by Walter Allen

Created on: November 11, 2008

To appropriately address this issue, one should look at two separate venues: amateur theatrical performances versus professional theatre presentations. In the first, we are dealing with elementary, secondary, and college performances as well as mid-Western and rural community theatres. In the second, the focus is on paid-to-perform professionals working in regional theatres, in urban metropolises, and strutting the boards on Broadway or in the West End.

With regard to the first category, I really don't believe that standing ovations are overused. As a director and choreographer in youth theatre, I firmly understand the need of parents, families, and teachers to support their young performers on stage. Therefore, I am completely in favor of a huge standing ovation for a group of 8th graders who have just completed their performance of The Music Man, Jr. or Oklahoma, G2K. In addition, the standing ovation helps to fuel the younger performer's desire to continue exploring the art of theatrical performance. And if nothing else, it gives them the sense of accomplishment they might need to know that they can stand in front of a large crowd and speak proudly and confidently. This skill is completely necessary as children turn from presenting oral reports in the classroom to presenting business proposals in the board room.

Also, with regard to amateur performance, I am in favor of a standing ovation at a community theatre's open-mic night in which performers from the community have left their heart and soul on the stage in order to show their local friends and family "what they got." It's important that we, at a community level, show respect to those around us. It creates a sense of bonding and a stronger, tighter-knit community. A standing ovation in this case is just the same as a public banner congratulating the local spelling bee winner or a mention on the nightly news of a small town business owner's efforts to 'go green.'

However, the recognition of the amateur performer with a standing ovation does seem to have spilled over into the world of professional theatre. It seems that everywhere you go now, audiences are ready to stand at the drop of a curtain. Audience are ready to give rise for a production just because it moved them...some. I think the lines between amateur talent and professional talent have been blurred. Parents have stood for their children's performances, so why shouldn't they stand when they've paid $100 to go see a show? Friends have stood for

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