"Without making a scene” means without disruption. A theatre joke is:

“I got fired from my job as a stage designer. I left without making a scene.”

The theatre pun has been cited in print since at least 2012.


18 March 2012, Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, UK), “No fun at this stage of my life” by Mike Lockley, pg. 20:
It hurts because I pride myself on showbiz knowledge and once briefly worked as a theatre set designer.

They fired me. I left without making a scene.

Twitter
Ian Bowery‏
@IanBowery
Mate of mine just got sacked from the local theatre. In fairness, he left without making a scene.
4:58 PM - 9 Jul 2012

Twitter
Drubert Dizzle‏
@Drubacca13
Replying to @rooney03
@rooney03 @sarahatatum lol hello Mr Rooney!! I got sacked from my carpenter job at the theatre. Left without making a scene #ProperJobJoke
12:21 PM - 26 Mar 2013

Twitter
Phil Angell‏
@LordChubbers
Hollywood’s least productive Movie Director has finally been fired today by Columbia Pictures. He left without making a scene.
11:19 AM - 23 Feb 2015 from South West, England

Twitter
Spock Thornaby‏
@Spock_Thornaby
I’ve just been sacked from my job as a theatre designer.
I left without making a scene.
4:26 AM - 17 Sep 2015

Twitter
James Hart‏
@Jam_Hart
Got fired on the first day as a film director! I didn’t get angry, I left without making a scene 😯😂
6:09 PM - 20 Oct 2015

Twitter
John‏
@JFD1960
When I was sacked from my job as a theatre designer.
I left without making a scene
2:22 PM - 19 Jul 2016

Twitter
Chris Brownton‏
@judgemental747
She got dismissed from her job as a stage designer.
She left without making a scene!
4:09 AM - 6 Nov 2016

Twitter
Living Sarcasm‏
@SarcasmLiving
I got sacked today from my job as a stage designer.
But I left without making a scene
6:22 AM - 7 Nov 2016

Twitter
Greg Clayman‏
@Greg_Clayman
I got fired from my job as a stage designer today. It’s okay guys, I left without making a scene.
#puns #wordplay #dadjokes
10:21 PM - 25 Mar 2017

Reddit—Jokes
I was wrongly fired from my job as a stage designer today…
submitted June 13, 2017 by LangyLangLang69
I left without making a scene.

Twitter
Church Jokes‏
@ChurchJokes
Even though I was wrongly fired from my job as a stage designer today.
I left without making a scene.
9:07 AM - 13 Jun 2017

Twitter
Brata George‏
@BrataGeorge
I was wrongly fired from my job as a stage designer today… I left without making a scene. #smile #reddit #jokes
9:22 AM - 13 Jun 2017