Monday, October 31, 2011
Calling out bad behavior by theater audiences
The Denver Post: Last week, while attending a quiet play called "The Road to Mecca," a theatergoer's cell-phone vibration went off. Not unusual, and not as bad as a ring, but noticeable enough to anyone in the vicinity. The caller must have left a message, because 90 seconds later, we all heard a 3-second reminder buzz. How do I know it was 90 seconds later . . . and lasted for 3? Because it happened again, every 90 seconds, for the remainder of the play — even after the intermission. Plenty of opportunities to count it out. I finally got the tiniest sense of what waterboarding is all about.
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24 comments:
I go back and forth on this issue all the time. When an elderly couple in front of me is talking, mid-show, about something happening on stage my mind flips constantly between, "You're not in front of your TV, shut up already!" and thinking at least they're engaged in the performance enough to WANT to talk about it rather than just zoning out or walking out.
There's these issues and then there are the audiences who clam up when the actors on stage actually engage the audience on purpose in those productions that break through the fourth wall. Go figure.
I am a stickler for theatre etiquette. There is seldom a situation which would require you to respond to a person immediately. Even I, being someone who has my phone attached to me at all times, have no problems putting it down and powering off while I am watching a show. I even do this at movies - it's disrespectful to everyone who has worked on the production as well as majorly distracting to other audience members. I have learned this as proper etiquette from a young age, but I know there are those who haven't. Sometimes I wonder if the culprits are purposefully being rude or if they just don't know any better.
Simple answer block cell phone reception in the theatre. In other places that we need to not hear cell phones we block reception. If you dampen only the space it makes this real simple.
As far as I can tell, most cell phones these days have some kind of silent mode that aside from turning off your ringer they also put the vibrate settings into something a little less noticeable. While this article raises the always good point of respecting the perfomance and other performers around you, it mixes issues that theater goers face to an unsuccessful point since yes, cell and food wrappers are annoying, but at-least in the case of cell phone example, whatever that phone setting was goes beyond normal annoyances.
This reminds of some articles a few years back about a show where the actor called out an audience member for disrupting the performance. In show where that forth wall can be broken, shaming the audience should be encouraged. However in other productions at most you can sit through the distruption. Hopefully if it is bad enough, Stage Management can contact House Management and have an usher pull the audience member. It's so rude to both the performers, managers and designers, and unfortunately a reality.
I am constantly amazed at audience member's behavior in the theater. People have gotten used to sitting in front of their TVs or in a movie theater where they are able to get up, move around, and talk. To respond to Luke's suggestion of blocking reception, I believe that is illegal, but am not sure. I feel like many people today, and not just in theaters, have lost respect for those around them. Where the line gets blurry is when the shows themselves start incorporating social media, texting, and emails into the story of the show. I know that there are several productions where the characters live tweet when they are off stage (or on stage) or the audience is able to interact with the production by texting a certain number. It is also important to remember that, for the most part, these people are not trying to be rude, they are just not thinking about what they are doing. It is the job of the house manager and the ushers to remind them gently about the rules (Without making more commotion). I really like the one example mentioned in the article in which the board ops used laser pointers to point out those taking pictures or using their cell phones to the house staff.
I have read this article already...do you find some of these articles from backstagejobs on Twitter?
Anyway, I thought the part about the actor's phone going off behind scenery was really interesting. We assume things about a situation too often, and react to them from those assumptions.
About the cell phones themselves...If you are expecting something so urgent that your phone can't wait to be checked until intermission, then you probably shouldn't be watching a play. On the other hand, mistakes happen, and while the person in this article letting her phone keep buzzing is utterly ridiculous, if someone's phone started to go off because they thought it was on silent, and they silenced it as quickly as they could, I wouldn't hold a grudge. Things happen. It's rude, but I think sometimes people get too worked up about a little occurrence.
