Guess what? While you’re watching actors on stage . . . they’re watching you. And there are a few things actors wish you knew about attending theater.
Please Turn That Cell Phone Off
After more than 8,700 performances in off-Broadway’s Perfect Crime, Catherine Russell has seen it all.
“The problem with cell phones is most people don’t know how to turn them off when they start ringing,” she said.
So, if you don’t have it off, and it starts ringing, it usually goes on ringing, and ringing, and ringing.
The simple solution for cell phones in theaters is to turn them off completely.
Candy? Yes, Please, but Before the Show
Whether a musical or a play, theater is full of quiet moments, moments when the audience connects with the actor through silence or a pause. Crackling cellophane candy wrappers destroy the moment about as effectively as a ringing cell phone.
“We make an announcement about opening wrappers before the show,” said Russell, who also is general manager of the Snapple Theater Center.
The announcements are typically light-hearted, but the intent is serious. If candy helps you not to cough, consider unwrapping a few pieces before curtain to have handy.
Be in the Moment with the Actors
It’s not all just a bunch of finger-wagging, actors also want you to know how to enjoy the theater.
“Theatre is a conversation between actors and audience,” said Tyler Hollinger, a New York-based stage and screen performer. “It would not exist if there were no audience. I particularly enjoy active audiences and crowds that get into the show wholeheartedly.”
And Russell agrees.
“Each performance and audience is different,” she said. “Give yourself over to it. Get in the moment.”