Actor stopped because of emailer in audience

[ChangeNameLikeIChangeSocks]

I just read about this in the guardian, I'll put a picture of the heading of the article.

He says he "thought" the audience member was sending emails on his laptop. I wonder how he knew that, presumably he couldn't see the screen, and signal in theatres is dreadful. I would take a punt that he was in fact playing minesweeper.

I'm going off topic. The reason I wanted to post this is because it leapt out as me as a parallel to typical behaviour in many of the (Good!) schools I've taught in. Low level disruption. Except it's not one audience (class) member, it's most of them.

So I had to smile wryly to myself that this made the national news.

Either the audience member had very good reason, or this is a natural follow on from the deterioration of respect and good behaviour in schools.

Oh actors, come teach the dear children!

even then, it should be on vibrate, or very low - just enough to alert you.

Obviously it's on silent 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'm at the bottom of the hierarchy. I don't have anyone I can give work to so if I had a training course all day I might need to also do some multitasking. It's not the same as a day off.

Exactly.

I'm firmly in the middle! But my role means sometimes there's a response needed from me; I'm working, I'm on campus, so why wouldn't I do so, if I can, depending on the specific need and the course set up.

Read the posts explaining ...

@KimberleyClark

Do you really not have a subordinate who can deal with urgent matters in your absence? What if you were abroad on holiday or unconscious in hospital?

Oh this is getting tiring. Read my previous posts for the already-given explanation.

It's not about 'subordinates' - though I don't ever think or refer to my team as such.

It's about something that might need a quick response, with a degree of urgency. It can be done, is completely accepted by the course facilitators (as I said, it's very common for attendees to miss part of the day to attend a meeting or teach, for example). It may not be the same in every work place but in the HE sectors, it really is.

I have. And had before I posted.

@EarringsandLipstick

And for context, I have a university teaching role. Students are often on phones, it probably means they miss some content but it doesn't bother me. The way to minimise it is by making classes interactive so there'll be tasks / engagement required. I'd never call them out directly.

It might not bother you but it’s still inherently selfish behaviour because the person doing it clearly doesn’t give a stuff about the impact they’re having on the other students sat nearby who are trying to focus on the speaker.

As a former HoD in a University, I definitely view it as your job to deal with these types of petty disruptions.

LunaNorth · Today 11:32
**
Maybe we’re going back to the days of the Globe.
**
The actor playing Hamlet in Shakespeare’s day would have been dodging flying orange peel and god knows what else if the groundlings weren’t happy 😀”

Tbf, they were paying hapenny for standing room and a penny for a box. Not upwards of 100 quid for West End.

Not sure what's rude abut asking for a practical suggestion, whereas I can see a lot that is rude about disturbing a training session.

Trainers are professionals, too, and as a trainer if someone said to me that they may have to leave for any reason, I would be fine with that, but would expect them to be discreet about it.

But it's been years since I did any training, so as you say "shockingly out of touch".

I am from an era where on the whole, people attened courses to get something from them.

I wonder how people like yourself coped with their very important jobs before the advent of mobile phones? A runner with a forked stick dashing into the training hall?

Anyway - I accept that I have dinosaur opinions here, and that you are the new blood. As you were.

" the person doing it clearly doesn’t give a stuff about the impact they’re having on the other students sat nearby who are trying to focus on the speaker."

What impact does it have on other students though?

I'm doing an evening class. People sometimes text during the class. It doesn't affect me at all.
I use my phone to translate words because I don't want to carry a big dictionary ever week. What's wrong with that?

You’ve not answered my question. If you were incapacitated would no one really be able to cover for you? Are you truly indispensable?

Apparently. Because she’s a professional, dontcha know? And she’s definitely not going to let us forget it.

Impractical to impound and return them, unfortunately!

There's simply no excuse for not turning them off or setting to silent or 'theatre mode', there's nearly always a reminder before the start.

Good for him, how rude!

Re training courses - if people are liable to miss part of them for legitimate reasons, then I would hope they're recorded or there are sufficient printed materials so you can catch up? In which case leaving the room and not coming back part way through the session seems like a good idea for minimising disruption to others.

If there are training events where it really doesn't matter if you miss a large chunk then they're probably of questionable value in the first place.

Nice try? I'm not trying anything, but do re read my op which says

it leapt out as me as a parallel to typical behaviour in many of the (Good!) schools I've taught in

Who am I blaming - I was the teacher?!

Why don't you just say you don't want to go?

I dont make myself go to things I don't enjoy just to disrupt those who do enjoy it.

It's not really disruptive if no-one can even tell I'm doing it, is it? It's a whole lot better than taking a nap and snoring which would be my other alternative.

Not that kind of comedian. It would shatter his reputation if it was outed as staged so it's possible, but doubtful.

Either way it was hilarious. I've never seen so many people grappling to shove phones out of sight! 😂

FOMO probably. Some people can’t bear to pass up a free ticket.

*I absolutely hate this approach. It's so patronising & humiliating.
People this rude deserve to be patronised and humiliated.

If it was a theatre critic typing up his review as he acted, that would be v off-putting

If one of my team was on a course I would expect them to arrange for me or someone else in the team to cover their work so they could fully focus on the course

Yes I was a teacher and had this a lot in a number of ways.

• Talking while I was explaining something. This led to me either stopping a lot, and just waiting, or asking them by name to stop, or just carrying on, but this has the consequence that the students around them can't hear and miss things. It's a tricky thing to police. If any of them do miss the learning, including the talker themselves, you as teacher can get in to hot water for not imparting the learning properly.

• students on phones, many occasions I had students watching a football match.

• students on laptops provided by school, but off task, and generally browsing the Internet. Very hard to police because if you walk close to see their screen, they flick back to the work.

Someone said it was bollocks that adult poor behaviour is a follow on of child poor behaviour. Where does it come from then?

God, he needs to get over himself if he can't concentrate because there is a screen visible. How utterly horrid!

Screens are everywhere, as long as they are silent then so what.

Not ideal granted but I'd rather have someone silently on a screen next to me then those who talk non stop or stuff their faces with crisps rattling the bag and slurping.

Please don’t go to the theatre if you think like this.