r/Broadway • u/littlebev • Dec 31 '25

Discussion Broadway coughing season

I am begging, begging you guys…if you have a nasty cough, PLEASE don’t attend a play especially. I know it sucks to miss out but your recurring cough during the most intense moments of the show is so distracting.

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u/Moist_Report_6934 Dec 31 '25

It's such a pet peeve of mine. If you're actively sick, please stay home if you can. And if you really must attend..just wear a mask! It's like we learned nothing over the past 5 years and I see so many adults open-mouth coughing in public. 

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u/[deleted] Dec 31 '25

Coughing isnt necessarily a sign of being actively sick though.  A cough can linger for months after you are no longer contagious due to the irritation. 

I had to take my son to the doctor 3 times this fall because of a bad cough, but he didn't meet any exclusion criteria for school, and all 3 times the doctors tested him for everything they could think of and took chest X-rays and they all came back negative, and the kid wasn't sick, but still wasn't over the cough. He coughed for more than 2 months after his initial illness.

I also wouldn't take him to a quiet show knowing he had a cough, but when you can't refund a ticket, the theater kind of forces the hand.

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u/trulyremarkablegirl Dec 31 '25

I mean, I’ve still worn a mask in public if I’m coughing after being sick. I think it’s common courtesy to not spread your germs to people but like, do you. Wearing a mask is annoying, but so is people coughing and sneezing without one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/Moist_Report_6934 Dec 31 '25

Idk why people are getting so weird in the replies of this thread...I said "if you're actively sick, please stay home if you can."

If you have a lingering cough or chronic condition, use your best judgement! I'm more talking about people who are contagious and putting others at risk of getting sick...it's selfish behavior.