Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte- Page 2
Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Broadway Joe
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/15/10
#25Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:10pm
I know she is joking but if you actually ever talk to people the way she does in real life then you best be prepared to fight because there is always someone out there more crazy than you.
I couldn't disagree more with the having to clap aspect. I paid my money for a ticket and if I don't like it I'm not clapping nor standing up to give them any praise. There's been a few shows that I've been to that deserved to be booed.
I also chew gum but never loudly.
DAME
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/15/04
#26Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:14pm
Broadway Joe said: "I know she is joking but if you actually ever talk to people the way she does in real life then you best be prepared to fight because there is always someone out there more crazy than you."
And that is the exact same reason you should be a respectful and considerate theatergoer. You never know when you are going to be seated next to me... I mean.. a crazy person.
HUSSY POWER!
------ HUSSY POWER!
#27Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:17pm
Most of the people near me were well-behaved during my 7-night/9-production recent NYC trip. However...
At The Iceman Cometh, there was a couple next to me. She was seated right next to me. I think they must’ve bought their tickets last minute at TKTS and had no idea it was four hours long (I say this based on their behavior and overhearing them at the last intermission). That’s really beside the point. But apparently she started getting bored as she started TEXTING somewhere around Act 3. She also started eating M&M’s. Did I mention we were in Row A? At least I had the aisle seat so I was more visible (no seats in front of me) to the cast. In fact, at stage door David Morse recognized me from the audience.
I really am appalled at how many people refuse to entirely turn off their phones before the production starts. It annoys me so much. You’re not that important. If you are, then live theater is not for you!
At another show (it could have been Iceman or Once on This Island), couple somewhere behind me were discussing the production during the performance.
I kind of give the audiences at Spongebob more of a pass as the only questionable behavior was child-related. Parents taking kids to bathroom. It’s a show that invites families. Kids have smaller bladders and less bladder control. I’d rather they get up than have the kids pee their pants. It did seem to be only families with aisle seats so they were minimally disrupting others. Most kids did seem bored out of their minds (I loved it). Kid in front of me was lying sideways in her aisle seat half asleep. I would never have gotten away with that, but at least she was quiet.
Confession: I have been known to purchase an overpriced adult beverage in the theatre and discreetly sip it during a production.
I always stand and applaud at the end of a show regardless of my level of enjoyment. This is mainly because I find that when I don’t fully enjoy a show, it’s rarely because of the performers who work their asses off. That is who I am applauding.
EllieRose2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/22/17
#28Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:19pm
I love this women and agree on everything she has said. Last week, when the lights went down during "The Beast in the Jungle" a man in the front row, one person down from me was still texting. And older man attempted to shut him down but he waved him off like some douchebag. The ushers at the Vineyard are volunteers and they were nowhere to be found. I got up from my first row seat (plenty of room from the stage) stood over him, and told him "Turn your phone off right now, it's fu*king rude". That is when two rows of people applauded and 2 people said "thank you". I freaked him out so he immediately put it in his fanny pack until after the show.
If some bu!lsh*t is happening in the theater, never be afraid to speak up. I know a lot of people don't feel they can do that, or don't want to start drama but it's vitally important that people learn proper etiquette. Some people can't be saved obviously, but some people honestly do not know proper decorum inside a theater.
vanbrig
Stand-by Joined: 10/16/17
#29Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:22pm
Miles2Go2 said: "Confession: I have been known to purchase an overpriced adult beverage in the theatre and discreetly sip it during a production."
Gasp. How dare.
SmokeyLady
Broadway Star Joined: 10/29/14
#30Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:32pm
EllieRose2 said: "I love this women and agree on everything she has said. Last week, when the lights went down during "The Beast in the Jungle" a man in the front row, one person down from me was still texting. And older man attempted to shut him down but he waved him off like some douchebag.The ushers at the Vineyard are volunteers and they were nowhere to be found.I got up from my first row seat (plenty of room from the stage) stood over him, and told him "Turn your phone off right now, it's fu*king rude". That is when two rows of people applauded and 2 people said "thank you". I freaked him out so he immediately put it in his fanny pack until after the show.
If some bu!lsh*t is happening in the theater, never be afraid to speak up. I know a lot of people don't feel they can do that, or don't want to start drama but it's vitally important that people learn proper etiquette. Some people can't be saved obviously, but some people honestly do not know proper decorum inside a theater."
Yes! I will always speak out ! People need to stop being afraid of confrontation . In the long run your doing some good.
#31Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:43pmI also tend to make sure I visibly turn off my phone before Act 1 and make a bigger production of it when I sense the person next to me won’t turn theirs off. I’ll admit it rarely works though.
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
#32Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:50pm
Gee, Where are all you confrontational people when I go to the theater? I always seem to be the only one who tells people to turn off their phones, etc., when it is quite obvious that everyone around is just as annoyed. Just once, I would love to see someone else confront that person, instead of it always being me.
