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At the right performance on the right day, nothing can match the excitement of live theater, for the performer or for the audience. The experience of live theater is a delight to our senses, except in the increasing cases in which someone's poor theater etiquette interferes with our enjoyment of the show. Recently I attended a performance of "Copenhagen", a serious drama, which demanded the audience's listening attention to hear every word. Halfway into Act I, a loud annoying crackling sound started at my right, next to my friend Bob. The crackling noise, which was the sound of an older woman unwrapping hard candy, continued intermittently throughout the entire Act and enraged everyone in the surrounding seats. We couldn't hear the actors' words or follow the plotline. Bob was too shy to confront the woman directly. At end of intermission, another man announced loudly "Madam, if you crinkle that candy one more time, I will have you removed from the theater". Bob and I have referred to her as "Crinkle Lady" ever since.

For good theater etiquette, anything that interrupts any of the five senses of your fellow theatergoers is an action to be avoided. Here are some examples:

Disturbing Your Hearing:

1. Leave small children and crying babies at home, except, of course, in the case of children's theater where they are expected to attend and enjoy at certain age levels.

2. Turn off your cell phone prior to the performance. There is also no sense in having your cell phone on "vibrate" and jumping up and leaving the theater to answer it during the performance.

3. Any form of audience talk during the production is disturbing to your neighbors, even if you think that you are just whispering to a friend. The intermission is the time to share thoughts on the production. There are occasional "audience participation" shows which encourage responses as part of a show; you will know this type of show when you see one. If you have a hearing problem, try your best in advance to get a seat near the front, for your listening pleasure and to avoid the endless requests for repeat lines that are sometimes heard from an audience member.

4. Unwrap any wrapped candy before the curtain rises.

5. Other than cell phones, anything else, such as pagers, beepers, and electronic equipment should be turned off prior to the performance.

6. Snoring/sleeping is poor theater etiquette and can be disturbing to the actors as well as the audience.

7. Singing along with known musical numbers, when the audience has paid to hear the performer, is a problem as well.

Disturbing Your Sight:

8. High hair, high hats, and excessive fidgeting in your seat can disturb the sightlines of other patrons.

9. Numerous trips to the bathroom, if avoidable, can cause problems for your entire row.

10. Flash photography during the show is disturbing to the audience and dangerous for the actors.

Disturbing Your Smell:

11. I recently performed in local theater, and each time the actors walked to stage right, there was a bad odor on the stage. We finally figured out that it was emanating from one of the audience members on that side of the stage. This is a rare event, but etiquette requires good public

hygiene and no heavy perfumes.

Touch:

1. The audience does not belong on the stage, unless invited to be there. This includes resting one's feet on the stage from the first row. In addition, resting your feet on other seats will take up valuable seat room.

2. Leave the romance and love-making on the stage, not in the audience.

And finally, taste. Good taste and good theater etiquette are synonymous, and basic common sense can assist everyone with having a wonderful, enjoyable night at the theater.

Learn more about this author, Dana Jaffe.
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