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My current show of "Candida" at A.C.T. has me a bit sad today.
Apparently there is a law "in the air" regarding smoking on stage.
AKA "no depiction of smoking on stage"
It appears that we have gone to some medieval world where we cannot have what some people consider unpleasant to be allowed into our theatres.
A character in Shaw’s play, Lexy, has a moment musing about the lovely Candida to a secretary. He lights a cigarette and gazes deeply into a frame photo of the women as he reclines in Candida’s husband’s chair.
I saw the moment and loved it. Eeeeeh! Nope can’t have that. Might have to reblock it by the time it hits the stage.
Having seen the moment I’m sad -- no-- ercked at having lost it.
I weep for the lose of it and so many other moments.
Yes, cigarettes are a bother on stage.
The fake smoke, the fact that they break, Wa-wah.
Not enough golden lining!
Anyone else heard of this trash?
www.denverpost.com/ci_4595891
media.www.dailyvidette.com/medi...shtml
It’s already in places outside of the US as well
And because I refuse to end on such a blah note. (Happy-happy)
Sweeney Todd has been extended for two more weeks.
So you can come and see mass murder….just no one smoking…
Apparently there is a law "in the air" regarding smoking on stage.
AKA "no depiction of smoking on stage"
It appears that we have gone to some medieval world where we cannot have what some people consider unpleasant to be allowed into our theatres.
A character in Shaw’s play, Lexy, has a moment musing about the lovely Candida to a secretary. He lights a cigarette and gazes deeply into a frame photo of the women as he reclines in Candida’s husband’s chair.
I saw the moment and loved it. Eeeeeh! Nope can’t have that. Might have to reblock it by the time it hits the stage.
Having seen the moment I’m sad -- no-- ercked at having lost it.
I weep for the lose of it and so many other moments.
Yes, cigarettes are a bother on stage.
The fake smoke, the fact that they break, Wa-wah.
Not enough golden lining!
Anyone else heard of this trash?
www.denverpost.com/ci_4595891
media.www.dailyvidette.com/medi...shtml
It’s already in places outside of the US as well
And because I refuse to end on such a blah note. (Happy-happy)
Sweeney Todd has been extended for two more weeks.
So you can come and see mass murder….just no one smoking…
posted by:
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SF Bay Area
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 6:42 AMLaura,
It is best that you reblock and move on....I am sure that a person that does not smoke can also muse......I do often.
Cheers!
G -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 11:26 AMFear not.
We did.
I have.
Just wondering about how other people feel about it.
It's not so much for this show: one does not need a smoke to muse on beauty, but what about other shows?
Thanks though.
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 6:59 AMThis must me a recent law, when we did The Late Henry Moss at the former Theatre on The Square there was almost continuous smoking on stage.
I also have my doubts it would withstand a court challenge. Of course you would have to find some kind of tobacco substitute to get around the tobacco in the work place laws. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 7:11 AMIt is a local ordanance here in San Francisco..... It played really big in the press. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 8:07 AMI guess I should not be surprised. I have been away from San Francisco for a few years.
Again as a first amendment issue I don't think it would hold up - that is if someone has the cajones to challenge it.
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 11:27 AMI hadn't heard about it at all until this show.
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 1:07 PMThats a bunch of crap. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, September 25, 2007 - 12:16 AMIt's become an issue here in Vegas as well, which makes it a bit rough since about 70-80% of the stage crew smokes.
They have been forced outside on the loading docks. Can't even stand just inside the open loading dock door, security will come by and ask you to physically move yourself outside. You would think we were doing something dangerous and illegal. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, September 25, 2007 - 10:59 AMAhh see this is were the confusion lies -- at least for me.
I can *almost* understand: no real smoking indoors please.
Some people will make an argument that it is dangerous and (depending on state laws) illegal.
But most cigarettes used for performances/shows are fake. Many of them don't even produce smoke.
The people that are making and passing these laws aren't trying to keep smoking out of a public space. They are censoring an idea and an activity that DOES happen. Are they going to take domestic violence out of theatre? How about alcoholism? -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, September 25, 2007 - 1:31 PM>The people that are making and passing these laws aren't trying to keep smoking out of a public space. They are censoring an idea and an activity that DOES happen. Are they going to take domestic violence out of theatre? How about alcoholism?<
If given the chance - yes.
That is why someone should challenge this law. but in an age when most people would rather roll over and complain I don't see that happening. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, September 25, 2007 - 2:33 PM>in an age when most people would rather roll over and complain I don't see that happening.<
I am one of the least politically active people I know.
This is in my craw.
I need to find some way to stop this.
If they make this statement it will be messing with free speech. Basically stating that free speech only applies to written and verbal expression. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, September 25, 2007 - 3:20 PMThey way to challenge this is to do what is banned and then fight the charges in court.
I'm sure that the ACLU amongst others would be happy to supply a lawyer to fight for the First Amendment.
Remember - All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Mon, April 7, 2008 - 2:40 PMI heard a news report on NPR a few weeks ago. If anyone knows more about it, please feel free to add to my post since I've forgotten some of the details. I think it's hysterical and I wanted to share it.
There is a guy in a city in the US, who started a community theatre night at his local bar. Each week patrons get the chance to perform an improvisation act on a stage. They have a bar as a set piece and there is an actual bartender who is playing the part of the bartender and serving real drinks. The guests get to act out improvised conversations of whatever is on their minds, and most of them choose to smoke cigarettes as a prop.
This was an actual news report about a real weekly event. I forget the city but the bar patrons were very happy. The city was working on a new bill to prevent the use of cigarettes in stage productions, and was putting together an injunction against these "theatre nights" -
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Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 12:45 PMpersonally i am all for prohibiting the smoking of tobacco onstage....it's not just unpleasant for some people, it's a health and safety issue......there are alternatives to tobacco, like herbal cigarettes, etc..... -
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 6:40 AMI don't care if your smoking dill weed or tobacco,. the point is that your infringing on art by saying I can't have someone smoking on-stage. That act is essential to character development sometimes. I wish politicians would keep their holy roller politics off my stage.
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: Butt out of my Theatre?!
Tue, October 7, 2008 - 10:07 PMIt's not prohibiting smoking of tobacco onstage.
It's prohibiting the *depiction* of any smoking on stage.
That includes herbal cigarettes and yes it takes away an action for character development.
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