According to ATC, if you wear shorts to the theatre.... — Page 2

I always try to dress nicely, unless there is some emergency or my trip is spare of the moment.

Dressing nicely, to me, means always a polo or dress shirt.

I also wear khaki pants almost invariably. I just don't find jeans to be appropriate. Well, they can be under some circumstances, but this is not a look I can pull off.

Also, I wear shorts during the hottest of summer months. I think it is ridiculous to kill oneself in the heat. You can barely enjoy the show otherwise.

I once went to see (spare of the moment) "The Country Girl" last July. I snuck into the city to see the show and pretended I had different plans to my mom (yeah, I was 21 at the time, kind of sad) and I was wearing a nice pair of shorts and a t-shirt (only choice).

The man who climbed into the row after me looked at me and told the usher, in what he thought was not a loud voice, "I guess people don't bother to dress for the theater anymore." I quickly said "I HEARD THAT!" in a very loud (but not obnoxious) way. The guy was mortified and never spoke the rest of the night. My neighbors, who were barely better dressed than I was (jeans and button-down shirts), smiled at me because they also heard him. It amazes me that people do not realize just how far their voices carry. It seems, by the way, that all my friends and family, no matter which of them I take with me, always speak at normal speaking voice at the theatre. I am always shushing my friends and loved ones. It's called a whisper - it's a good idea to discover it.

I understand I could have looked better, but it was a HOT, MUGGY day, and I had to travel a long way and walk a minimum of 5 miles in the heat to see this play. It was worth EVERY ounce of effort, and my night was definitely not ruined. In fact, it's a funny story.

In fact, I can sympathize for the guy a little bit. I can just imagine his wife before the show forcing him to dress up nicely. He looked great, but he was probably completely uncomfortable.

Back on May 15 I dressed up in a suit and tie to attend the Drama League Awards during what was without a doubt the BEST afternoon of my life.

However, I spent less than 20 minutes out underneath the sunlight of that HOT, HOT May 15 afternoon and I could not have been MORE uncomfortable. And sweaty. And exhausted. In a DARK, DARK suit. Do you get the picture?

Nevertheless, I looked awesome when I went to see the evening show of "Blithe Spirit." Would I have rather been in tasteful shorts and a cool white-and-blue polo, though? Hell yes!

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Updated On: 7/6/09 at 01:25 AM

I love dressing up to go to the theater and I like to stick to that, but even I admit that sometimes I don't have time to go change and have to wear jeans or a t-shirt to see a show. And frankly, I think nowadays there is much worse audience behavior to deal with. You can wear a bathing suit to the theatre for all I care, but please don't text or use your cell phone during a performance!

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Dressing up for the theatre is so old-fashioned. It's like dressing up to get on a plane-who cares? Personally, dress up clothes are uncomfortable to me, and when I'm trying to focus on the show I'm watching I like to be comfortable. It's also quite pointless to dress up to the theatre.

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My favorite was on night during Everyday Rapture at Second Stage, there was a woman in ripped leggings and a t-shirt that was cut/ripped into large fringe at the bottom who proceeded to critique the outfits of others in the theatre. Trust me...she had NO room to talk about dressing appropriately.

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I don't think it's that big of a deal what people wear to the theater. As long as you look clean and what you're wearing isn't offensive or distracting to anybody, who cares? I've worn jean shorts and a polo shirt to the theater many times.

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Have you ever seen the people at ATC? They are still wearing those short sleeved leisure suits popular in the 1970s.

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I often go to shows straight from school, last minute decision. I don't go to school dressed like a slob, but am I wearing my finest clothes to go take ballet class? No. I tend to put more effort into what I'm wearing if I plan to go. I don't see anything wrong with a decent pair of shorts and a nice top.

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Dear God

Wear what you like, its not like you are going to Ascot, the days of theatre been something for the upper class etc are long gone.

If the theatre is hot and you wanna wear shorts, wear shorts

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I'm sad to read that most of the theater lovers on this board agree that one should wear whatever one wants to the theater. I totally disagree. While I am ok with a polo and khaki pants, and not a tux, I think shorts are not appropriate. I just returned from my NYC trip yesterday, and at all three shows that I went to, every time I saw shorts I cringed. It looks awful.

I guess I don't get why girls would wear shorts to the theatre seeing as how dresses are much cooler in hot weather.

Guys, yeah, that's a different matter.

And, no, I don't care if people dress up, but I like to dress up, myself. I just think it's the kind of situation where you should dress up. Of course, if I got to attend shows more often, maybe I'd feel differently.

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Updated On: 7/6/09 at 11:26 AM

For me, its all about taking pride in my appearance. I want to look nice because it makes me feel good. And you can still look nice in linen shorts, a nice shirt and sandals. I would never wear the same clothes to the theater that I would to go to a backyard barbeque. But unfortunately lots of people don't care if they look like a slob (which many do). I don't think its necessary at all to "dress up" for the theatre, but some people look like they just washed their car and came to the theatre in the same clothes. Comfortable is perfectly fine; dirty and sloppy is another story.

I've seen a number of Broadway performers attend shows before, and they certainly don't dress up the way some people in this thread believe you should.