www.nbcnews.com: Returning to the theater after a pandemic-induced hiatus was something I wanted to stand up and cheer — until the very end of the performance, when all I wanted was the right to remain seated. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that the interruption of Covid-19 had done nothing to stop the wild proliferation of the standing ovation. As plays reopen for the fall season, I hope others will join me in standing up to the social pressure by staying seated.
3 comments:
I agree and relate to everything that was said in this article. It is a serious struggle to me. I find the act of a standing ovation to really mean something and I don’t want to look like a snob but I don’t believe that every show I see deserves a standing ovation. Once this becomes the norm or when it is expected it can lose all of it’s meaning. I feel that a show should feel life changing, it should feel like I fell in love with theatre all over again, to deserve an ovation. I wonder if this new culture is here to stay, and like the author, I am some old fashioned grudge that needs to get with the times. I also wonder if the time will pass after the reemergence of theatre and people will take the standing at the end of a show more “seriously.” I think it’s great for people to show their support and admiration but not if they feel obligated.
When I saw the title of this article, I actually laughed because it’s so true. I’ve definitely seen shows where afterwards I stood because everyone around me was doing it, and it felt wrong or like a conscious choice if I didn’t join in the standing ovation. There’s also the part of my brain that knows what it’s like to work on theatre and is like “well, every theatre artist deserves to feel appreciated from a standing ovation!” or “hey, my friends are in this and I want to stand for them!” so there’s also that automatic reaction. Since they’re so common though, it definitely takes away from it and waters down the action of the standing O. I wish there wasn’t that slight societal pressure, just so when a piece does get a standing ovation, it can really mean something special. It just feels customary and automatic to stand at the end, or you feel rude.
Over the course of this semester I have been seeing a lot of live performances. I really enjoy live entertainment and it’s been exciting to get back now that we can safely do so. Maybe I have curmudgeonly habits, but I’ve been complaining about the standing ovations all year. Almost every show I’ve seen has received a standing ovation and I associate it with being completely swept off your feet. The author doesn’t give a percentage, but I posited last week after seeing a run of the mill piece of theater that received a standing ovation - that they should only be given out about a quarter of the time. I have no evidence to back that up, but that’s just what I imagine it could be. Unless you are seeing only the absolute best shows, there’s no way that every show should be getting that special response. I think it’s a valid thought that maybe this effect is due to increased excitement since the pandemic.
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