Fire code AGAIN disrespected last night

[Mo Daviau]

Cramming more than 70 bodies--players included--into the upstairs theatre is a gross violation of fire code. The success of improv at the Hideout is great, but when a show sells out, it sells out. That means turning people away. Adding more seats and allowing people to stand in the aisle, in the interest of pulling in a few extra bucks at the box office, is unethical and illegal.

As a community we need to be more vigilant about respecting the fire code. Although I don't want The Hideout to be fined or shut down, I also don't want the front page of the Statesman reading "GREAT WHITE AT THE HIDEOUT: 56 DEAD IN THEATRE FIRE."

Either move improv downstairs to accommodate the size of audience we're getting, or turn people away when the theatre seats get filled. Or raise the ticket price. It's a simple thing that could save lives and save improv in Austin.

[Wesley]

I agree with when it sells out it sells out, but for a host of other reasons. Like the fact that it gets hot as hell in there with that many people! And the seats on the floor get real crammed and uncomfortable, real quick.

Plus, I think turning people away because we are so popular that we sell out is a good thing. Sure it can be frustrating, but it also sends the message that we are hot and people need to get there early to see us. I'm sure UCB and other such theater have turned away their share of people over the years only to have more and more show up. If 55 is the limit, then that's the limit.

(But hot damn, it was good to sell that baby out for such a good show.)

[nadine]

I worked the box office last night, and we didn't get to 55. Val came down while we still had 5 left, and said the theatre was full. And Andy told me to stop selling...

... which meant I got to see the whole thing and didn't miss any part Yay! It was a great show.

[Wesley]

Hmmm, we should do a chair count or something then.
The chairs in the stands don't change and we can only fit so many in front on the floor. It should be easy to have a concrete maximum number. We should put in as many as we would ever consider, count them, and make that the limit. (And don't forget to subtract chairs for directors/musical accompanyment, etc.)

Then we should do whatever it takes to have twice that many people trying to get in every show, every week.

Alternatively, we could just plan not to have a fire.

[acrouch]

I think last night was a nice example of how careful we've been lately not to oversell. We were a bit cramped with extra musical improvisers on the couch and a full cast, but that's the biggest a show in the upstairs is ever going to get and the audience was well regulated and within fire code.

Oh, and the theatre got especially hot last night because the AC was set incorrectly.

[valetoile]

I do think that with the musical improviser on the couch on the side, we should have just given up those seats as lost, and not moved as many people into the front on the floor. Besides just number of bodies, it restricted the exit path, which would have been a disaster in case of fire.

[HerrHerr]

I agree with the safety concerns, first and foremost.

Also, it helps when the rest of the audience can see the entire show. This does not happen if people are sitting on benches inches from the stage. This coming from someone who plays a scene on the stage floor every show.