When the Tallest Person in the Room Sits Directly in Front of You…
by Chris Peterson
As someone who is 5’4”, I would like to take a moment to complain about paying full price for a theatre ticket and then spending a good portion of the show trying to see around someone’s head.
I know I’m not the only one. You sit down, look at the stage, and think you have a pretty good seat. Then the person in front of you arrives and you realize that whatever happens in the middle of that stage is going to be a mystery.
This is one of the reasons I try to get an aisle seat whenever possible. At least I have somewhere to lean. Otherwise, I’m trying to find a gap between two people and hoping nobody moves once I’ve found it. Which, of course, they do. They’re watching a show, not posing for a photograph.
Now, I don’t blame tall people for this. They bought a ticket too, and I’m sure they would like to enjoy the performance without someone behind them sighing every time they move their head. I’m not going to ask someone to spend an entire show slouching because I happen to be sitting behind them. But I would also like to see the performance I paid to see, and it’s frustrating when there’s no way to do that from my seat.
And yes, I have used a booster cushion. If the theatre has one and it helps, I’m fine with it. I would rather have that conversation with an usher than miss half the show trying to preserve whatever dignity I think I’m losing by asking for a cushion.
If you really can’t see, it’s worth asking an usher at intermission whether there’s another seat available or anything they can offer. They may not be able to move you, especially at a sold-out performance, but at least ask before spending the second act just as frustrated as the first.
I do wish more theatres would consider this when looking at their seating. I’m not expecting every older venue to suddenly rebuild its auditorium, but when a seat has a perfectly clear view only as long as nobody sits in front of it, I have questions about how good that seat actually is.
For those of you who are also short, how do you handle this? Do you have particular seats you always try to book? Because I’m willing to compare notes. I would like to see the whole cast next time.