This is the latest bad (and illegal) theater etiquette trend I'm noticing since I have seen so many shows this season amongst foreign tourists and theater fan girls:
I had purchased tickets to see the SUFFs early screening of their Pro-shot and concert and talk back at The Town Hall yesterday. I am visually impaired so I always have to sit close up in the first couple row. I was there with my husband and a member of the producing team to the show who'd invited us. This event was put on by PBS so they had a full production team and professional people with badges there to film and capture it.
Seated ahead of us was several either tourists or Chinese speaking young women, one pulled out a gigantic professional camera with a full professional lens which I immediately clocked as did everyone around us as it was impossible to miss and began shooting in the theater even though that is illegal. She was literally shooting like she was Paparazzi and despite them announcing professional photography is not allowed and the fact that it's a theater and that's illegal the young woman persisted in sneaking photos. The security was gesturing to her and someone from their team flagged it for the girl and whispered to her to stop several times. And the girl was utterly rude and obnoxious and said "other people do it, why do I have to stop"? It was so gross. They were spoken to several times. The level of entitlement, brattiness of this young girl, was out of control and this person didn't stop. The moment the person from their media team stepped away she pulled out her camera and did it again.
Again, because I am visually impaired so I always see shows close up. I have noticed a trend of this happening when I see shows. I will say I don't know if this is a cultural difference thing but it's illegal and I was shocked that the security didn't drag her out.