The Dos and Donts of Watching Live Theatre

There are just some things that don't jive at the theatre.

Opening snack wrappers, singing along and using your phone to text. In any common situation this might seem like a nice night hanging out with friends but that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

The above actions are a BIG NO at the theatre. Musical theatre might be seen as pretentious and snooty, and this list that I’m about to post might feed into that, but there are certain things that are frowned upon at the theatre.

I think the first and more important distinction to be made is that the environment at a concert vs. a musical is EXTREMELY different. A concert is meant to be more relaxed, with talking and drinking and singing along to be expected. The theatre differs from that quite a bit, and I think that has something mostly to do with the fact that the production being performed is more of a showcase and a story. That personal feeling that one might experience at a concert is not at the theatre.

Without future ado, I am *excited* to announce

SARA’S GUIDE TO NOT BE ANNOYING DURING A THEATRE PRODUCTION

1. BE ON TIME: This kind of goes without saying, please be on time. You paid for a ticket and unlike a concert, there are no time delays. The product is on a tight schedule and will start without you there. Additionally, if you are late, the usher will only seat you during an appropriate time.

2. UNWRAP ANY SNACK BEFORE: Any snacks with noisy wrappers (ie. candy, popcorn etc) can distract not only those around you, but the actors on stage if you choose to unwrap them during a serious scene or lull in sound. Having them unwrapped and ready to go before the show starts will make it easier for everyone.

3. DO NOT TALK DURING THE PERFORMANCE: Kind of obvious but PLEASE do not talk during the performance. The intermission is a great time to discuss your favourite characters or songs.

4. TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE: Much like a movie theatre, hearing a cell phone ringing during a performance is distracting! Barring any actual emergencies, this is not the right time to be texting.

5. DO NOT SING ALONG: I’ll be honest, this one is hard for me at sometimes. Especially while watching Mamma Mia (ABBA I love you). If someone around me is singing along, I tend to get annoyed because I did not pay to hear them sing. By all means, please sing along in your car or during intermission, but just not while Sophie is belting out about her mother’s diary and her potential three fathers.

6. DO NOT FILM: The worst offender of them all! DO NOT film during the live performance!!! It is distracting to all parties involved and you will be asked to leave by the usher.

The video at the bottom sheds some more light! Give it a watch.

Hopefully this shed some light on the theatre audience community. Break a leg!