DAME
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/15/04
#33Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:54pm
ArtMan said: "Gee, Where are all you confrontational people when I go to the theater? I always seem to be the only one who tells people to turn off their phones, etc., when it is quite obvious that everyone around is just as annoyed. Just once, I would love to see someone else confront that person, instead of it always being me."
I do it. And I have seen other people do it as well. I always make a point of thanking them if I can. Either during intermission or after the show.
HUSSY POWER!
------ HUSSY POWER!
mailhandler777
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/15
#34Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:57pm
Next time I chew my gum I'll make sure that I do what I do now. People around me have no clue that I'm chewing gum anyway because guess what. THEY DON'T LOOK AT ME OR LOOK AROUND TO SEE IF PEOPLE ARE CHEWING GUM. I'm guessing the people that have issues with gum chewers are people that eat loudly themselves and think everyone is like that.
I may also have to use the bathroom too and I'll definitely get up during a show to do so. If anyone tries to stop me you will be more embarrassed than I will be trying to stop me.
Hi, I'm Val. Formerly DefyGravity777(I believe)
EllieRose2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/22/17
#35Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 7:58pm
We are around, and we got you ArtMan. We are a small, but awesome group of random individuals who take no crap at the theater.
Bette's Turban
Broadway Star Joined: 7/9/17
#36Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 8:03pm
mailhandler777 said: "Next time I chew my gum I'll make sure that I do what I do now. People around me have no clue that I'm chewing gum anyway because guess what. THEY DON'T LOOK AT ME OR LOOK AROUND TO SEE IF PEOPLE ARE CHEWING GUM. I'm guessing the people that have issues with gum chewers are people that eat loudly themselves and think everyone is like that.
I may also have to use the bathroom too and I'll definitely get up during a show to do so. If anyone tries to stop me you will be more embarrassed than I will be trying to stop me."
Scott Rudin will not let you back to your seat. And that policy has worked really well in his shows . Same thing at circle in the square for Once..
mailhandler777
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/15
#37Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 8:20pm
Bette's Turban said: "mailhandler777 said: "Next time I chew my gum I'll make sure that I do what I do now. People around me have no clue that I'm chewing gum anyway because guess what. THEY DON'T LOOK AT ME OR LOOK AROUND TO SEE IF PEOPLE ARE CHEWING GUM. I'm guessing the people that have issues with gum chewers are people that eat loudly themselves and think everyone is like that.
I may also have to use the bathroom too and I'll definitely get up during a show to do so. If anyone tries to stop me you will be more embarrassed than I will be trying to stop me."
Scott Rudin will not let you back to your seat. And that policy has worked really well in his shows . Same thing at circle in the square for Once.. "
That's nice. I've never seen one of his shows so no worries on that. I've seen Once On This Island already so no worries about that either. I will patiently wait until intermission to go back to my seat anyway.
Hi, I'm Val. Formerly DefyGravity777(I believe)
persephone88
Stand-by Joined: 12/30/14
#38Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 8:58pm
Cell phone light really does bother me. One lady at Long Day's Journey Into Night at BAM kept her phone on for the first FIVE MINUTES of the show as she read messages and texted.Ugh! Very distracting. She was considerably down the aisle one row ahead of me, or I would have said something to her quietly. Finally she turned it off.
But worse, for me, are the people who feel it necessary to call out a comment during a show. During a perfomance of The Color Purple, right in the middle of "I'm Here", an incredibly poignant number, during a pause when you could hear a pin drop in the audience, one woman felt compelled to loudly exclaim "YES! You SING that song, girl!" Okay, I get that you were moved, but it definitely took us out of the moment. My 15 year old looked at me like "Really?! " This is not an audience participation piece, folks.
#39Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 9:18pmThere is really no problem with most children in the theater. I’ve sat to well behaved 7 year olds, and awfully behaved 60+ year olds. I always ask for no ice in any drink I may buy, minimizing disturbances. This woman seems incredibly entitled though some points are valid.
#40Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 9:22pm
Annie, grab your gun and shoot me because I violate half of these...
Sit the **** still - When a part is particularly suspenseful, I have a tendency to move to the edge of my seat or to shift my leg a bit. Sometimes I'll even tap it! Sorry, I can't control my reaction to the sheer emotion some of these actors have (Harry Potter when part 1 act 2 ended and IT was flying around the room I thought I was going to be hit and the head and dodged one. Not my fault, subconscious).
Be over 25 years old, and preferably over 30 - I'm still under 25. Sue me. I have been going to the theatre since I was 13 and have never misbehaved so badly people complained and many people have actually said I'm a wonderful seatmate.
Do not eat or drink - After rushing Waitress from 9 - 12 when the box opened, seeing the show at 1 and never getting time to eat I packed a cookie to eat before the show but had to eat during the first song. I'd rather not be at a show and hear my stomach growling the entire time. You wouldn't either. I got no breakfast or lunch until then, and it was well deserved.
