Woman with cerebral palsy was asked to leave the theatre — she wasn't prepared for the manager's unexpected response
A person might realize their mistake sometime after an incident. In such a situation, a heartfelt apology could make a huge difference. A theatre manager asked a woman with cerebral palsy to leave the theatre during a "Hamilton" performance. He cited noise complaints as a reason for telling the woman, Rosie and her mom, Jodie Howard, to leave the premises, per the mom's Facebook Post. The audience spoke up in the family's favor. But later on, the manager reached out and surprised the family with his gesture, per TODAY.com.
"Two of Rosie’s favorite things? Hamilton and the movies," Jodie wrote in the Facebook post. "So when the special 10-year anniversary screening of Hamilton came to theaters, she and I went — excited for what was advertised as an 'interactive Broadway-style experience' sing, cheer, clap, fully immerse." There was a preview before the movie began and the audience was asked to participate. So Rosie decided to sing, clap and cheer, too. "She was so excited that, as the movie began, she actually handed me her popcorn…she never lets go of her popcorn!" The 24-year-old was really happy as she watched the movie. But then a manager came and stood beside the mom and told them that they were being "too noisy."
"I was stunned. I explained the interactive premise. He dismissed me. I explained that Rosie is an adult with disabilities who can’t always regulate her joy. He told me that didn’t matter and left," Jodie recalled. She asked the people seated around her if they were bothered by Rosie's singing during the intermission. But apart from one woman, everyone affirmed that they were okay with it. "Five minutes into the second act, the manager slinked back in — demanding we leave." The mom was surprised because they had done what they were told to do. "Rosie, who had started the show singing and clapping with unbridled joy, had shrunk. She was now actively turning away from the screen." Jodie went on, "He proceeded to turn up the lights, freeze the movie, disrupting the entire theater mid-scene. Security entered, attempting to remove Rosie and me."
"The theater of strangers rose up in support: 'She's not disruptive. Let her stay. You are the disruption.' They spoke practically in unison." Many people from the audience came up to the duo to apologize for what they went through. They received apologies from a senior employee and a security guard, but none from the manager. But then the unexpected happened, per TODAY.com. The manager sent Rosie a bouquet and an apology for ruining what could have been a "wonderful" memory. "I realize I didn’t approach the situation with the empathy it deserved. Reflecting on it has been a personal reminder to step back, see the bigger picture and focus on what really matters — ensuring our guests feel welcome, comfortable and cared for," the manager wrote in his note.
After reading the note, Rosie immediately forgave the manager and called him a "good friend." The manager also asked for a chance to rectify his mistake and invited the family to visit the theatre, Alamo Drafthouse, again. Even the "Hamilton" actor Christopher Jackson read about the incident and reached out to Rosie through a video call. He invited her to see a show in New York City. "Now every day is, 'When are we seeing Hamilton?' She can’t wait." The theatre reached out to the family and revealed that all of their managers will now go through emotional intelligence training to prevent such incidents.