[NEohioPAL]i missed the big food and drink discussion

[TONY BROWN]

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while out of town. so i thought i'd throw you guys, with fred's permish,
two columns i wrote on this subject in 2000, a couple of months after i
got here. 
 
the second one really cheesed off art falco, but now we're jake.
 

Column numero uno
 
CHOMP, SLURP, CRUNCH: A PLAYHOUSE SQUARE SERENADE
By Tony Brown Theater Critic

Source:  THE PLAIN DEALER
Sunday,January 30, 2000
Edition: FINAL / ALL, Section: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Page 5I 

When we had ice spilled on our sleeve at "The Sound of Music," we on
the theater desk did something unusual: We held our tongue. When the
person in front of us at "Finian's Rain bow" slurped and crunched and
crinkled, we forgave. But now, having seen a drunken and barely dressed
woman wander up and down the aisle to get more booze at "Titanic," we
must say our piece. 
It is a terrible mistake on the part of the management at Playhouse
Square to allow food and beverage (alcoholic and non) to be taken into
its beautifully restored theaters during musicals. 
We know the argument used to justify such laxity well enough: To make
the arts more accessible, you have to give folks what they're accustomed
to at home in front of the TV, in a movie theater or at a rock concert.

Here's our counter-argument: Do we really want to see folks behave at
arts events (and musicals are arts events, not the circus) the same way
they do at home, at the movies and at rock concerts? 
Allowing drinks and other goodies into musicals crosses a certain line.
It's a line that says: You are in a place where live performers are
working in front of an audience; out of respect for both performers and
audience, please pay attention and refrain from making unnecessary noise
and other disturbances. 
We don't care how old-fashioned or elitist that sounds. It's the truth.

At first, we were merely surprised about the Playhouse Square policy.
But at "Titanic," we saw and heard about things that pushed us over the
edge. 
Behind us, two couples traded quips and jokes during the musical. One
of the women sucked loudly on a lollipop. They all had beer and littered
the floor with their empties. Finally, the four got so bored, they got
up and left halfway into the second act. 
But the real eye-opener at "Titanic" was a woman wearing a bare-midriff
thing, wandering up and down the aisle between her seat and the lobby
bar while the show was going on. At intermission, we were told by a
colleague, the tipsy woman was finally confronted by a Playhouse Square
official, whose rearmost assets she proceeded to fondle. 
We might as well have been at a hockey game. Maybe we were. In any
case, we lost.
 
the folo-up the next week:
 

ROUSING CHORUS JOINS CALL FOR BAN ON THEATER EATS
By Tony Brown Theater Critic

Source:  THE PLAIN DEALER
Sunday,February 6, 2000
Edition: FINAL / ALL, Section: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Page 6J 

