Whodunit? Broadway studio is ‘attacked’ by anonymous pooper during auditions for Magic Mike

Whodunnit? Broadway is left puzzled by mystery pooper who targets audition rooms before vanishing

  • Someone left a pile of feces on the floor of two New York City actor studios
  • First incident took place at Pearl Studios on February 26 
  • Second incident occurred at the nearby Ripley-Grier studio on March 6 
  • Both studios were hosting auditions for the musical Magic Mike 

It’s a scandal worthy of a Broadway play: who is the person that has been pooping in New York City audition rooms?

The mystery has actors on the Great White Way stumped.

The first incident was reported at Pearl Studios in midtown Manhattan.

During auditions for the musical Magic Mike on February 26, a person involved with the show slipped on the floor.

‘She stopped and said, “Oh, I just stepped in s***,”’ actress Eunice Bae told the New York Post.

‘We all laughed thinking she was using the slang version of s*** to mean general mess, but then we all began to smell it.’

Alle-Faye Monka, who also auditioned for a part in Magic Mike, told the Post: ‘The first theory was that someone carried it off the street on their shoes.

Cast members of Magic Mike, a Broadway musical, are seen in the stock image above. On two occasions, someone left piles of fresh feces in audition rooms for the show in New York City, it has been reported

The first 'attack' took place at an audition room at Pearl Studios in New York City (seen right)

The first ‘attack’ took place at an audition room at Pearl Studios in New York City (seen right)

‘But there is no way that was plausible given that it looked like, well, a fresh pile.’

Another pile of feces was left on the floor of an audition room at the Ripley-Grier studio, which is just down the block from Pearl Studios on Eighth Avenue, on March 6.

There is one prevailing theory as to the motive behind the poop attacks – a dispute between union and non-union actors.

The Actors’ Equity Association has been urging Broadway theatergoers to buy tickets to shows that are strictly union productions.

The hashtag #askifitsequity has been shared on social media in the hope that union-only plays would be preferred.

But Magic Mike’s auditions are an open call, meaning that it is also open to non-union actors.

Broadway actors spoofed the real life drama with hilarious sketches online. Brooks Ashmanskas, the star of the music The Prom, appears in this online skit

Broadway actors spoofed the real life drama with hilarious sketches online. Brooks Ashmanskas, the star of the music The Prom, appears in this online skit

Two other stars of the musical - Josh Lamon (left) and Courtney Balan (right) - also appear in the spoof

Two other stars of the musical – Josh Lamon (left) and Courtney Balan (right) – also appear in the spoof

Productions who use non-union actors pay them about four times less than Equity members, according to the Post.

This has created friction between the union actors and the non-union actors who say they are being denied opportunities.

The union has long disliked the tours of Broadway shows that are quite lucrative for non-union actors.

The Post notes that after the first pile of feces was left in the audition room at Pearl Studios, the hashtag #askifs***sequity was launched on Twitter.

Theater actors took it in stride and reacted only as they could – by creating overly dramatic spoofs.

One skit created a short send-up of Law and Order: ‘SPU’ (Special Pooping Unit).

Another video on Twitter included the cast of The Prom, a musical.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk