Joshua Henry

in The Wrong Man (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Patti LuPone would be proud! During a performance of off-Broadway's The Wrong Man on October 1, star Joshua Henry swiped a cell phone from an audience member while performing a number. The cell phone user was in the front row, and Henry—while singing—confiscated the phone and tossed it under the seat risers. Of course, as with the great Patti LuPone cell phone snatch of of 2015, the theater community is buzzing about Henry's bold move in the name of theater etiquette.



Cell phone usage in the theater is an ongoing issue: Who could forget Kanye West thumbing away at his phone during opening night of The Cher Show just last year. Former Broadway.com vlogger Jarrod Spector took to Twitter (offstage, of course!) to call Kanye out for his behavior. He got an apology from Yeezy.

To mitigate the problem, Freestyle Love Supreme is the first Broadway production using YONDR, which is a lockable pouch securing cell phones, smart watches, etc. that remains in audience members' possession throughout the performance.



On the other hand, not everyone is upset by phone usage at the theater. Slave Play scribe Jeremy O. Harris recently defended his hero Rihanna for texting (after arriving late) during a performance of the buzzed-about production saying, "There's no right or wrong way to watch theater."

Two things I learned today about the Type of theatre maker I am:



When my idol texts that she’s running late. I hold the curtain for her.



When my idol texts me during a play I’ve written, I respond. pic.twitter.com/78081zXnje — Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019

IDK. There’s no right or wrong way to watch the theatre....the form is dying so I’d rather ppl just be there then not tbqh. — Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019

So, will Harris' stance become more accepted? Or will YONDR pouches become the norm? One thing's for sure, after Michael Urie's Show People visit, we know his former Shows for Days co-star LuPone would think Henry made the right choice during The Wrong Man.

Illustration by Ryan Casey for Broadway.com