Being a Good Audience Power is a fascinating thing. Attending a play gives you a great deal of power -- the power, as an audience, to help make a success or a failure of each production. That is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Every production represents a great deal of time, at least some money, and countless hours of hard work by actors, directors, and the crews. That effort deserves a respectful audience. (If the first show was one I produced I would go into great detail about this information.) Not every audience member sees a performance in the same way. Some of us are fond of musical theatre, some like comedy, some drama. Many prefer contemporary plays, others like the classical. No matter what type of theatre is your favorite, each deserves your courteous and full attention. If you're unfamiliar with a show you're going to see, ask about it. (Again, when I gave out the dates for specific productions, which they recorded in “Plays Around Missoula,” I would take time to discuss each one. Even if I felt the show was inappropriate for the students, I would talk about it with the caveat that they had to have their parent’s permission to see it.) I also made clear that they did not have to like the production, but that the production deserved to have a respectful audience. Their likes and dislikes could be covered in their critiques. There are several things to keep in mind about the rules in a theatre: - keep feet off the seats of the auditorium - no eating, drinking, texting or smoking in the auditorium - turn off your watch alarms, beepers, cell phones, etc. - no photographs during performances If you must leave the theatre during a show, leave during a blackout or a scene change, and leave quietly. Talking in the audience or any other disruptive behavior is unforgivable. Show your excitement with applause and respond to the actors, rather than discuss the show while it's in progress with your friends. Please remember the time to discuss and evaluate the performance is after it's over. (On several occasions our student audiences were very unruly, once with a laser pointer and others with loud disruptions. I did not tolerate that so I stopped the show, went on stage and told them to return to their respective classes, “The show was over!” It was a hard lesson for those who were a good audience member, but believe me, I got my message across.) Applause is the audience's way of giving back some of the energy that actors have given them, and it's important to let performers know when their good work is appreciated. But applause can be overdone. Not every funny line should be interrupted with a thunderous outburst of clapping. Inappropriate applause can hinder a performance (especially a good one) as much as it can help it. Standing ovations, the ultimate compliment of the show, should be reserved for the very best. If you stand up for every show, how will you express your pleasure and respect when you see a piece of theatre that is really powerful and moving? A little restraint is in order here. |
