Rihanna attended a performance of the popular Broadway show, Slave Play, on Saturday night (Sept. 14), which seemed fun and innocent until a thankful tweet from the playwright turned sour.
Jeremy O. Harris, the show’s writer, posted a photo of himself laughing and hugging RiRi, with the caption, “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.”
Again, seemed pretty innocent, until a number of critics condemned Rihanna for “texting throughout the performance.” “Stop applauding her behavior,” one user added.
She texted throughout the performance. Multiple “common” audience members who paid for their tickets have confirmed this. Stop applauding her behavior.
— Steven (@somedayboy) September 16, 2019
As the debate over “theatre etiquette” heated up, Harris quickly came to Rihanna’s defense, slamming “miss me w tweets chastising anyone in my audience for using a phone to send a text.” He followed up with a slew of tweets about his ambivalence toward cell phone use in the theater, and even cheekily retweeted a comment about Hamilton producers starting a show late when Vice President Mike Pence was there.
“When Dionysus is coming you hold the curtain,” Harris ended the debate by praising his “demi-goddess” Rihanna.
See it all go down below.
FYI: miss me w tweets chastising anyone in my audience for using a phone to send a text. I’ve seen too many “general audience members” do it over the last decade to care about it. I’m more interested in theatre evolving and maybe phones are part of that evolution? Who knows.
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019
To dead this weird discourse that has popped up…
The patron saint of the play I wrote is literally a pop star, fashion icon, and Demi-goddess named Rihanna. Her words are all over it. She’s a 9th character in the play.
When Dionysus is coming you hold the curtain. https://t.co/ocYxCjbIkU
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019
I watched in the mirror above…I also received the texts. She sent 3 texts randomly throughout the 3 act play. Abt the plah. Which is Lower than my mother’s average
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 16, 2019
Like LITERALLY!!!!!
A century ago etiquette in nyc was lit yelling at performers you disliked to leave the stage.
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019
Totally get that. For me there are so many more disrespectful things that I have to endure in a theatre than light from a phone so I’ve come to terms with it.
— Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) September 15, 2019
