Proper Stage Door Etiquette

 

All theatres have a stage door. It’s primarily where the actors, musicians, crew, etc. enter the theatre. At Broadway and large regional theatres, it’s also where the audience gathers after the show to get autographs and pictures with the actors. Stage doors can be very fun, but can also cause some people to reach an unacceptable level of crazy. I have waited at dozens of Broadway stage doors over the years and have many stories to tell. I will share some of these stories to help teach you all proper stage door etiquette, because let’s be honest – a lot of people in the theatre world need to be taught how to property act.

1)      Don’t be bitter because you’re not at the front of the crowd. For those of you who have never “stage door-ed” a show before, typically the theatre puts up police barricades that the fans wait behind, to provide crowd control and safety for the actors who come out to sign autographs. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a spot right up against the barricade, which is the ideal location to be in to have a brief chat and take a selfie with your favorite star. Sometimes you get stuck in the back of the pack, and if you’re lucky, a nice person up front will grab your Playbill and have it get signed for you. It could go either way. It happens. It sucks when you’re in the back, but there are a few things you can do

a.       DO NOT PUSH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UP IN FRONT!!! I’ve had two instances of really bad stage door pushing. The first was at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre stage door after a performance of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Darren Criss. I got a prime spot in the second row. When Darren came out, people were ruthless. I got shoved to the point that I was almost completely hanging over the barricade, and Darren’s bodyguard had to help me up. Darren Criss is great, but is he worth killing someone to get an autograph? No. No, he’s not.

The second instance was after seeing Something Rotten! at the St. James Theatre. My mother and I had made it up to the front and were waiting patiently for actors to come out. No actors had even come out when a woman in the back started violently pushing us. After about five minutes of this, I turned around and politely asked the woman to stop. The woman snapped back, “You need to learn that if you’re at the front, you’re going to get pushed around!” Oh! I’m sorry ma’am! So, because I just happened to know where the St. James stage door is (it’s a tricky one to find) and I sprinted to it right after curtain call, I deserve to get shoved by you? I don’t think so. So chill out for the love of God.

It’s rude. It’s immature. It’s unnecessary. Don’t push. It’s simple manners. Mob mentality is not an excuse.  

b.      If you do happen to be in the back of the pack, have fun with it! Make friends with the people in front, and sometimes they’ll let you up there to snap a selfie. Shout something witty to the stars as they go by you. One time I asked Hugh Jackman if I could shake his hand, because I was four rows back. Make the most of your experience. Stage doors are a blast if you let it, no matter how close you are to the front of the barricade.

2)      Let little kids go in front of you. Again, this is a matter of simple manners. When you see kids’ faces light up when the stars walk out, you’ll understand. Kids are short. They can’t see over the grown-ups. If you let a little kid in front of you, you can still get your autograph and selfie. Just le the kids have a good time! They (and their parents) will be very appreciative.

3)      Don’t wait at a stage door unless you’ve seen the show. I will admit, I have broken this rule. Though I never saw the show, I waited at The Elephant Man stage door to get a glimpse of and an autograph from Bradley Cooper.  It was a very fun experience, but I still feel guilty that I waited there and never saw the show. 

When I saw The Color Purple a few weeks ago, there was a woman standing right at the front of the barricade. Not only was she rude, loud, and obnoxious, she didn’t know who any of the actors were, and she had them all sign her hand. Her HAND. She didn’t even pick up a Playbill off the street to pretend she saw it. She took up a spot that should have belonged to someone who saw the show and had kind things to say to the cast. It kind of diminished the experience for the rest of us standing there because she kept trying to hog all the attention of the actors she didn’t even know. Then, when it was announced Jennifer Hudson would not be coming out to sign autographs, she was furious – which leads me to my next point.

4)      DO NOT GET ANGRY AT ACTORS FOR NOT COMING OUT AFTER THE SHOW. There is nowhere in an actor’s contract where it says “You must go out of the stage door to meet fans, sign autographs, and take selfies.” If they want to or feel like coming out, they do. If they don’t, they go out another way. You just spent two and a half hours watching a cast give their absolute all in a show. They’re tired and sometimes just want to get home, or they have somewhere else to be. Actors do not owe you anything. Sure, being disappointed is one thing. It’s totally fine to think “aw, bummer. I really wanted to meet *insert Broadway star here*!” and then move on with your life. It’s not okay to throw a temper tantrum, yell at the security guards, then get on Twitter and give that actor a hard time.

It’s best, in my opinion, to consider the stage door an added bonus. Wait after the show for an hour or so, and if you’re lucky, a lot of actors will come out to sign autographs! And if you’re really lucky, they’ll even be allowed to take pictures with everyone! You were just lucky enough to have the opportunity to see a Broadway show. That should be good enough. Anything else is just icing on top of the cake. (Tip! Try thanking the actors for coming out to sign. It acknowledges the fact that you understand they don’t have to be out there. A simple “thank you” can go a long way!)

5)      Treat the actors with respect. This should be a simple use of common sense, but nevertheless I’ve heard a lot of rude things said to actors at the stage door. For example, I saw an ensemble member come out after the show, begin to sign, and a woman pulled her Playbill away and said “I don’t want your autograph. I’m just waiting for *insert star of show's name here.*” The worst was when I stage door-ed The Phantom of the Opera and Sierra Boggess came out. For some reason, there were no barricades up, and she got completely mobbed. People weren’t even talking to her; they would just shove their camera in her face and force a picture. There was so much shoving amongst the fans that poor Sierra was being knocked around! By the time she got to the end of the line, she was very irritated, and who could blame her? It was a show of blatant disrespect and utter selfishness. Broadway actors are people too. Treat them as such! Think about what you’re saying and doing, and adjust accordingly.

6)      Thank the security guards when you leave. I always try to do this if I’m not lost in the middle of the mob. Those guys stand out there and handle the crowd control and deal with the crazies. They’re out there, rain or shine, hot or cold. Give them a little love for their hard work.

So kids, the moral of this story is stage doors can be very fun as long as people let them. It goes back to what we all learned in elementary school: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Follow that rule and have a good time!!!