u/hfsnetwork

When I read these threads I always thought I am lucky. The very occasional talker around me typically take the hint once I (or someone else) give them a look. Clearly my karma has run out.

I was at Project Library today and sat in front of three kids and their mom. The mom bought them snacks and I had to endure the wrapper for fifteen minutes. It's fine, I thought, the production needs the concessions money.

But the youngest kid clearly either doesn't want to be there or doesn't know what's going on. He keeps talking to his mom and his siblings at full volume - at least the siblings knew to whisper.

So, I gave the mom the look. And they won't take the hint. So I whispered them to be quiet.

Finally the mom took the youngest out, but on her way out she said to my ear "don't you talk to my kid!"

Now I don't know what to do if the remaining two misbehave. If I shush them it's probably not gonna work anyways.

To their credit, they didn't talk much after. But they kept kicking my chair and playing with the wrapper which is arguably worse.

Then the mom and the youngest returned, and the talking resumed as well. At this point I just gave up.

But that's not the end of it. After curtain, the mom confronted me. She kept yelling "You got a problem with me? Don't you talk to my kids! They aren't even that loud! I'm not the one disturbing, you are disturbing me! Come out and let's take this outside!"

Yes, it was exactly like that viral clip of the guy going ballistic in mamma mia, except I was at the receiving end.

I just said "look if you can't teach your kids theater etiquette maybe don't take them to theater?" but the yelling continued and I chose not to engage any further - clearly it's not gonna help. Her female companion also tried to take her away but she won't move.

Unfortunately I met them again at the elevator - Chainsaw theater is tiny! And she continued to yell at me, repeating the same line "you got a problem with me? don't you talk to my children!" over and over again

I did meet my seatmate and the mom's seatmate on the way out though. They commiserated with me and was sorry I had to endure that - and in case y'all are reading, thank you!

And why I didn't raise the issue to an usher? It's an off-off-Broadway theater and there isn't one.

I didn't want to post this online, but in case anyone else was at the theater today and was wondering what the kerfuffle was about, there you go. Sorry for the disturbance.

And the show itself? Not bad. The acting and singing was great, but I think the book could use a bit more work. It was a funny farce and I think they could lean into that even more.

Thanks to this sub I heard about this event and was able to buy tickets before they all sold out. It was an amazing show! I was initially skeptical of the concept - after all the show itself already feels like a miscast cabaret (in the best possible sense), but it totally worked! Seeing each actor's interpretation of another's part really is refreshing. The Amanda/Allison duet of dear bill is just chef's kiss.

Now the rant: I saw the show the previous day and it just proves how terrible the sound mixing is at Golden. I sat fourth row in center orchestra. The lyrics still feel muffled. Then in Green Room 42 wow - I've never heard those songs so clearly (other than the cast recording ofc)! Lyrics are so much easier to understand! I really really wish they can do something. The show is already so fast paced and so packed with jokes that you don't need the bad mixing to confuse tourists!

I went to watch the performance yesterday. It was a preview performance, though I think my criticism will likely still hold true after opening.

First the good part. The set is gorgeous. The lighting is effective. Most of the actors gave really good performances.

Now the bad parts. The leading lady Jean Lichty is a complete miscast for the role. She is way too old. The part she's playing is 40-something (from the playbill synopsis) while she is likely in her mid-60s. She looks too frail and her voice too hoarse for a 40-something. I also saw people criticizing her acting. I thought it was passable - it was a bit on the one-dimension side and definitely does not stand out among the other talented cast, but isn't unwatchable. The play can certainly be adapted so the character is 60, but they didn't do it, and some plots became cringeworthy as a result. The biggest issue is her company produced the show, which raises obvious conflict of interest questions. If it were a commercial production then I guess who cares, it's her money to lose. But being a nonprofit I think this is an egregious misuse of donor and grant money, and denies other actors their rightful opportunity.

Then the play itself. The characters all have complex backstories that are not explored in depth and contributed little to the plot. The motivations are thin, and their actions befuddling at times. Conflicts set up but never resolved. The resolutions that do exist feel anticlimactic. I feel like it tried to tackle too many things at once and failed the juggling act.

Finally, obviously not the fault of the play, but unfortunately the current political environment makes it feel fantastical. Heck, The West Wing looks machiavellian in comparison. A republican father and democrat daughter getting together every week? The author of a textbook on liberalism befriending someone deeply conservative?? A tiny mistake akin to a parking ticket becoming a huge scandal that derails a confirmation??? How I wish that is a world I live in, and the play keeps reminding me that I am not.

EDIT: The seating of the Diamond Stage was interesting... it was super wide, and I sat next to a person of size and didn't feel anything. But it's the only theater in NYC where I felt the legroom was inadequate