Uncensored John Simon: There should be a difference between a good performance and a great one. Sensibly, one applauds at the end of the former and rises to one’s feet for the latter. About which is which, one knows in one’s bones. Or does one?
I don’t recall seeing in the old days audiences bent on rushing into a standing ovation even for a mediocre, sometimes indeed dismal, play, as if they were goosed by their seats. But nowadays standing ovations are as common as dirt, and strike me as a dirty joke. Why, even at a performance much later than the premiere, benighted souls will leap to their feet, clapping and cheering, as if to stand were standard procedure.
1 comment:
I've heard this complaint before, and have heard from many older theatergoers that the audience does do a standing ovation much more than they used to. But I have a different theory. When I'm in the audience, after the show ends and curtain call is going on, I usually stand up. Not to give a standing ovation, but because I've been sitting for an hour, it feels good to get on my feet, and I'm going to gather my stuff and get ready to leave. And this is what I'm seeing in many audiences. They're standing up, putting their program into their purse, saying hi to a friend a few rows back. It does take awhile to get out of the theatre, especially if you're in the middle of a row, but that doesn't stop people from standing and waiting to get off of an airplane. I think a lot of standing ovations aren't standing ovations, but just audience members standing. And I should note, getting ready to leave isn't an insult to the show. When I've been sitting for awhile, I'm hungry, I have to go to the bathroom, I'm planning on meeting a friend in the lobby, etc, I'm going to stand up when curtain call is winding down whether I loved the show or hated it.
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