With regards to the cell-phone blocking, the FCC has made any sort of active blocking or intentional interference illegal, but there's nothing that prevents passive measures. As I've found at home, being surrounded by metal mesh (in my case, the exterior of the house is covered in a fake stone veneer that is mounted on metal lath) will very effectively block radio and cell phone signals. If a theater was constructed similarly, perhaps wrapping the hall itself in metal lath or something similar and ensuring that it is well-grounded would get rid of almost any cell-phone signal, but it would also prevent other wireless signals from getting in.
I don't quite know what side of the fence I fall on this issue. I do believe that people should silence their phone when they come into the theatre, but at the same time i do understand that there are sometimes when you are waiting on an important call (relative in surgery, for example), but you should step out an take it. I also understand that many non theatre people may not understand how disturbing it is (actual theatre people do this too). And, there are many people who just are not that considerate of the people around them. What can we do to fight it? I'm not sure. My method so far has been to be understanding and control my annoyances. I also think that, sadly, this is the way the world is taking us, especially with the way the younger generation is addicted to their phones. I guess my main hope is that technology could somehow reach a point where you can receive a call or text or something in a way that doesn't disturb people around you.
Naturally, I hate any audience distractions in the theater, but I have sympathy for most things. My mom is hard of hearing, but loves to see shows. It's a big source of frustration for her. When I see a show with her she sits close to me and asks me when she misses something. She gets really embarrassed about having to whisper during a show, but she's just trying to enjoy it like everyone else. Of course it's annoying when someone whispers, but I sympathize. Audience members cough - there's nothing to be done about that. If someone has a cough they shouldn't be going to the theater. I suppose it's a matter of judgement. I can't tolerate texting or candy, but confronting someone will just take me further from the action of the play. I once was watching an incredibly sad play and the woman next to me was laughing loudly the whole time. My friend wanted to ask her to stop laughing - but that was just her experience.
there are shows that are meant to have a thoroughly engaged audience, i.e. the infamously underdressed experience of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Your shirt and jacket theatre goer shouldn't expect a proper quiet etiquette at a typical performance of Rocky.
Now as for anything that is not Rocky Horor Picture Show or Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, there is no excuse for anything less then proper etiquette. Ill admit i leave my phone on vibrate but its not that hard to hit a button and turn off the little reminder that you have a voicemail. Now as for making a call during a show, they deserve to be hung by their toe nails from the fly system. as for the elder woman singing to the musical, its a point of respecting everyone's experience. people paid good money to come see and hear the show...not her
I do not have an issue staying away from my phone during theatre, until what i am watching sucks. from my perspective, if i am a paying customer and am not pleased with the product i purchased... i am free to not pay attention anymore. as snobby as that is... if the play is not good enough to keep my attention then the producing company shouldn't be complaining as to why i am not paying attention in the first place.
The cell phone issue is a lesson you only learn when it happens to you. You never think it'll be your phone. And vibrate to me seems acceptable. You should definitely address it as soon as possible and not let it disturb the entire show, but I think generally people understand. More than anything an audience could do, what bothers me the most is the one thing they can't help- coughing. It's so violent, invasive, consistently sporadic, and unpleasant. I hate being that person because you spend the entire show trying to suppress it and then feel terrible when it explodes out into the theater. I should feel empathetic toward the coughers because everyone has been in that position. But I'd rather have a phone buzzing or a candy wrapper rustling than someone coughing.
I am glad that this article not only addressed the topic of disrupting noises during a show, but also the issue of people texting, not caring that the light from their screen is just as disruptive to everyone next to and behind them as a cell phone ring would be. It's a difficult topic, though, since the solutions are not so simple, either. I honestly do not know what I would do as an usher, as sometimes telling people not to be so rude is also an unwanted and added distraction.
I can't believe how some people behave in a theater. It's just ridiculous! Hasn't anyone ever heard of just plain manner or common sense! Turn off you cell phone! We remind you every time we start a show and even movie theaters do it. So why don't people listen! Is it really that hard. In high school I remember being up in the light booth and counting how many people were texting during a show. It's insulting and rude and honesty do you think no one can see your lighted cellphone in a completely dark theater? You aren't at home people you are in a theater with a whole lot of other people who paid a lot of money to see a show. Not grumble at you because you can't remember to turn off your cell phone.