We interrupt today's regularly scheduled column to bring you excerpts
from the mountain of e- mail, v-mail and plain old paper mail that
arrived on the theater desk beginning at 9:04 a.m. last Sunday. 
We are impressed, Cleveland. We are not used to getting such immediate
and overwhelming response. 
And we are flattered. Not a single caller or correspondent disagreed
with last week's column calling for a ban on food and drink at musicals
in the theaters at Playhouse Square. 
Many of the most vocal identified themselves as current or former "red
coats," the volunteer ushers at Playhouse Square. 
"We have to clean up afterward," said one, who asked to remain
anonymous. "The mess is shameful. Programs, empty cups, candy snack
wrappers, napkins and spilled drinks. Americans seem to be unable to go
anywhere for two hours without feeding themselves." 
Some of you launched into critiques of other displays of bad manners in
the theater. 
"Another issue we find particularly annoying is late arrivers," wrote
Nancy and Larry Sakai. "We have missed many opening scenes because of
the disturbances caused by the seating of latecomers. Why can't they be
detained at the back of the theater until an appropriate break or be
seated in empty seats until the intermission? Such a policy might
encourage promptness. At least it would not punish those who had made it
a point to be in their seats on time." 
>From Laura Corn: "Behind us (at "Lord of the Dance") were sitting a
mother and a child of about two years of age who talked, whined, cried,
yelled, ran up and down the aisles and was generally a nuisance to
everyone around them." 
>From Lorraine Bilek: "At a performance of Pinafore' I attended, a man
behind me loudly announced each character as if nobody knew who they
were!" 
Some got downright philosophical about the need of audiences to eat and
drink in the theater. Thomas Bier, for instance, called the practice
more evidence of "The Slobbing of America." Sounds like a doctoral
thesis. Kelly Ferjutz had this to say: "Folks who can't sit for an hour
or so without putting something in their mouth should stay home." 
The one theme that emerged from many of the responses was: "How do we
complain?" 
As supporters of the First Amendment, we on the theater desk just love
to complain. And we love helping others do it, too. 
If you want to beef about the behavior of specific people or acts,
speak to an usher or to the house manager. 
If you want to gripe about the eating and drinking policy at Playhouse
Square, we recommend going right to the top. Call Art Falco, president
of Playhouse Square Center, (216) 348-5301. Or you can write him at the
center at 1501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115. 
Finally, we are proud to present our single favorite response to last
week's column, from Fred Dolan, who shared what he will do from now on
when someone is making noise near him at the theater: 
"I'm gonna stand up and tell these (bleeps), Tony Brown thinks you're a
(bleep).' That way they'll be mad at you and I won't get punched." 
Thank you, Fred. And now, back to our column. ...
 
 

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<DIV>while out of town. so i thought i'd throw you guys, with fred's permish, two columns i wrote on this subject in 2000, a couple of months after i got here. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>the second one really cheesed off art falco, but now we're jake.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
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<TR>
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<DIV><SPAN class=largebold>Column numero uno</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=largebold></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=largebold>CHOMP, SLURP, CRUNCH: A <FONT color=red>PLAYHOUSE</FONT> <FONT color=red>SQUARE</FONT> SERENADE</SPAN><BR><B><SPAN class=regtext>By <FONT color=red>Tony</FONT> <FONT color=red>Brown</FONT> Theater Critic<BR></DIV></SPAN></B><SPAN class=regtext></SPAN>
<P><SPAN class=regtext>Source:  <EM>THE PLAIN DEALER</EM><BR></SPAN><SPAN class=regtext>Sunday,January 30, 2000<BR>Edition: FINAL / ALL, Section: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Page 5I </SPAN></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top align=right width="50%"><SPAN class=regtext></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<HR>
<SPAN class=regtext>
<P>When we had ice spilled on our sleeve at "The Sound of Music," we on the theater desk did something unusual: We held our tongue. When the person in front of us at "Finian's Rain bow" slurped and crunched and crinkled, we forgave. But now, having seen a drunken and barely dressed woman wander up and down the aisle to get more booze at "Titanic," we must say our piece. 
<P>It is a terrible mistake on the part of the management at <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT> to allow food and beverage (alcoholic and non) to be taken into its beautifully restored theaters during musicals. 
<P>We know the argument used to justify such laxity well enough: To make the arts more accessible, you have to give folks what they're accustomed to at home in front of the TV, in a movie theater or at a rock concert. 
<P>Here's our counter-argument: Do we really want to see folks behave at arts events (and musicals are arts events, not the circus) the same way they do at home, at the movies and at rock concerts? 
<P>Allowing drinks and other goodies into musicals crosses a certain line. It's a line that says: You are in a place where live performers are working in front of an audience; out of respect for both performers and audience, please pay attention and refrain from making unnecessary noise and other disturbances. 
<P>We don't care how old-fashioned or elitist that sounds. It's the truth. 
<P>At first, we were merely surprised about the <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT> policy. But at "Titanic," we saw and heard about things that pushed us over the edge. 
<P>Behind us, two couples traded quips and jokes during the musical. One of the women sucked loudly on a lollipop. They all had beer and littered the floor with their empties. Finally, the four got so bored, they got up and left halfway into the second act. 
<P>But the real eye-opener at "Titanic" was a woman wearing a bare-midriff thing, wandering up and down the aisle between her seat and the lobby bar while the show was going on. At intermission, we were told by a colleague, the tipsy woman was finally confronted by a <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT> official, whose rearmost assets she proceeded to fondle. 
<P>We might as well have been at a hockey game. Maybe we were. In any case, we lost.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>the folo-up the next week:</P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<TABLE class=alt1 cellSpacing=5 border=0 VSPACE="5" hSPACE="5">
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top width="50%"><SPAN class=largebold>ROUSING CHORUS JOINS CALL FOR BAN ON THEATER EATS</SPAN><BR><B><SPAN class=regtext>By <FONT color=red>Tony</FONT> <FONT color=red>Brown</FONT> Theater Critic<BR></SPAN></B><SPAN class=regtext></SPAN>
<P><SPAN class=regtext>Source:  <EM>THE PLAIN DEALER</EM><BR></SPAN><SPAN class=regtext>Sunday,February 6, 2000<BR>Edition: FINAL / ALL, Section: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Page 6J </SPAN></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top align=right width="50%"><SPAN class=regtext></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
<HR>

