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Theatre Etiquette 101: That Screen Is Brighter Than It Appears

Say it with me: Theatre Etiquette. I treat going to Broadway the same way I treat going to the movies, minus the over-buttered popcorn. Like at the movies, Broadway has announcers that state at the beginning of a performance the rules that one should follow while watching a show. The rules are pretty general across the board: no talking, don’t unwrap you candies during the performance, and NO CELL PHONES. In my experience I’ve had to deal with all three, though the candy one sticks out most. Seriously, how hard is it to wait until after a big number when the entire audience is clapping to rip open those packs of M&Ms for your kids?

The most common rule broken however, and the one that is most distracting for audience members and actors alike, is the cell phone rule. Not just cell phones going off loudly when they should be on silent, but audience members texting during the show (for which Patti LuPone has no problem snatching the phone from you), accepting phone calls during the show (seriously?), and even trying to get in a quick charge on the shows set before the performance begins (even if it does look like a real outlet, it’s not. That’s the magic of a great scenic designer/technical director, my friend).

The thing I like most about seeing theatre is the fact that it is live. There are no do-overs; what you see is what you get. The actors on that stage give their all eight times a week, after weeks and months of preparing, to bring a particular piece to life. So imagine as an actor on stage, telling this dynamic story in character in front of an audience of 100 + people, and looking down to see a flash of light, a head down, and fingers typing away. The audience member is completely disconnected from what’s happening on stage, and is probably causing those around him/her to be distracted. Now there’s a domino effect of people not engaging in the material the way the actors, director, designers, and writers fully intended to do. It’s disrespectful. Patti LuPone said it best in an official statement;

“We work hard on stage to create a world that is being totally destroyed by a few, rude, self-absorbed, and inconsiderate audience members who are controlled by their phones. They cannot put them down. When a phone goes off or when a LED screen can be seen in the dark it ruins the experience for everyone else – the majority of the audience at that performance and the actors on stage. I am so defeated by this issue that I seriously question whether I want to work on stage anymore. Now I’m putting battle gear on over my costume to marshall the audience as well as perform.”

The next time you go to see a show, text/call everyone in advance and let them know you won’t be available for the next two hours and put that phone on silent and leave it alone. I promise you; Instagram will be there when it’s over.

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