I was in Atlanta over the weekend for a performance of "The Color Purple" at The Fox Theater. The show would have been tremendous if one or two hundred late arrivals hadn't been allowed to take their seats while the players performed on stage. A short rain shower had caused some driving problems near the theater Saturday night, but I arrived early enough to account for traffic problems, why should my enjoyment be ruined by those who failed to allow for that possibility? I was seated on the aisle near the doors, and it was impossible to hear dialogue or enjoy the performance for he first half-hour.
During intermission, I asked some ushers about the Fox policy regarding later arrivals, and I was told it is determined by the producer of the show. Needless to say, I'm writing both the theater and the producers. Maybe I'll send one to Oprah too.
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UPDATE: I received a quick response to my e-mail to the Fox Theatre this morning. They tell me about the Georgia DOT resurfacing I-85 Downtown during the weekends (I. know, I drove through it more than once) and say the situation us actually much better than the first weekend of the show when 2000 people were late. And there's this:
No one would disagree with you that late arrivals are distracting however it is also unfair to punish people who are caught in a traffic situation that is beyond their control. It has been and continues to be a very difficult situation to balance and the show management and producer reached a conclusion to permit late comers to be seated.
Fine, but it is also unfair to punish me because of their lateness. I've been Googling under "late arrivals" and "theater" and it appears most policies say if you are late, you'll wait till intermission, or be seated somewhere that won't distract those who were on time.
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