<P><SPAN class=regtext>We interrupt today's regularly scheduled column to bring you excerpts from the mountain of e- mail, v-mail and plain old paper mail that arrived on the theater desk beginning at 9:04 a.m. last Sunday. </P>
<P>We are impressed, Cleveland. We are not used to getting such immediate and overwhelming response. 
<P>And we are flattered. Not a single caller or correspondent disagreed with last week's column calling for a ban on food and drink at musicals in the theaters at <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT>. 
<P>Many of the most vocal identified themselves as current or former "red coats," the volunteer ushers at <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT>. 
<P>"We have to clean up afterward," said one, who asked to remain anonymous. "The mess is shameful. Programs, empty cups, candy snack wrappers, napkins and spilled drinks. Americans seem to be unable to go anywhere for two hours without feeding themselves." 
<P>Some of you launched into critiques of other displays of bad manners in the theater. 
<P>"Another issue we find particularly annoying is late arrivers," wrote Nancy and Larry Sakai. "We have missed many opening scenes because of the disturbances caused by the seating of latecomers. Why can't they be detained at the back of the theater until an appropriate break or be seated in empty seats until the intermission? Such a policy might encourage promptness. At least it would not punish those who had made it a point to be in their seats on time." 
<P>From Laura Corn: "Behind us (at "Lord of the Dance") were sitting a mother and a child of about two years of age who talked, whined, cried, yelled, ran up and down the aisles and was generally a nuisance to everyone around them." 
<P>From Lorraine Bilek: "At a performance of Pinafore' I attended, a man behind me loudly announced each character as if nobody knew who they were!" 
<P>Some got downright philosophical about the need of audiences to eat and drink in the theater. Thomas Bier, for instance, called the practice more evidence of "The Slobbing of America." Sounds like a doctoral thesis. Kelly Ferjutz had this to say: "Folks who can't sit for an hour or so without putting something in their mouth should stay home." 
<P>The one theme that emerged from many of the responses was: "How do we complain?" 
<P>As supporters of the First Amendment, we on the theater desk just love to complain. And we love helping others do it, too. 
<P>If you want to beef about the behavior of specific people or acts, speak to an usher or to the house manager. 
<P>If you want to gripe about the eating and drinking policy at <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT>, we recommend going right to the top. Call Art Falco, president of <FONT color=red>Playhouse</FONT> <FONT color=red>Square</FONT> Center, (216) 348-5301. Or you can write him at the center at 1501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115. 
<P>Finally, we are proud to present our single favorite response to last week's column, from Fred Dolan, who shared what he will do from now on when someone is making noise near him at the theater: 
<P>"I'm gonna stand up and tell these (bleeps), <FONT color=red>Tony</FONT> <FONT color=red>Brown</FONT> thinks you're a (bleep).' That way they'll be mad at you and I won't get punched." 
<P>Thank you, Fred. And now, back to our column. ...</P></SPAN>
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