On May 9 I attended a performance of the Joffrey Ballet at the Rosemont Theatre. The dancers were wonderful, and the program was outstanding. But two things annoyed me greatly–latecomers and “earlygoers.”
There were at least 50 people seated near me who arrived after the performance began. Instead of waiting for an intermission, the ushers showed them to their seats during the performance. People continued to trickle into the theater for at least 15 minutes, all the while obstructing my view of the stage.
Just as many people felt it necessary to leave the theater when they thought the performance was almost over. All the while, I sat in my seat craning my neck to see the last few glimpses of the performance I had paid more than $100 to see.
Have we sunk to a level in this society where everything is like a movie or a sporting event? What has happened to our respect for the arts? Why do people pay to see performances that don’t hold their attention? And what has happened to good old-fashioned common courtesy for the people around you?
I just want to see the whole show!
