Articles: "Audience Members Behaving Badly" by Rebecca Ritzel

Published August 18, 2015

"Audience Members Behaving Badly" by Rebecca Ritzel

A Response by E Robertson:

            While I was in London, alcohol was available at almost every theatre I went to – or near enough that it wasn’t a big deal to ask for a plastic glass, leave the pub and walk into a small upstairs theatre, wine in hand. Sometimes critics were even treated to free drinks (as I saw happen at both The Royal Court and Southwark Playhouse) and usually it enhanced everyone’s agreeability and enjoyment of the entire scenario. As an usher, the only thing that would upset me about drinking patrons was how much rubbish they left behind.

            Wine, beer, and other refreshments has now made it into many of our theatres in the Washington, DC area, but unlike in London and Germany –it is not have a positive effect on theatre patrons. In the Washington Post today, I read an article about two intoxicated women at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, in search of restrooms before intermission. One of the women even walked onto the stage, through the wings and interrupted an actress (not to mention the show) before her entrance. The other, was stumbling around curtains also looking for the restroom. Not only can these patrons not handle their liquor, they also cannot plan ahead for tiny bladders and go before the first act!

            If you keep up with US Theatre Happenings, you may also remember the drunk idiot who tried to plug his phone into a fake SET outlet on stage during a performance of Hand to God in New York. First, US Theatres were dealing with food, cell phones, and the occasional camera – but now people are literally walking into the performances and ruining the show for everyone, actors and audiences alike. Do we need to pass out etiquette guides along with programs as audiences walk into the theatre?

            Looking back at not only this, but American behaviour in concerts and in movie theaters – I am starting to fear for this nation. It’s not just blatantly rude, but it also speaks to our inability to pull ourselves together and act like responsible adults who know how to interact in a suitable manner for the situations in which we find ourselves. Although – if I look back at the History of Theatre – at least people aren’t publicly pissing themselves in the house or whoring in the aisles as you may have seen in the 15 and 1600’s in English Theatres. At least now they try to find the restrooms first.

            All in all – audiences had progressed and have now – to a small degree it seems, digressed. I would say that maybe some people just shouldn’t go to the theatre – but no, I disagree with that. I still think everyone should go to the theatre – but for God’s sake, know your limit, and stay in your seat until the lights go up! And trust me, the theatre is a lot older than your cell phone and that text can wait.

There it is – my rant-filled response to this article in the Washington Post. 

Happy Hump Day, everyone.

Articles: “Let’s Be Realistic: Can Theatre Beat Film at Recreating Life?” By Rob Weinert-Kendt

American Theatre – August 18, 2014

“Let’s Be Realistic: Can Theatre Beat Film at Recreating Life?” By Rob Weinert-Kendt

A Response

            This morning, on Tuesday, August 18, I woke up to check the websites of various newspapers and Theatre Blogs. On The American Theatre website, (an off-shoot of Theatre Communications Group), I found a newly uploaded article (Found HERE) that speaks on both realism and presentation in the theatre, vs the presented realism within Film. Writer, Rob Weinert-Kendt, used two productions to illustrate his argument: the unauthorized toddler/child production of The Lion King from his son’s summer camp, as well as a new play, John, at the Signature Theatre in New York by Annie Baker.

            This article came across both as a review of the two shows and their merits, as well as a social commentary of our perception of theatre in comparison to television. When watching small children on stage, Weinert-Kendt mentions that we as humans on display have the naturally tendency to ‘perform’ and stylize ourselves. Thus, when we watch theatre that is specifically meant to be ‘natural’ and mimetic of true behaviour – that is the deviation, the unnatural change of staged and displayed behaviour.

            Weinert-Kendt uses John as a way to speak about theatre’s near-inability to direct and focus your attention, except through clear and precise direction, design and recognition of an audience’s freedom of observation in the space. This is one aspect of live theatre that film will never truly be able to capture, due to the capacity of a camera lens and the absence of a real-time experience.  

            I love this article and highly recommend it – both for Weinert-Kendt’s excellent argument for live theatre over film, as well as for the sneaky review of John that is skillfully worked into this defence of the stage vs film. I also think it is important that I mention that the author does point out the merits of film and television as well, the great effect that a camera angle and perfect shot can have on the experience of an audience member.

            Personally, I love both mediums – but as argued in this article, I believe they are completely different mediums, whether or not the actors are being ‘natural’ or not. I think they are works that just fit better on stage than a screen, The Last Five Years, I’ve seen on stage and on film, and I honestly felt like the stage version was much clearer and easier to follow than the film. At the same time, there are things that films can do that wouldn’t be physically viable on stage – Game of Thrones for instance; I am very comforted by those characters (and dragons) being on a screen rather than a confined space with me. 

            Weinert-Kendt does an excellent job on answering this question with his review of John at the Signature Theatre in New York. He speaks to the skill of theatre makers in bringing this recreation of life to the stage, which I agree with entirely, but I would like to add that I believe proximity is also a large factor in the power of theatre as an art form. But if I spoke to this, I would drift into a discussion involving stylized theatre, which was not the subject of WK’s piece, and not the question of the morning.