Stage dooring. Okay, I usually don’t blog twice in 24 hours. Well, I never do. However, when I saw a tweet from @BroadwaySpotted about how someone dissed my girl Ellyn Marsh I just had to pick my computer back up. Apparently the smackdown over the Sharpie happened after Sunday’s matinee of Kinky Boots. Someone who had seen the show decided to stage door and apparently was miffed that Ellyn didn’t have a Sharpie with her. Seriously?
I was not a happy girl when I read this tweet. Ellyn ... who is in the ensemble (and sports a mullet during the show I named “Martha”) ... did not deserve that. Now, I wasn’t there. I don’t know what went down or how the Sharpie smackdown ended. However, I’m speaking on behalf of theatre-goers I know when I say this. Rudeness is not acceptable at the stage door. First of all ... Ellyn is one of the sweetest people ever. Second .... why are people yelling at actors for not having Sharpie’s? Seriously? I mean bring your own Sharpie if you’re that concerned. I have my backup skinny Sharpie with me usually. I’d let you borrow mine. Those of us who stage door are typically really friendly.
I’m somewhat new to the stage door experience. I’ve only been in New York a little over a year. Priscilla Queen of the Desert was the first musical I ever considered stage dooring. I never did though. I was too chicken to do it alone. I mean what would I say to Nick Adams and Will Swenson!? OMG. I could only imagine what would’ve come out of my mouth. I laugh just thinking about it. I hadn’t met all the great people I know now to show me the ways. I mean I had no clue what to say ... not that I do now. I still say some really silly things. People are like, “You work in television. You must be good talking to people.” LOL There’s a reason I work behind the scenes and not in front of the camera. ;)
I think my first stage door was The Mystery of Edwin Drood. My friend Danielle was with me and we were there to see the very talented Eric Sciotto. The first stage door I did alone was for Once. You’ll laugh at this. I thought the stage door was the stage door I went to to deliver something for my internship the day before. So, guess what? That’s where I went after I saw Once for the first time! It was freezing out. I stood there and was like, “Where is everyone??!” It took me 20 minutes to figure out I wasn’t at the correct stage door! I finally figured it out and walked over to where the actors come out. I had missed everyone but Steve Kazee! So my first solo stage door experience was me getting only one signature on my Playbill, and my saying something to Steve about seeing him at Murder Ballad the previous weekend. Blah Blah. I didn’t even say anything about his performance in Once. Ummm... yeah. I was a dork. I left thinking, “Jess! You didn’t even tell him how brilliant he was in the show. You didn’t even say anything about the show at all.” Steve was so sweet though. I still am weird about getting pictures at the stage door. Just ask my friend Kim.
Bottom line is ... all the actors that stage door should be treated with respect. I mean how would you like to work 2 plus hours to come out from your office and have someone bark (allegedly--see my Journalist side) at you for not having a Sharpie? So please ... don’t bark (allegedly) at the actors. Also, while I still am a loss for words at most stage doors ... I don’t think the actors care if you sound stupid. I think they just appreciate the fact that we are there to see them and show our support. Actors??? Care to respond?
Anyway, I’ll be at Kinky Boots Wednesday (5th time). I’m not sure if I’ll have time to stage door. I have to go work. However, if I am there .... I’ll be on the lookout for rude people. Oh ... maybe I’ll bring some extra Sharpies too.
PS: Let me know if you like that font. I think the other font is hard to read! Thanks!
I was horrified when I read that tweet from Broadway Spotted. It's awful! I did one stage door without a sharpie once. Someone was kind enough to loan me one. Now, I'm usually the one loaning them out (in fact, I had 3 out on loan when I stage door-ed Kinky Boots!).
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing I remember (other than a really rude actor one time) was a fan who used the stage door to ask an actress to give her agent his card. For real. I was appalled.
Stuff like that ruins it for the rest of us.