Comments on: O, malignant and ill-boding audience!

By: krisjoseph

krisjoseph — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:12:58 +0000

Foregoing the fact that I think the definition of what is respectful is changing, the real thrust of my argument relates to choosing the onstage reaction to the in-the-house annoyance. My blood boils when a cell phone goes off, but I think it would be rude to bark at someone for doing it… there are, as a parallel, alternatives to beating a child in order to discipline it!

By: “Hey. Actors. Suck it up.” « The Next Stage

“Hey. Actors. Suck it up.” « The Next Stage — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:26:31 +0000

[...] to reprint the post in its entirety here, I believe it’s that important. Instead I will urge you to head over to Kris’ place and check it out, and satisfy myself with pull quotes [...]

By: Matt Moore

Matt Moore — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:29:41 +0000

While I agree with you on the whole, I don’t think it’s an outlandish request to want people to treat their theatre experience with respect.

If someone was behaving that way during a movie, everyone there would be annoyed.

By: Mooney on Theatre » I couldn’t have said it better – audience etiquette

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:58:28 +0000

[...] This article by Kris Joseph makes my heart sing. It says all the things I have been trying to say for ages, but in such a great clear way, with excellent examples. [...]

By: Kate Foy

Kate Foy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:55:03 +0000

And then there’s S-E Asian theatre where you come and go, chat, eat … play, snooze. So much for our own sanitised ‘sitting in a big dark room with a bunch of strangers stuff’ called theatre.

Great post Kris.

PS I believe theatre in the UK after the restoration was even more rollicky.

By: Megan Mooney

Megan Mooney — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:38:47 +0000

I think I might be in love with you…

This post rocks my world.

Thank you to Simon Ogden for pointing me in the direction of my new soul-mate

By: happierman

happierman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:08:37 +0000

Can I also add that F.T. Marinetti the Italian Futurists of the early 1900s would break seats, deliberately double-sell seats, and literally fight with audience members? While this sounds really uncomfortable, it was a model of 4th-wall-destruction and an early movement toward the idea that the audience should always be a character in every production.

PS: When you live in NYC, it’s amazing how many people who claim they were at that Patti LuPone show.

By: Sterling

Sterling — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:32:02 +0000

Great post and bang-on application of the general principle that far too many theatre folks need to learn: “our job is to serve the audience… NOT the other way around.”

And kudos to Team CSLS. I was unable to see the show because they did their job so well that they were selling out a hour and half before curtain (maybe even earlier).

I know you will be shocked by this Chris, but when theatre practitioners serve their audience the audience rewards them with attendance and rabid word of mouth. Crazy, crazy stuff.

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:14:38 +0000

Often I wonder if we really want people to come at all. From the first contact with box office people to kicking people out as soon as possible after the show’s done, we don’t really act very welcoming as an industry