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<p>When I was in HS, it was very typical at graduation for parents to leave after their child walked up.My parents refused to do this, but not a lot of us were left to see those kids at the end of the alphabet. *</p>
<p>I can’t imagine leaving a graduation after your child has walked up unless for health reasons the person couldn’t handle the weather (if outdoors).</p>
<p>^
Many people say that, but that was exactly what folks did. The classes were large (500+ students), but to my family that was no excuse.</p>
<p>This is pretty typical Wed. matinee behavior, unfortunately. It’s one reason I haven’t attended weekday matinees in many years. I have a D who is an actor and we know literally hundreds of theatre actors. They would prefer a house full of students, even young ones, than a group of seniors, no question.</p>
<p>As for cell phones in NYC theatres. It’s illegal. The offenders can be evicted from the theatre (also museums, movie theatres, concerts, libraries, etc.) and/or be fined.</p>
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<p>Don’t ever tell them you won’t be back. You lose your leverage. Go to a different matinee theater every weekend, collect receipts for 3 months, and show them how much business they’re losing by letting the crap continue.</p>
<p>This is why I just stay home. I can sit around in my pj’s, eat ice cream with a shovel, and drink wine straight from the bottle if I wanted to. Of course I’ve never gotten that depressed…yet.</p>
<p>Thank doG my parents, who are in their mid-80s, are both completely compos mentis and would never consider taking home the sugar packets! <g></g></p>
<p>I’m only hoping to be as fit, mentally and physically, as they are if I make it to their age.</p>
<p>It is very sad that some people can no longer behave with the dignity that they once had, but clearly some discretion should be exercised if they are unable to conform to reasonable expectations in theaters and other public venues. Just as with toddlers.</p>
<p>Re kids in church: nowadays, people complain that a church isn’t “family friendly” if other congregants don’t like little kids squalling during meditation, music, or the sermon.</p>
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<p>With the way the theatre industry is set up, this wouldn’t work. The theatres in NYC are owned and run by probably 3 or 4 organizations/families. You could be attending a dozen different Broadway shows in theatres that are all run by one group. The reality is that ‘theatre management’ isn’t present on a daily basis. The front of house staff is there, and the show staff is there but there’s really no one else to whom you can complain where it would make a difference. I’m not saying that it’s not worth it to complain to an usher. It is. And some of those old time ushers can be pretty aggressive with inconsiderate audience members. However, this isn’t the type of business where writing a letter of complaint is going to do any good.</p>
<p>I had no intention of senior-bashing. Goodness knows, I hope to be one someday. I am a huge theater patron, but I rarely do matinees. I stick to Friday nights, mostly. I see poor behavior , but this was possibly the topper! I have been at concerts at the Garden where the beer and the natural consequence of drinking a lot are all too common. I often wonder why people spend money on tickets just to listen over the loudspeakers in the restrooms. I have been at the Met Opera where the usher admonished a whole group of women my own age for texting during the performance, and we are talking about a $250 ticket.There are 20-25 minute intermissions between acts. Couldn’t they have waited? This experience was particularly upsetting to me because it was a play.Something louder and looser would have been more forgiving. If I had gone to see a “family” musical I would have had different expectations. And especially from people old enough to remember when manners were manners! These folks didn’t grow up with cell phone or plastic water bottles. Come to think of it, neither did I.</p>
<p>The ‘crackling the water bottle’ bit is really beginning to get to me. I finally got one guy to stop after repeatedly giving him the evil eye. It’s almost as distracting as the ‘digging into the snack bag for one more itsy bitsy bit’ noise. SHEESH.</p>
<p>My folks are also amazing–golfing and dad still working long after his peers have retired and/or had one debilitating infirmity after another. He has to keep getting younger and younger friends because those who are his age simply can’t keep up! His friends are now OUR age & he likes to attending sporting events with us because “the old folks” have too many aches & pains and can’t get out & about.</p>
<p>I’m hoping we have his genes & mom’s!</p>
<p>I do still go to the theater as often as I can. But I have to say that all this is why I no longer go to the movies unless it’s a blockbuster that requires the big screen to appreciate the special effects (think Avatar and Star Trek). If people are going to behave like they’re in their living room, I’d rather be in mine. Cheaper, too.</p>
<p>H was conducting synagogue High Holy Day services last September, which now always begins with gentle reminders to off the cell phones. Nonetheless, since it was a key game day towards the World Series, two guys couldn’t resist. One front-row congregant was dialing up the developing scores and hand-signaling his friend across the aisle.</p>
<p>From the lectern, H watched long enough to figure out their code. In upbeat tones and with a huge smile, he announced the score to 900 assembled people. Congregation couldn’t believe he knew current baseball scores at that moment from up there on the altar. He indicated his sources, too, who interestingly stopped monitoring the game after that but later told him with a laugh that he’d handled them well.</p>
<p>I hear that exercising your brain constantly (by working or sth) keeps you younger for longer, not to mention preventing alzheimer’s. My sister’s violin teacher is 89 and she is far from infirm-actually one of the smartest old ladies I’ve met.</p>
<p>I mean, your brain is a muscle. It won’t turn into mush if you keep exercising it.</p>
<p>That said, I’m planning on working well into my late 70’s.</p>
<p>The last matinee I saw was “Wicked” in Los Angeles during it’s extended run.</p>
<p>I didn’t experience that level of noise and disruption. I guess I should be delighted. I had always believed that Angelenos don’t have the same level of theatre going sophistication that NY does. Your experience makes me question this assumption, though! (Maybe I was just lucky and all the badly behaved theatre goers were in other sections.)</p>
<p>I have had numerous awful experiences in movie theatres. I used to love going, but with each new tech feature of modern cell phones, it seems that civility has gone down. If it’s a two hour movie, can’t you put away your phone for 120 minutes without checking your text messages 20 times? 
