Comments on: An Audience Has Obligations, Too

By: P.C.Clarke

P.C.Clarke — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:39:29 +0000

Actually, my ideas of audience behavior are quite modern. Shakespeare’s audiences were unruly to the point of throwing the remains of their lunch at the actors. It is a matter of expectation. I expect “good” behavior in a theatre unless audience participation is part of the planned performance. When I want unruly participation I will go to an English football match.

By: Jono

Jono — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:36:36 +0000

Ok, Kat. So, the next time I’m at the theatre I’ll be sure to sit in front you and text my agent throughout Amanda Wingfield’s Blue Mountain speech just so you can have the satisfaction of having an active audience experience.

By: kat

kat — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:34:54 +0000

i would argue that the “rules” you mentioned here are antique ideas of theatre and how audiences should behave in a theatre space. Part of the excitement in theatre is that it is live, uncontrollable, malleable at the will of the audience. why should we quell our audiences into passive viewership, as television and film mediums already have? the moment we flagellate our very supporters for their so-called rude/unruly ways, we disregard their participation in the communion that is and always has been “theatre”

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:34:02 +0000

Thank you… I loved this article… please come see “The Apple Tree”… if you wrote this article… consider yourself comped. If you agree with this article get a half price ticket… on Brownpapertickets.com by using the code “FRIEND”