Theater etiquette was discussed following a viral post about two viewers who “ruined” someone’s watching experience of the “One More Chance” musical due to gadget use.
Actress and makeup artist B Delgado on Thursday shared that she watched the musical version of the blockbuster Star Cinema film which she has been looking forward to as a fan of the movie and the OPM band Ben&Ben.
Some of the band’s songs are featured in the musical.
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Delgado said that while “the show was good,” she was bothered by people in front of her who were using gadgets during the second act of the performance.
“This was my view from ‘Ride Home’ until the iconic ‘you had me at my best..’ Wala akong ma-absorb sa act 2 until the end na nung nagkabalikan na si Popoy at Basha because there were 2 [two] phones on full brightness and a freakin laptop! They weren’t [gonna] stop until I tapped their shoulder,” she said on June 20.
Delgado added that one of them “had the audacity to look back” at her after calling them out.
She said that the short-haired individual gave her a “death stare” and looked at her from “head to toe.”
“Not once, but twice! As in, ang tagal ng stare niya!” Delgado exclaimed.
“I paid to see the show, not f**kin gadgets! I snapped this pic when the house lights were on to show how bright their screens were. Imagine when the house lights were down?! Worst theatre experience ever,” she said.
PETA saw her post and expressed its apologies in the comments section.
“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the stress and frustration this has caused you. Rest assured that we are looking into this now and will immediately take the necessary actions,” the organization said.
“We only wish a good and positive viewing experience for all of our audiences. Please allow us to give you a complimentary ticket so that you can properly enjoy the show. We will reach out to you directly regarding this,” PETA added.
Meanwhile, some Filipinos stressed the importance of theater etiquette amid Delgado’s experience.
“Ang lala, nag-Work From Theater?” a Facebook user wrote in the comments.
“Money really cannot buy class [or] etiquette,” another online user said with a melting face emoji.
“Grabe naman. ‘Di lang ‘yan disrespect sa nanonood kundi pati sa nagpe-perform. Andyan kayo para manood, ‘di para gawing pang-sound trip ‘yung play… kaloka,” wrote a different Pinoy.
Another Facebook user recalled an old tweet from Broadway icon Lea Salonga about theater etiquette in 2019.
“Same feels with Miss Lea,” the user commented.
In October 2019, Lea complained about theatergoers who used their phones during the showing of Atlantis Theatrical’s musical adaptation of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” which she starred in.
“And still, despite everything, there were folks using their cellphones during Sweeney Todd. I hope the earth opens up and swallows you whole, you entitled, moronic c***s,” the performer wrote before.
Theater etiquette includes not using phones or any gadget during performances as the glare of the screens can distract performers, apart from its sounds when it is not in silent mode.
Foreign theater actors such as Zachary Levi, Nathan Lane and Alex Brightman have expressed their frustration with audience members using mobile phones during a performance.
