Working in regional theatre, I sometimes help clean up around the house. When I first started, I always wondered why people would leave their Playbills behind.

To me, a Playbill is the greatest souvenir you can take from a show. It reminds you of the memories made and allows you to look back on a good time down the road. I would always feel bad for the left Playbills as if they had feelings; as if their successors had abandoned them like something unwanted. However, treasuring a Playbill might be a little cliche to some and that's fine, but there's nothing quite like cracking open an old Playbill and reliving the memories.

Now that we got the nostalgic, reminiscent part of this article over with, let's get down to the real business. I think it's incredibly rude to leave trash sitting around the house after a show has completed. THE HOUSE STAFF ARE NOT YOUR MOTHER, PEOPLE.

You're not only disrespecting us when you leave your trash sitting in the aisles, but you're also disrespecting the space. Some theatres in New York are hundreds of years old and here you are, spilling a half glass of wine on the carpet thinking that no one will notice as you sweep your plastic glass under the seat. It's highly noticeable and highly inconvenient.

I recently had to tidy up the outdoor space that my internship allows me to work in for opening night and I went into it thinking that it would be a breeze because surely no one would leave trash sitting in an outdoor theatre.

Well, guess what?

I learned that I should just give up on expectations for humanity and accept the fact that people are just going to leave trash where they please. It's a sad fact of life for live theatre, concert venues, and movie theaters alike. It's also a sad fact for animals who roam outdoor venues and see trash as food. Think of the animals before you think of yourselves, people. Do you really want to hurt a poor, innocent animal?

The next time you're out at some public event (it doesn't even have to be theatre!), remember to clean up after yourself. It's not even because it's a common courtesy to the space and its workers, it's common courtesy to yourself. Just be a decent human being and pick up your trash.