How do you deal with someone who talks during a live performance?

Call an usher. Or go get one. That’s what they’re there for. To make stupid, rude people behave or leave.

Most live performances, especially plays, sometimes require the audience to be quiet during it. If the women behind you was so unbearable that you couldn’t even get your purchased ticket’s worth, then the most obvious solution would have been to report her to some form of authority in the room.

If not, second option is always good. You could have politely told her to be quiet due to not being able to focus on the play. In any case she starts harassing, we retort back to the first option: report her to the authority in charge.

I say something, I always say something. I’m not shy. During movies, I’ve physically walked to another person’s seat to personally berate them for texting, and I’ve also nailed people with popcorn. I just can’t put up with that kind of rudeness.

@WillWorkForChocolate Lol. I wanted to do that, but I felt that it would somehow ruin The Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy even more…
@mithical So how do you do that? Is there a buzzer or something?

I’m not sure about buzzer, but good-old standing up and fetching an usher on your own wherever he or she may be, as @klutzaroo said, works.

@mithical Huh. Then the rules must be different at my place, because once you leave your seat you aren’t allowed to re-seat until an intermission.

Someone hereabouts resolved a similar problem with a meat thermometer. Not pretty.

My own inclination would be to confront the talker myself, though getting an usher probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

I speak to the person, even at rock concerts when people behind me talk continually.

Were the ushers at the ballet patrolling the aisles or stationed at the doors? Would a good ol’ fashioned elementary school hand-raising have alerted their attention? The only time I have had an issue with talkers during live performances were at schools (including my own performances in high school, ugh) and I always called the ushers over without problem.

If the ushers cannot be alerted, and getting out of your seat is out of the question, then I would have told them (as politely as I could muster) to please cease speaking during the performance. If they continued to speak, then I would have addressed them again. If I have to speak to them more than three times for disrupting my evening, then I would have left a complaint with the front desk—no matter how good the dancers were.

@muppetish They were stationed at the door. This was at our Opera House, so it’s a bit more formal…

@papayalily Sounds like a strict place. I would have to agree with @zenvelo‘s answer. Trying to capture the usher’s attention would be your best bet.

I have asked an usher to intervene before; but this isn’t always a possibility. I had this issue during a performance we attended, a ballet, but had to wait until intermission to find someone.

If I know that finding someone will be next to impossible, I don’t have a problem saying something to the offending party. I’m respectful and to the point.

Set your phone’s brightness to maximum, and point it to their eyes, while looking at them.

@sahuleka546 They kick you out for that – it’s a violation of their no-filming/photos policy.

Agree with cak. Try usher. If impossible ask them. Polite and to the point. I don’t think phone thing will work… :)

Just quitely and politely threaten them with immediate physical violence.

@papayalily dammit, I was gonna try it out tonight…

Carry a squirt gun in your purse, very effective. lol

Well, it’s Christmas for goodness sake. She was probably older. I think instead of an evil eye, a very gentle request to let her know that her talking is actually bothering you (she might now really know that) and a request to please stop. But not with anger or hatred. A smile will work better.

What a problem this has become in recent years! People used to know how to behave at movies and live performances. Is this change because they are used to watching TV where they can talk all they want? I can’t understand what makes them think they’re entitled to disturb others. The worst are old couples one of whom has to explain everything to the other. But I have also seen many offenders who are plenty old enough to know better and young enough not to warrant any special allowances at all.

I usually give the dragon stare a couple of times, and then if I must I will say in a stage whisper, “Ssh, please—stop talking!” One of the auditoriums in which I attend performances has long, long, unbroken rows with dozens of seats across. You’d be killed by forty people before you ever reached an aisle to alert an usher.

@Jeruba Same at this place – and in every other circumstance, I’d be one of those 40 people killing you.
These women were in their 40s. I’ve known since I was 8 to STFU. Course, I tend to feel a bit uncomfortable telling those older than me that they’re being rude.

This is how I handle it but I don’t recommend this approach by any means. I tolerate it for a while and stew and don’t say anything hoping that the person will stop, and I get more and more pissed off until I finally snap and say something like: “WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP FOR GOD’S SAKE!!!!” And then the person either shuts up and I feel bad that I didn’t handle it better or the person gets all huffy and says some very unpleasant things to and about me and I feel like a punching bag and a woos for not being more assertive and clear, but polite, at the beginning and nipped it in the bud. I’m hoping to learn some coping skills on this thread to better handle this particular situation in the future. :-)

@lillycoyote Lol well, at least you know yourself.

It would have seemed appropriate to just crack their nuts.

I’d turn around and tell them loudly that I’d be very glad to listen to THEIR conversation if they paid for my ticket or STFU!

If shushing and the stink eye don’t work, go immediately to the usher.

I would just tell them to shut up, and if that didn’t work, I’d go to get an usher.

In a different situation – I often perform at my local folk club, which basically comprises a room in a pub with anything from ten to forty people, of whom a few of us take turns performing songs. Now my voice isn’t the strongest, so interruptions are very distracting. It’s not often there’s a persistent talker in the audience but a couple of times I’ve just stopped singing, waited for them to notice it’s all gone quiet and everyone is listening to their conversation. Then I politely tell them that I’ll continue my song when they’re quiet enough. One or two of the folk singers on the circuit have a repertoire of satirical songs about rude audiences who don’t listen. It’s amusing how embarrassed people get when they realise the singer is singing this awful song about them.

I had the same problem today when I went and saw a Christmas Carol. Usually the evil eye works but if it doesn’t than shush them. Shushing them is not being rude, talking during a play is. If they ignore your shushing then call an usher over.

Maybe get a penlight and shine it at ‘em.

@Coloma Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!