How to Be a Good Audience Member

Video Transcript

"Hi. This is Laura Turner and today I'm going to talk with you about how to be a good audience member. Being a good audience member is actually extremely important for theatrical productions, in particular, because the audience is actually like another character in the play, because the audience's reaction actually fuels the play that's going on right in front of you. When you're in a movie theater, some of these rules don't necessarily apply because the performance on the screen is going to be the same, no matter what you do. If you are sleeping, the performance is still going to go on. If there is nobody in a room when a movie is playing, the movie will still continue, but in the theater it is absolutely imperative that the audience be good in order for the performance to be good. So first of all, to be a good audience member, you should obviously pay attention to the performance. Don't talk to the person next to you, don't take messages or calls on your cell phone. Probably the most annoying thing in a theater is to have someone texting during a performance. Also, arrive on time to the theater, even a little bit early so you can find your seats so you won't be sort of caught outside and miss the production, and so that you don't actually have to come in late, because in a theater, when you come in late, it's a lot more affecting than of course, like I said in a film, where the actors can't see you. And finally, don't leave in the middle of a theatrical performance, wait for the intermission because not only are you going to interrupt the actors on stage, but also the experience of the rest of the audience around you. And so that's my advice for being a good audience member."