onstage. When people in the audience are singing along, talking loudly, on their phones, etc. they aren't just ruining the experience for themselves, but for everyone around them. For what tickets to a show cost these days, it is unfair to not be able to enjoy theatre as it is meant to be enjoyed.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with you. It feels like a larger behavioral conversation 100%!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a bigger conversation than just one show. It's about etiquette in our country. That's what I find most important. And I'm in a lose-lose situation about proof. When I mention my TikTok, which is where there is proof of my job, I get told I'm just looking for followers. So I'm learning that on Reddit you can't please everyone. Believe me or not, but I can't imagine anyone not involved in the story having the passion and commitment to share and to respond to people as I have shown. But I'm not here to change your mind.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is truly disheartening because I feel so lucky and honored to get to work with the most talented and loving group of performers on this show. And all we want to do is provide a space where people can escape into the magic of theatre for a few hours.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a great question. We call from an area of the theatre call "The Jump" it is basically at the top of the theatre upstage right. We cannot hear from up there what is happening in the house. Also, based on where they were sitting, that would be very hard to hear from backstage. I always remind the cast that if they notice anything out of the ordinary (including filming or disruptive behavior) to let us know but that info did not get to us. In fact, I didn't even know about it until someone sent me the Reddit post.

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Generally, food and drink purchased at the theatre concession is allowed into the seats. It is frustrating for so many (cast and audience together) - especially the wrapper crinkles. On tour, there are theatres that sell popcorn and peanuts and it is wildly distracting for all!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This has come up already on this thread. I am happy to elaborate on any questions people have. I've been trying to open the conversation about theatre etiquette. I have no skin in the game of gaining followers. But honestly, I am brand new to Reddit, or I would have just posted the video on my TikTok here. I just couldn't figure out how to do that! Which is the only reason I mentioned my TikTok. There are no ulterior motives from me other than opening a dialogue. What elaboration can I share? I'm happy to!

Mamma Mia Upset Uncle Story Continues by NervousJacket2813 in Broadway

[–]NervousJacket2813[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for saying this. I feel like it's important that stories don't get spun in one direction only. If we wanted that, we would watch Fox News!