Annoying People In Theatre

Annoying People in the Theatre

As said by Thornton Wilder, “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with one another the sense of what it is to be a human being,” the theatre is one of the greatest art forms. An audience collectively gathers to watch and enjoy the show of their choice, taking in the storyline, characters, and emotions portrayed by actors. Such an experience can often be described as a whirlwind of different emotions and connections, but the storm stifles to dead air once interrupted. The world of theatre is a beautiful place; however, it is easily disrupted by nuisances backstage, onstage, and in the house.

The most tolerable of these disturbances are made

backstage. Out of ten, these backstage pestering is a definite five. Interruptions made backstage are as obnoxious as the fly that made its way into the room and can not find its way out. Like with the fly, there is a constant buzz backstage. Between the stage managers on headset, the gathered actors waiting for their cues, and the running crew waiting to change the set, it may not take much for the buzz to become boisterous. With the noise backstage audible to the actors onstage, or even to the audience, it becomes a distraction to the show. Focus from both actors and the crew are pertinent for a smoothly flowing show, and that can not be achieved when either technicians or actors are speaking. Conversation, in general, is a distraction from the cues that need not to be missed. Yet, conversation is not the only reason for missed cues. Crowding backstage is simultaneously bothersome. Set times for the actors to appear onstage exist to support the story: nevertheless, crowding backstage keeps the actor from arriving on time and in character. Crowding backstage can leave actors with broken limbs when they are not careful, and is then dubbed hazardous to the show. Both bother not only those backstage, but anyone in the vicinity.
Vexations backstage look pleasant in comparison to onstage disturbances. Onstage interruptions are the equivalent of that video game level that even after all this time, still can not be beat, no matter what the player tries. The same can be said about actors who drop lines. Not only does dropping lines look unprofessional, but looks just ridiculous when everyone has had months worth of preparation. Dropping lines throws off other actors onstage and in the scene, while leaving an odd gap in the story. Picking up after an actor has dropped his line takes an incredible amount of skill and an unsurpassed knowledge of not only the characters, but the show. All this done to put the show back onto track. In the event that the show is not a straight play, but a musical, the worst to be seen from the performers is off-time and off-key singing. Seeing the rest of the house cringe as the lead hits a wrong note is just as unpleasant as the feeling guy who hit the note experiences. What makes off key and off time singing worse is the fact that there is no real chance for recovery. As the character, the actor is stuck onstage to endure the torture on knowing glances until black out. Mistakes like these make actors look unprepared, unprofessional, and even unintelligent, yet they are still made. Not only are the screw ups annoying, but the drag of an actor’s image is not something taken lightly.
Despite the detriment left from backstage and onstage nuisances, the most havoc wreaked to the show is by the very people who paid to see it.

House members by far cause the most trouble; like the younger sibling who fakes a different voice so the parent present will baby him. The same younger sibling will be the one in the house making obnoxious comments, or worse: crying. Small children are the demon-possessed-flesh-bags of the audience. They ruin the experience for everyone sitting among them, but are a huge distraction to both actors and technicians. Sure, there were tears shed during Legally Blonde from Legally Blonde, but the wailing of a two year old who doesn’t get the message is just inappropriate. Nonetheless, the children in the audience are just as awful as the adults who somehow can not manage to follow basic theatre etiquette. The rules are simple: no cell phones, food, drinks, or talking until intermission. Yet, Patti LuPone has told audience members- herself, during performances- numerous times to put their phones away. The amount of sense it makes for a house guest to pay an insane amount of money for tickets only to sit on their phone the entire performance; it is truly unfathomable. Especially since the rules are quite simple to follow and are set for the betterment of the show viewing

experience.
Hassles backstage, onstage, and in the house will be the downfall of theatre. Not only do actors need quiet and space backstage, but so do the technicians so that they can do their best to put on a show. Dropped lines and off key/ off time singing are both things the actor should be able to correct before the show is even performed. The mix of people who can not follow basic theatre etiquette and those who bring small children in the audience need to find how distracting they are to everyone in the theatre. What makes people in the theatre most annoying is the fact that each and every single problem is an easy fix by the people who cause them.