The Boston theater, where Chris Rock will take the stage for the first time since his Oscar-winning smash, is requiring audiences to lock their cellphones during the show.
The Wilbur Theater in Beantown says anyone who attends the comedian’s sold-out Wednesday through Friday shows must put their phones in a special bag that’s only accessible after the show ends.
But the security measure isn’t unusual — a similar restriction was in place when comedian John Mulaney was performing at the venue, said a woman who answered the phone at the theater.
Rock’s shows became a must after his primetime smack of Will Smith at the Oscars on Sunday – with ticket prices for his 30-city tour soaring after the viral smackdown.
Smith, who later apologized, got angry when Rock joked about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and her shaved head.
Attendees at Chris Rock’s Boston show don’t have access to their cell phones. AMPAS via Getty Images
Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia which has caused her to go bald.
Other artists ban cell phones during their performances, including Dave Chappelle and Joe Rogan, who did so when they took the stage at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center last year.
According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, the theater asked attendees to put their phones in “Yondr” bags before the cast took the stage.
Rock was hit after making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s health REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
Phones are placed in the Yondr bag and locked up for the duration of the show, with staff unlocking the bags after the performance ends.
Boston’s Wilbur Theater already has strict guidelines for shows there.
According to the venue’s website, cameras and recording devices are prohibited, as is “cell phone use,” which is “strictly prohibited during performances.”
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars.Will Smith/Instagram
Rock will be on stage at the Wilbur Theater in Boston tonight. Josh Reynolds for the NY Post
The pouch just adds a layer of protection to ensure no one can peek.