The Theatre Classroom — Performances

November 21st, 2011

Teach your audience how to behave

Several weeks ago I was out to lunch with some fellow teachers.  That is one of the joys of retirement — we have time to “do lunch” and talk, not worrying about getting back to work. I digress.  One of the gals has several nieces and nephews who are involved in music.  She had just attended a fall concert.  The community where this was held is very rural — total population maybe 700 — and of course it was held in the gym.

In the program the choral director — her second year — had noted to please be a courteous audience, even listing dos and don’ts. Before the concert began, she welcomed the audience and reiterated her comments in the program. Most of the folks in her audience also attend basketball games. They assumed that they could let their little ones run around on the bleachers as they do at sports events.

The concert had gone on for about fifteen minutes when, during the middle of a number, the director stopped.  She turned to the audience and told them to please not let the little ones run around. It was not the correct etiquette for a choral concert because it disrupted her students’ concentration and it did not show any respect for all their hard work.

She did not begin the concert again until everyone had “collected” his or her children — it took about 10 minutes!

So what has this to do with drama?  I mention in The Drama Teacher’s Survival Guide: A tool kit for the theatre arts several instances where I stopped a show, either talking directly to the audience or sending the audience back to their classes for inappropriate behavior. One of our duties as drama directors is to educate our audiences on the proper behavior when attending a play.  Do not settle for anything less.

In my new book, The Drama Teacher’s Survival Guide #2: Activities, exercises and techniques for the theatre classroom, I also discuss Theatre Behavior and Theatre Etiquette on pages 12 and 13.  Obviously I think it is very important.

Photos

One thing I would like to urge you to do is not forget, when producing your shows, to take pictures.  It is easy to forget with all the commotion and emotion of getting a show open, but with digital cameras it is simple to do. You may not want to take time to do it, but believe me, when a few years have passed you will appreciate the effort.

It is also important that you have a time for parents to take pictures.  You do not want flash photography during a production.  This of course is just another thing your audience needs to know.  Possibly have them come to a rehearsal or have them take pictures after a performance. Also, if you were to write a book dealing with theatre, photographs help tell your story!

I have recently reconnected with some of my students through Facebook and because I, with the help of my husband, had taken the time to photograph most of my productions, I am able to share these wonderful memories.

I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.  Hopefully you’ll get to eat well and get a bit of a rest.