You think I will admonish that mother for bringing a child who yelped during a quiet moment in the show. You think I will herald an audience that yelled at this mother for bringing their child to the theater. You think that I will have sympathy for my own company whose performances were disturbed from a foreign sound coming from in front of them.

No.

Instead, I ask you- when did we as theater people, performers and audience members become so concerned with our own experience that we lose compassion for others?
[...]

It so happened that during “the whipping scene”, a rather intense moment in the second act, a child was heard yelping in the audience. It sounded like terror. Not more than one week earlier, during the same scene, a young girl in the front row- seemingly not autistic screamed and cried loudly and no one said anything then. How is this any different?

His voice pierced the theater. The audience started to rally against the mother and her child to be removed. I heard murmurs of “why would you bring a child like that to the theater?”. This is wrong. Plainly wrong.

Because what you didn’t see was a mother desperately trying to do just that. But her son was not compliant. What they didn’t see was a mother desperately pleading with her child as he gripped the railing refusing- yelping more out of defiance. I could not look away. I wanted to scream and stop the show and say- “EVERYONE RELAX. SHE IS TRYING. CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT SHE IS TRYING???!!!!” I will gladly do the entire performance over again. Refund any ticket because for her to bring her child to the theater is brave. You don’t know what her life is like. Perhaps, they have great days where he can sit still and not make much noise because this is a rare occurrence. Perhaps she chooses to no longer live in fear, and refuses to compromise the experience of her child. Maybe she scouted the aisle seat for a very popular show in case such an episode would occur. She paid the same price to see the show as you did for her family. Her plan, as was yours, was to have an enjoyable afternoon at the theater and slowly her worst fears came true.

I leave you with this- Shows that have special performances for autistic audiences should be commended for their efforts to make theater inclusive for all audiences. I believe like Joseph Papp that theater is created for all people. I stand by that and also for once, I am in a show that is completely FAMILY FRIENDLY. The King and I on Broadway is just that- FAMILY FRIENDLY- and that means entire families- with disabilities or not. Not only for special performances but for all performances. A night at the theater is special on any night you get to go.

And no, I don’t care how much you spent on the tickets.

Quoted:
Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

Quoted:
People act like a missing a couple minutes of a fucking stage full of guys in tights prancing around is going to ruin their night.  Fuck them.  I might have a problem if a parent just sits there and lets their kids scream and don't try to quiet them.  But if she was trying to get the kid out or quiet him, no big deal.

Quoted:
People act like a missing a couple minutes of a fucking stage full of guys in tights prancing around is going to ruin their night.  Fuck them.  I might have a problem if a parent just sits there and lets their kids scream and don't try to quiet them.  But if she was trying to get the kid out or quiet him, no big deal.

Quoted:
I hardly ever go to the movies but when I do I go to the ridiculously overpriced 21 and over only theater.

Quoted:


Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

But her son was not compliant. What they didn’t see was a mother desperately pleading with her child as he gripped the railing refusing- yelping more out of defiance.

Quoted:
Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

Quoted:
Remember when they'd kick disruptive people out of theaters?

I miss those days.

Quoted:
Maybe the mother of the autistic child doesn't consider $300 tickets to be "expensive".  Fucking poor people.

Quoted:
WTF

people aren't content to just be part of a victim group

now their victim group has to have supremacy over all other people

because nobody else has any rights if you are a victim


I wish I could bring a whole platoon of autistic kids to the actor's gay wedding and give all of them trumpets and drums to bang on

When the guy finally lost his shit after an hour of listening to the autistic wedding band, I'd say "HEY MOTHERFUCKER, AUTISTIC KIDS OUTRANK GAYS IN THE VICTIM PECKING ORDER SO STFU."

Quoted:
Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

Quoted:
It's a family show.  Don't want to be around kids?  Don't go.

It's like going to fucking Applebees and bitching about the toddlers.


Look, nobody likes screaming kids.  The kids themselves, least of all.  You think they're doing that on purpose just to be dicks?  They're not.

Y'all chill out with the high and mighty.  You weren't even there.

Quoted:
For example, today we learned that person has the right to run a theater performance for 500 other people if her child is autistic.

Quoted:
Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

Quoted:
Leave your shitty kids with a sitter you inconsiderate fucking asshole.

Quoted:


People act like a missing a couple minutes of a fucking stage full of guys in tights prancing around is going to ruin their night.  Fuck them.  I might have a problem if a parent just sits there and lets their kids scream and don't try to quiet them.  But if she was trying to get the kid out or quiet him, no big deal.

Quoted:
Doesn't matter if it's a $2.00 show or a $300.00 dinner if your kids act up take them outside don't be a lazy parent.

If you don't take your kid outside your teaching your kid to be a self absorbed asshole. He will grow up to be like his parents and the cycle goes on.