If there someone in the audience who is distracting enough to stop the performers from doing their job and is stopping the audience from getting "the experience' than people in the audience or the actors have a right to say something.
I loved the story about the laser pointers. I think that could be distracting too though.
Something that many people can agree to is that although technology is consistently changing, we don't want it interfering with our experience at the theater. I don't want to hear someone's cellphone go off in the middle of a show because it takes me out of the world of the play, that I paid good money to see. I do wonder if theaters began instituting a "stop the show if someone's cell goes off" policy, what might happen. Maybe a little bit of public embarrassment would go a long way.
On another note, it confuses the MESS out of me when shows encourage people to tweet or Facebook during performances. I understand that we are changing the culture, through social media, but it sets an awkward standard. Why encourage people to pull out their toys, if you're going to hit them over the head when they disturb the patrons' experience of the show?
I have no problem telling off strangers if they're displaying poor theater etiquette. It is incredibly rude and distracting to all surrounding audience members and possibly the actors to leave your cell phone on, open food, or talk above the quietest whisper while watching a performance. I really don't think there are many legitimate excuses for exhibiting this behavior; if the offender is a small child, her parents should be able to control her behavior or leave her at home. For me, the tricky part about correcting other audience members is gauging whether or not communicating to a rude audience member would be more distracting than whatever behavior they are exhibiting.
I have zero tolerance for rude/loud theater-goers. By going to the show, you are agreeing to be part of a community experience, to offer 2 hrs of your time to say "I will watch your show, I will let me ask me certain questions, and I will let you teach me something/show me something i didn't know/hadn't seen before." To take a call during a performance is to break this agreement and interfere with other people's experiences. And considering how much tickets to good shows are, I will not put up with anyone interfering my experience.
The lack of theatre etiquette that exists nowadays drives me crazy. One thing that Moore did not touch upon in this "rant" that is really annoying are audience members who show up late. During "Good Person" an audience member showed up late, and the actor speaking at the time called them out and thanked them for joining us, but of course this was Brecht. That audience member being called out really made that moment for me. Hopefully that person will try harder next time to make it to a show on time. The TV culture that we live in now has caused people to forget that when they are going to the theatre there are other audience members and performers who are distracted by their rude actions. I completely support calling out these audience members, and getting people back into the mind set that theatre etiquette is an important thing.
If there's one thing I always stressed to my non-theater friends, it was etiquette. Coming out of high school, I'm beyond annoyed to look from the booth to see 70% of the kids in the audience on their phones. Granted, I'm sure we all are, myself included, attached to our phones to some absurd degree. But for the sake of going to the theater as an experience, there's no way you can make that happen for yourself if you're distracted by something else. As hard of a concept as it may be to grasp for some people of all ages, it's completely okay to simply sit somewhere quietly and let other people performing take you away for a while.
It drives me crazy when people take out their phones and text during a performance--or even in a movie theatre. If someone is just going to text throughout the show, then why bother coming?
It's really distracting to sit in a dark theatre and see someone's celphone screen light up. It's one thing when a cellphone accidentally goes off, but to purposefully use it during a performance? I just don't get it. What makes people think it's ok to use their phones during a performance?
My theatre bad-behavior pet peeve is inappropriate applause. In music-based performances, especially operas, its extremely rude to applaude before the music is over. It's just disrespectful to the orchestra. I am totally judgmental of theatre-goers who can't wait to applaud until the end.
I also wish that theatre was still a thing people got dressed up for. Everyone's just so casual these days. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned.
I often let others in the theatre ruin my experience. Sneezing, coughin, cell phones, talking, all these things eventually get to me in a way that I can't get back into the action of the play. Instead of developing an immunity to bad audience behavior, I am more bothered by it now than ever. I always attempt to be the calm person in the room, so typically I just get up and leave. No horror stories
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