by Hope Darby

Created on: April 23, 2008

Appreciation can never become overused. When a performer has thrust their heart and souls into the limelight, to be witnessed and critiqued by a room full of strangers, the validation of applause is a balm to a nervous mind.

Standing ovations in State of the Union addresses are overused. Were theater audiences behaving the way politicians do, standing and applauding after every emphatic punctuation mark, then certainly the ovations would become tedious. Why? Well, not only would it increase the run time of a performance by at least 150%, it would interrupt the flow of dialog, the pace of circumstance. It would also make a soul-wrenching performance appear as choppy and trite as the best of Bush's State of the Unions. Audiences do not applaud in order to make a point. They do not applaud to boost egos. Nor do they applaud because everyone else is. The spontaneous burst of passionate applause is given for one reason and one reason only: to say thank you. Thank you for taking us away from our daily lives, and allowing us to live vicariously in the world you've created. Thank you for giving your absolute all for my entertainment. Thank you for baring your soul. Thank you for permitting me to pretend, just for a couple of hours, that existence consists of nothing more than the darkened theater, greasepaint, and spotlights.

One thing that we as a culture need to continue is the expression of appreciation. Will it ever become tedious to hear "Thank you" after a courtesy is performed? Will mothers teach their children to only say "Thank you" if the recipient has done something truly remarkable and miraculous? Or will we continue to encourage gratitude for even the smallest of gestures? What possible negativity could result by showing "too much" appreciation for something that has been enjoyed?

Naturally, audiences want booming bang for their buck. In this age of Supersizes, Biggies, and Extra-longs, we've become increasingly insistent for our spoils. We'll pay a little more to get big results. That mentality has spilled into the entertainment industry. Ten dollars for a flick better give the moviegoer more flashing lights, Dolby Digital sound, saltier popcorn and fresher sodas than they were once expected to bring. A Millennium-kid paying to watch a silent movie? To sit through a black-and-white noir film? Not a chance. So when we attend the "theatre's" theater, we expect the same rate of return. Feasible? Not particularly. There are no green screens, no stunt doubles, no multiple takes; special effects simply do not exist in the world of stage theater. And this is exactly why theater-buffs adore the medium. We want the personal attention, the humanity of the production. We appreciate the effort behind each performance.

We express that appreciation through the oldest theater bit in the book: the standing ovation.

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