15 Golden Rules of Theatre Etiquette

Number 14 makes me feel guilty Haha.

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^^ I will happily applaud at the interchangeable actresses in Wicked. I mean, it takes talent to walk on the stage! Haha, I have to clap and stand if everyone else is, or I just feel really left out and awkward!

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He is totally correct about the Standing Ovation problem in America. I will NOT stand unless I feel the performance was among the best I have ever seen. (Unless my kid is in it...and then it IS among the best.)

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I probably give a standing O to maybe one out of four shows I see. But when I was in the UK, it seemed like they are even freer with them, which was surprising to me, since I'm always hearing about how stupid we Americans are to applaud.

On 6...I think there are occasions that invite and deserve exit applause or applause after a monologue; I don't think anyone should be chastised for applauding after Lucky's speech in Godot for example.

I like all of these rules, with the exception of #14. I can't help that I'm over six feet tall; no one can.

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A bit over the top...do they really expect people to sit completely still the whole time? I would count as a fidgety kid, I suppose, but that's nothing I can help. And it doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the show. This was mostly funny, though.
And, for the record, I mostly stand either because others are, or because I want to get ready to leave. Though after seeing next to normal, I was the first one standing.

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But when I was in the UK, it seemed like they are even freer with them, which was surprising to me, since I'm always hearing about how stupid we Americans are to applaud.

At risk of sounding snobbish, standing ovations in the UK are far more common at shows that attract audiences who wouldn't normally go to the theatre. They're as meaningless here as they are there, only for different reasons. Entrance applause really hasn't caught on over here, fortunatly. To be honest I don't really like the idea of applauding an actor because they're famous when they're supposed to be in character.

"Angela Lansbury deserves entrance applause"

Bless you, I agree. She is one of the few. I generally agree with this rule as well. On the night of a final performance certain exceptions can be made as well.

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dont clap at an entrance... WTF! I guess might close then. I can understand the anding ovation but c'mon... it shows love for the actor!

Updated On: 7/26/09 at 05:29 PM

I agree with all of them except for number 14 and the last part of number 4. I especially agree about the standing ovations and entrance applause.

With very, very few exceptions (Angela Lansbury being one of them), entrance applause is not warranted and does nothing but disrupt the show. What's the point of it? What are we applauding for? The fact the the actor/actress showed up for the performance? That they're a celebrity? If it's just to "show love for the actor" then that can be done at curtain call.

Like people already said, standing ovations are much too common these days. I'm one of those people who, if everyone else is standing, will stand up simply because I want to see the actors and don't want my view blocked.

But it's really sad when you think of the fact that golden age Broadway stars like Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, the Lunts, etc. got maybe only a few standing O's in their entire careers, but today shows like Legally Blonde, Wicked, and Shrek get them all the time.

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I agree with all of it. There's absolutely no reason to give entrance applause, imho. All it does is further remove people from a show (actor included, I don't know how I'd respond to entrance applause, and I hope I never have to deal with it). And I'm extremely stingy about standing ovations, I wish they were worth what they once were.

The coughing's a hard one, but I have noticed that it is a mark of how involved people are in a show. There's no coughing when an audience is wholly involved in a performance, which suggests that it really can be avoided. And there's nothing worse than someone coughing down your neck while you're trying to watch a show.

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Updated On: 7/26/09 at 08:55 PM

I actually really like entrance applause. Not only does it acknowledge an excitement, but it allows an audience to release any early pent up energy, so that they can then allow themselves to be drawn into the story. To me, it is just a quick acknowledgment of excitement which leaves the rest of the play to pass by with the fact known that we are really "with" the show.

That whole list seems to me a bit grumpy and old man-ish with a "kids today *grumble grumble*" vibe that turns me off a bit, even though I agree with some of his points.

Updated On: 7/26/09 at 09:07 PM