Come at me, tell me that I should go to the theatre again in 3+ years, lose all emotional capability and on an empty stomach.
mplstheatrefan
Chorus Member Joined: 9/16/17
#41Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 9:30pm
What do you all think about this as a solution to the points raised in the second article?
https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Relaxed-Performances.aspx
persephone88
Stand-by Joined: 12/30/14
#42Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/28/18 at 10:02pmI think this is a great idea, even for folks who don't think they can hold out for a restroom break til intermission, or who want to enjoy a bag of chips during the show.
Cape Twirl of Doom
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
#43Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 1:27amThere is nothing that bothers me more than having to be stuck within listening distance of someone smacking their gum. It is the most disgusting thing. If you don’t know how to chew with your mouth closed, please never come to the theater.
"It's Phantom meets Hamlet... Phamlet!"
EllieRose2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/22/17
#44Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 1:46am
Food or drink is unacceptable unless you are sick. Oh, wait, DON'T COME TO THE THEATER WHEN YOU ARE SICK! Chewing, crunching, smacking gum, when someone lifts their drink full of ice making a huge sound, a crinkle of a water bottle. All of those things are unacceptable and gross. Can people in America really NOT go a few hours without food or water? Unless you have a medical condition, you can. I am actually telling you, the human body can handle it. Really and Truly.
EllieRose2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/22/17
#45Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 1:46am
Cape Twirl of Doom said: "There is nothing that bothers me more than having to be stuck within listening distance of someone smacking their gum. It is the most disgusting thing. If you don’t know how to chew with your mouth closed, please never come to the theater."
Literally never. Not ever. Thanks!
vanbrig
Stand-by Joined: 10/16/17
#46Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 2:21am
If I pay good money to see a show and I get a little thirsty, I'm not going to sit there uncomfortably with my throat dry. I'm gonna take a quiet drink of water without ice from my crinkle-free water bottle. I don't care how much it offends the occasional pearl-clutcher spending more time watching the audience than watching the show.
I guess another thing for us to keep in mind, since we were talking about confronting people who are disruptive, is to be careful not to escalate the situation to the point where it's more of a distraction than it was before. I sent this article to an actor I know who does a lot of regional theatre. He recalled a time when someone sitting near the front was swirling their ice around in their cup a bit, and another audience member loudly shushed them. He said he didn't give much thought to the ice swirler and doubted many people noticed, but he sure had some choice words he wished he could say to the person yelling.
VintageSnarker
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/30/15
#47Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 5:40am
I think it got a little too over the top around the gum section but yes to everything before that.
My issue with audience policing is that when people are really awful, it doesn't work and then everyone is just upset and uncomfortable. The bad behavior continues, you feel helpless and even more aware of it, and the other person feels judged and resentful... and you're likely sitting near each other. If a subtle cough or a passive-aggressive tap is enough to get someone to stop a distracting behavior, that's fine. But people who are rude enough to sit in the third row and spend the entire show texting, older people who want to sing along and stage-whisper to the person next to them during any lull in the proceedings, people who think chomping on peanut M&M's is appropriate when the character on stage is singing about their abuse and inner turmoil, someone manspreading who thinks he needs both armrests as well as jamming his knee into your space... they don't stop when you say something.
#48Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 7:54am
I agree with most of the things in her article. Her 25/30 age limit is stupid though; Yes, taking a 6 year old to Three Tall Women is probably a bad idea, and if the child were to be disruptive, I would feel bad telling the parents to shush him or her, but there’s no reason an 18 year old shouldn’t see show.
To the person rushing, if you were waiting from 9-12, why not eat while on line? Plenty of people do- I’ve down it many times. If I forget to pack a snack/food, my first stop is a Starbucks or similar to grab a sandwich.
As far as sitting still goes, organic reactions to a piece are of course fine, and she even be encouraged. It’s constant fidgeting that gets on my nerves. We’re not statues and can’t be expected to act as such, but when there’s a constant barrage for movement (out of boredom), well, we’re probably bored too, but be mature and control yourself!
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#49Sit down, shut up and clap: A guide to theater etiquette by Amanda Duarte
Posted: 6/29/18 at 8:12am
Miles2Go2 said: "
Confession: I have been known to purchase an overpriced adult beverage in the theatre and discreetly sip it during a production."
I love the slushie froze drinks they have at the theater in the summer! I, too, discreetly sip it during a production but I've learned to only do it at the end of a song when people applaud (and thus people won't hear me sip) or when it's very loud dancing music number (hence people won't hear me sip.)
Before the first intermission at Frozen, at least 10 people went up to go to the bathroom. I understand bladders are full and most are kids but at least do it at the end of a song number when people are clapping not in the middle of a song.
At Sunset Boulevard, I couldn't believe the usher would seat someone *during* Glenn Close's "With One Look" near the beginning of the musical. Yes I understand that person was late and needs to be seated but can't they do that after that iconic number?!?
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