Theatre Audience 101: Electronic Devices (Part 2)

Rule #3 Don’t do it

Electronic devices…we all have ‘em. This is the second part of our little “class” about the appropriate way to behave in the audience of a live theatrical production. In “Part 1” we discovered that it is a bad thing to leave your cellular phone on in a theatre. In this installment we will discuss other ways to be disruptive with an electronic device.

Let’s continue with your cellular phone. Cell phones are fun! You can call someone with them, send text messages with them, play games and browse the internet with them…crap we can even use them as a flash light when it’s dark! What did we ever do without them? I’ll tell you what…we went to the theatre and didn’t distract other people that paid good money to enjoy themselves.

So let us get this straight, it is never acceptable to do any of these things with a cellular phone during a performance:

1. Make or receive a phone call (believe it or not I have witnessed someone take a call during a show on several occasions, and as recently as last week)

2. Send or receive a text message (happens all the time, especially with teens…by cracky)

3. Browse the internet (people do this too…can’t it wait?)

4. Play a game (teens too…really Mom, if you feel that you need to give in and let them behave this way just admit that you are a bad parent who over indulges their child, then give your kid up for adoption, the State will do a better job of parenting)

5. Use any other function of a cellular phone, including checking to see what time it is

Let’s talk about why. You might not think it is a distraction to anyone. It’s on silent mode right? Think about this: you are sitting in a completely dark room right? Light is an important aspect of any theatrical production. It assists in setting mood, focusing the audiences’ attention, etc. Believe it or not the light from your screen is a distraction to the audience around you, and even possibly to the performers onstage. I wish I had a dollar for the number of times I have watched people use their cellular phones during a show…why if I did, I would have enough to recover the wasted expense of my ticket. Thanks.

So let us review shall we: Leave any electronic device at home or in the car. After all the theatre is a wonderful and magical place. It has the capacity to move you emotionally and transport you to a different time and place. Why risk cheating yourself of that experience? Why take something so great from someone else? Think about why you are there in the first place. Let go of that which encumbers you! Trust me everyone will have a better experience.

“Theatre Audience 101” is a continuing series of advice for audiences of live theatrical productions. It is my attempt to pass along advice based on actual behavior that I have witnessed while onstage or as a fellow audience member. The hopeful outcome is to develop a more knowledgeable audience base and a better experience for all.__