Question- Describe an instance where you, as an audience member at a live production, broke one of these ettiquette rules (listed in the post below) OR some other violation that effected your enjoyment of the production. IF you haven't been to that many live productions recently, you may use a movie audience as your example.
-Tim
PS- sorry about the seperate blog posts. Blogspot is doin' some weird stuff of late!
19 comments:
Ok. I am extremely guilty of "Excessive talking". I ask questions that I know people don't know the answers to...because this is their first time seeing the movie as well.
"Who is that guy?"
"Why did he do that?"
"What did he mean by that?"
"What did he say?"
-Johnny
I have not been to many live performances but I do go see movies a lot! it seems every time I go see a movie I end up having to either go get a refill on a drink or go to the restroom. This causes me to ask several questions about the characters and what has happened in the movie.
The last live performance I attended was my hometown's production of Godspell. The etiquette rule that was broken was talking during the live performance. The talking was by a young girl who was probably only 5 or 6. She most likely didn't understand that she shouldn't talk during the live performance. Although her mother was asking her to be quiet during the entire performance she would still say whatever she needed to say. She was often asking questions about something that she didnt understand or she would say "they can sing really well!" The talking was very distracting to me because she was sitting directly in front of me and I could her everything she was saying!
I have only been to a couple of live performances in my life, but I have been guilty of a couple of these. There was one time where I got up in the middle of a performance and then realized that I was blocking everyone's view and I got a few glares. As soon as I realized what I was doing I sat down immediately to not obstruct their view anymore. Another one I have done is talking. If I get confused I will ask the person I'm with "what's going on?" "What is this characters name?" Now after seeing what is etiquette I will not do that anymore.
I have attended live dance shows in high school and I was also part of a few live dance performances. I know that the having the correct etiquette is important due to the safety of the performer and the enjoyment of the audience. Flash photography can be very distracting for the performers and can bother the audience because the room is so dark and a flash is so bright. Having cell phones go off during the performance is not only rude but it can cause the performers to get side tracked and not be fully focused.
I have not been to many live performances but the ones I have been to I can definitely remember not following proper etiquette throughout the whole performance. A few of my very close friends were performing in this show and I couldn't help myself from cheering them on at times that were inappropriate.
I have only been to one play so I am going to use going to a movie for my experience and let me just say I am very guilty of talking to much "excessive talking" but its not because I'm trying to be rude its usually because I need help understanding a part in the movie or something about the movie! I know its still not okay but I like to know what's going on. :) Another thing I'm very guilty of is keeping my phone on! I do put it on vibrate but I don't ever turn it off because there might be an emergency or something very important!
I haven't been to hardly any live performances. Except the one on my senior trip and honestly cannot recall any violations during the performance. I have however been to movies and a lot of them. I the guilty one to text during the movie and even tho my phone is on the dimmest setting I know its still bright and sometimes I do it without even realizing it. Then one of my friends usually ends up nudging me, so that I put it up. It is however on silent.
It has been several years since I have been to a live performance so I'm not sure if I broke any etiquette rules. When I am at the movies I sometimes forget to turn my phone off. I usually don't talk during the movie because I know how much it irritates me when others do.
I went to a dinner theater on vacation, and was texting almost the entire time. I know that is terrible, but I had already been to this particular show at least 5 times. Thankfully no one around me seemed to mind.
My husband and I went to see The GIRL Project last night. The etiquette rule I broke was the turn off your cell phone rule. When I received a text message, the alert went off at what I perceived to be the quietest moment in the play. I immediately turned off my phone. Moments later the gentleman behind me broke the same etiquette rule only he received a call. I no longer felt as bad.
Leslie Pitts
I have been to a few plays but during the plays I tried to be respectful, so I don't remember a time that I had bad etiquette. However, when I go to the movies I'm usually very guilty of "excessive talking". I think scary movies are the worst for me because it's like I try to talk to the ditzy girl that decides to go in deep dark places that she obviously shouldn't go in! My friends usually don't mind, but my boyfriend always tells me to be quiet because apparently it "distracts" him, or maybe he get embarrassed, but I know he has to be thinking the same things!
As a photographer for The Artist Collaborative theatre I do a "photo call" for each production of the season, in these calls we take the whole show and make a list of those most important moments that we feel would help "promote" the show. Lauren Stewart (Artistic Director) and I carefully plan this list by scene to ensure we highlight the importance of each moment that we need. We book these photo calls during the run of the show where we can turn these moments into "stills". I personally like doing the calls because it gives me time to work with the actors. On a rare few occasions I've had to photograph these shows live vs... Doing a photo call. Sometimes I've felt that I may be breaking theatre etiquette because though I do not need a "flash" to capture these moments most of the time I'm having to work around the audience, being restricted to the shot I can get from my seat vs.. Shooting from any angle, the back light (same concept as cell phone light) that comes from my screen as I try to make sure I have captured the moment needed, and lastly the load shutter speeds my camera gives when I'm snapping multiple frames. Though I'm hired through the studio to get these shots during this show I can see how as an audience member I make disturb their theatre experience that they have paid to see. With that in mind I prefer to re-create these same moments in a photo call atmosphere so that its a win-win situation for myself, the company and audience members.
I have not been to many live shows, but I go to movies sometimes with my kids. The ethic rule that I find hard not to violated is talking, no matter how I tried. My children ask questions and if I didn't answer they will insist on the very question over and over.
While I've never been guilty of disrupting a live performance, I cant say the same for movie theaters. There's been a time or two when I was out with my friends and become less composed, usually from being pestered to no end. Normally tho, I try to be more respectful and keep it to a whisper.
It seems inevitable that during a live performance, at least one person in the audience will break an etiquette rule...sometimes that person being myself. The last performance I attended, there was a couple sitting beside me who had brought their very small child with them. I realize that it's hard to find sitters at times, and in these instances, parents have no other option, but to bring their child with them. However, no one should expect a small child to sit through such a long performance. During the production, the child would mumble, move around, and at times, break out into an awful fit of crying. It's distracting enough for something like this to happen anywhere in the audience, but it was even worse for myself because I was sitting right next to them.
I can't recall attending a live performance in the last six years of my lifetime but I am guilty of excessive talking during a movie. My attention span can be very short, especially if the movie is very disinteresting. I tend to ask a lot of questions during the show as well which understandably can be nerve wrecking.
I go to several local productions and am also in the movie theatre at least twice a week. I realize that everyone has emergencies, but what most people don't realize is that keeping your cellular devices on makes the sound system feed back and it messes up the entire cast. My biggest pet peeve is when people walk in and out of the isle because it makes you miss out on something possibly important to the show.
I believe that I am only guilty of "excessive talking" when it comes to theatre etiquette. I don't talk much, but enough that it is a bother to those around me. I find myself asking "what just happened", "who is that person", etc. I know it is best to wait after a performance to ask these kinds of questions, but I like to know what is going on in that moment.
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