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<p>Futurenyustudent, my dad & his friends are still going strong & working. Dad has already celebrated his 85th bday & expects to celebrate many more. He enjoys woring and sees no point in retiring as he already golfs & gardens & travels as much as he wants to and doesn’t know what he’d do if he had even more time. He accepts the clients he likes & refers the rest; seems like a good system to me!</p>
<p>His uncle recently passed away at >100 years old; my great uncle was still lecturing as a professor emeritus through his 90s & playing doubles tennis! His wife passed away shortly thereafter. They lived in their homes and died there.</p>
<p>I am afraid I am gonna be one of those old ladies yellin at the stage.</p>
<p>I saw * Fences* this afternoon in Seattle.
Very intense play-excellent performances- but unlike the women who sat behind me sighing in pleasure everytime Troy excused his behavior because he was " following his heart" ( although more likely he was being led around by his gonads), I wanted to stand up and encourage Rose to pop him one.</p>
<p>Apparently his character hit home with alot of folks, but I didn’t have anyone like that in my family to relate to.</p>
<p>( Although even though the vocal projection was excellent- I probably will also be yellin; * what?* )</p>
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<p>Both the churches I go to (when I’m home and when I’m away at school) have separate “kid services”. Usually separated by age groups (infants, toddlers, then by grade once they get to school age).</p>
<p>The church I go to when I’m at school does things in an interesting manner…they hand each parent a number when they check their kids in. If the kid is throwing a fit or needs mom or dad, they show the number at the bottom of the screen (they use powerpoint to narrate the sermon) and mom or dad can discretely slip out.</p>
<p>I think a lot of churches are moving towards this way of doing things, which makes me somewhat sad because I feel it’s lazy parenting–you can’t control your kids through a 90-minute church service?–but I’m also glad I don’t have to listen to screaming kids for 90 minutes. I understand if you have a new baby and he/she is fussy–that doesn’t bother me. But if it’s little Johnny whining because he has to sit still, that’s another issue altogether. </p>
<p>I disagree with the under 30somethings and the sense of entitlement; very few of the people I know have this. I know it depends on the person, but I think the situations we’re talking about bring out the worst in people. Why? They all involve a certain degree of anonymity. When you’re driving/at the movies/theatre/whatever, no one really knows who you are, so people feel free to be a jerk without REALLY suffering any consequences.</p>
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<p>At sixty, my mom has very bad dementia and physical limitations. She’s been in an assisted living facility for two years now. Count yourselves lucky that you’re able to have all your faculties intact, no matter how lucky you are.</p>
<p>The other day I received a very large box in the mail from her caretaker, that she’d insisted upon sending me in honor of my baptism and confirmation yesterday. It was a stuffed polar bear, an old GE vacuum tube, a marionette with some of its fingers broken off, a beanie baby that had some paint on it, a plastic cross that she had bought and painted gold and stuck sequins and beads all over, a potholder from the late seventies, the Big Bird stuffed animal that I’d had when I was little, and a beautiful rosary.</p>
<p>I pray for God to grant peace in her mind every day.</p>
<p>I am sorry to hear about your mothers difficulties aibarr- she is so young!</p>
<p>I saw that some movie theatres nationwide are having special screenings for those with autism , maybe seniors groups could advocate for other sorts of entertainment to be opened up to those of us who would still enjoy it, but might disturb others.
;)</p>