Turn off your phone for Patti Lupone!
Actor Patti LuPone performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Kevin Winter/Getty for NARAS)
The Tony-winning actress taught an audience member a valuable lesson in theatre etiquette, by walking offstage with her phone.
Last week, the Grammy award-winning stage star, frustrated by an audience member texting during ‘Shows for Days’, snatched the phone out of the woman’s hands and took it backstage – without even breaking character.
“She was texting throughout the entire first act”, Lupone told ABC News.
“She was oblivious to everybody except herself and her phone.”
So, on her way off stage, Ms Lupone did what any self-respecting diva would and snatched the phone from the woman as she walked off stage, to rounds of applause from the rest of the audience . The phone was handed back at the end of the show.
Lupone’s actions garnered a hugely positive response on Twitter, with many praising the star’s actions.
“Without breaking character, Patti LuPone snatched a rude woman’s phone and walked offstage at Shows for Days tonight. Will they never learn.”, tweeted Diane Snyder.
LuPone is famous for not tolerating rudeness during shows, especially when it involves the use of a camera or phone. In 2008, she stopped a performance of Gypsy mid-show to yell at an audience member for taking pictures, demanding they respect the show and other audience members.
She is also a gay rights supporter – last summer she performed at Uprising of Love: A Benefit Concert for Global Equality in New York City.
The show aimed to raise money to benefit LGBT individuals living under anti-gay laws globally.
