With Colorado Mesa University theatre department’s production of “Bright Ideas” set to debut on Sept. 14, many CMU students secure their tickets and make plans to attend one of the three performances this weekend. However, the comedy will be the first live performance for some audience members and many are unaware of proper theatre etiquette.
In case the persistent signs and warnings don’t already make it clear: do not use your cell phone at all during the performance. Simply silencing it isn’t enough. Even pulling it halfway out of your pocket to check the notifications is extremely distracting to both performers and audience members. Performance halls are purposely kept dark to allow full audience engagement in the show. The obnoxious blue light of a smartphone will cut through and everyone will see it. Snapchat can wait until intermission.
Talking or making any sort of disruptive noise also ruins the performance for the people around you. During a comedy such as “Bright Ideas,” laughter is expected and encouraged. Otherwise, distracting sounds should be kept to a minimum. Be prepared for other potentially loud situations as well, such as packing cough drops to ward off oncoming fits of hacking. Reacting to the characters in the play is vital to the full theatre experience, but save discussions for the lobby afterward.
If you plan on going to the performance, stay for the entire show. Leaving in the middle of an act is one of the most disruptive actions you can possibly take. It involves climbing over your fellow audience members’ legs to get to the aisle where you will do that strange half-hunch thing to avoid obstructing the view. It embarrasses you and distracts everyone else. Unless you have an unavoidable issue (such as the aforementioned fit of hacking but without the safety net of cough drops), stay seated the entire time.
Attending a theatre performance is often the highlight of a student’s semester. Make enjoying the show your top priority, you won’t regret it. Theatre students spend months perfecting a production for you to enjoy, so setting aside a couple hours to focus entirely on their performance will be totally worth it.
