As someone who grew up in the dance world, I spent a lot of time performing in theaters. I was taught theater etiquette from a young age, so it is second nature to me. A couple of years ago, I went to see a play on Broadway, and I was appalled at how some of the audience members acted. There were people texting on their cell phones the whole time and there were people making loud comments to their friends about the action on the stage. I was really upset because I wanted to enjoy the show, and all around me were people distracting me. The actors are getting annoyed with it as well. Recently, famous Broadway actress, Patti LuPone, became so fed up with a person who was texting during her show (Shows for Days) that she stopped her musical number halfway through and grabbed the phone from the audience member!
So why is it that people no longer know how to act in a theater? Well, I think it is because the theater has become so much more accessible now. There are people going to the theater now who might not have ever seen a show before, and no one has taught them what is and isn't appropriate to do at the theater. To help those people, or anyone who needs a brush up on their theater etiquette, I have compiled a list of what you should and should not do when you go to see a show:
1. Show up early. Please, for the love of everything good, do not show up late. It is rude and disrespectful to walk into the theater after the show has started, and in many theaters they won't even let you in. It is also distracting for the performers if someone walks in during the middle of their scene/musical number. Plan to arrive at the theater 15-20 minutes early so that you can find your seat, use the bathroom, and have time to peruse the program before the show starts.
2. SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE. Most theaters will make an announcement to turn off your phone before the show even starts because it is distracting to everyone in the performance — and the audience — if it goes off during the show. It can also interfere with the sound system. If you don't want to completely power down your phone, it is usually okay to put it on "airplane mode" (if your phone has the option). If it doesn't, please turn it off!
3. Please keep your comments to yourself. I know something crazy just happened on stage and you want to turn to your friend next to you and discuss it, but please refrain from talking until intermission or the end of the show. Your innocuous comments can disturb the other theatergoers around you and are unnecessary in the moment. The only appropriate noises that should come out of your mouth when watching a show are laughter if something funny happened or a quiet gasp if something surprising happened. A special note for dance performances: please don't hoot and holler at every "trick" the dancer does! It is one of my biggest pet peeves. You can holler all you want at the end of their dance/variation but unless they do something incredibly remarkable (like a bajillion fouettés) then just wait until the end.
4. Don't clap at unimportant times. If you are unsure when is the appropriate moment to clap, just wait for a cue from those around you. The best times to clap are: after the scene ends, after a musical number, or if the actor pauses for applause. When in doubt, wait for someone else to initiate the clapping.
5.
7. Please don't eat food during the show, especially if it is loud. One of the worst things to hear as an audience member is the crinkling sound of someone snacking loudly on something from a plastic wrapper right in the middle of a really serious and important scene. I would advise you to have a meal before the show. If you really need to eat something, eat it during intermission, or at least unwrap it during intermission so the other audience members don't have to listen to the sound of your wrapper. Please don't be that person in the gif above.
Overall, just be courteous to those sitting around you. You are all here to enjoy the show and no one wants to be distracted from the drama onstage. It is also important to be respectful to the performers who put their soul into every performance. Next time you go to the theater, keep some of these in mind and I am sure that everyone around you will appreciate it!
