Incident at 'Here Lies Love' should serve as wake up call for theatre security
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
Over the weekend, audience members at ‘Here Lies Love’ were able to sneak backstage and confront star Lea Salonga in her dressing room while she was with other guests. The disturbing encounter was filmed and posted by one of the audience members who afterward criticized Ms. Salonga for not taking the time to take pictures with her. Needless to say, those audience members have no business at a Broadway show.
But I have questions. How were these folks able to get backstage? Where was security? Why wasn’t someone with Ms. Salonga as she was with guests and why did it go on for so long that she had to be the one to escort them out of the theatre?
While some people, and other theatre websites, might try to downplay what actually happened, it’s important really look at the incident and what could have happened. Yes, the folks who intruded on Ms. Salonga’s dressing room were idiotic, entitled fans. But what if one of them was deranged and looking to inflict harm upon her? The video is 2 minutes long, which means for at least that amount of time, unvetted people were alone backstage with a performer. Thankfully, nothing violent occurred but if something had, no one was there to stop it and the lack of theatre security allowed it to happen.
When you add that to the fact that these folks had already been removed from certain areas of the theatre, only to sneak backstage, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the whole incident was an egregious security failure.
Ms. Salonga provided a statement on what will be the security protocol going forward, but she should not have to be the one to do that. A statement should have come from the production and as of 8:43 am this morning, no statement has been made.
My concerns over the lack of security and safety of Broadway performers have been growing steadily for years. We’ve seen more and more incidents involving entitled, unruly and awful people coming to these shows. This past year we saw an incident at Death of a Salesman that got so bad, the lead actor(Wendall Pierce) had to be the one to defuse the situation. We saw Neo-Nazis show up at the first preview of Parade and stage a protest outside the theatre.
It’s important to note that theatre security standards are not mandated by unions such as Actors’ Equity. It is up to the theatre ownership and production officials to decide how security is handled. This presents an unnerving thought that security protocols may be inconsistent across Broadway theatres.
So what can be done beyond the security measures that are already in place? I have some ideas.
The first is for theatre organizations to conduct a thorough risk assessment of the theatre premises to identify potential vulnerabilities and security concerns. This assessment should cover areas such as entrances and exits, backstage areas, parking lots, and public spaces surrounding the theatre. These assessments should be shared with everyone involved in the production, cast, crew, musicians included.
They should also employ well-trained security personnel who are experienced in managing crowd control, identifying suspicious behavior, and responding to emergencies. This personnel should work alongside front-of-house staff during the show to potentially defuse situations or expel audience members who cause disturbances during performances.
All Broadway houses should have a comprehensive network of surveillance cameras throughout the theatre, including both public areas and restricted zones. They should ensure that the cameras cover entrances, exits, parking lots, lobby areas, and other high-traffic areas. Some Broadway houses have this and some do not.
I also think that alcohol should be banned from concessions at theatres. Excessive drinking can lead to disruptive behavior. Intoxicated individuals become rowdy, loud, or obnoxious, and have diminished the enjoyment of those around them by causing disturbances during the performance. I don’t see the need for alcohol at Broadway shows.
And what might be a controversial idea - I think stage dooring should either change dramatically or not happen at all anymore. But that’s a column for another day.
And this is just start. There are plenty of other protocols theatres could take beyond what they’re already doing.
While some of these measures are taking place at some Broadway theatres, they’re not consistent enough and I’m fearful that an incident like what occurred backstage at Here Lies Love will happen again if safety protocols aren’t strengthened industry wide.