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A Statement on Theatre Ettiquette

     At the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall we want all of our patrons to have an enjoyable experience at our venue. The following excerpt represents our views on theatre etiquette.

Ten Guidelines of Theatre Etiquette
  • 1. PLEASE ARRIVE PROMPTLY. Get to your seat before the performance begins.  You don’t want to be disturbed by a late arriver, so don’t disturb others.
  • 2. PLEASE NOT SPEAK DURING THE PERFORMANCE. Laughing at jokes and applauding the actors is encouraged, but don’t repeat the dialogue or explain the plot to your companion.  You’re not at home watching TV. You didn’t pay to listen to your neighbors, so don’t make them listen to you.
  • 3. PLEASE BRING YOUR CHILDREN TO AGE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTIONS. It’s unfair to your children to bring them to a show that bores them or that has language that disturbs them, and their fidgeting is intrusive on those who paid to enjoy the production.  Save your children’s theatre going for a performance intended for children.
  • 4. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CAMERA AT HOME. Copyright laws prohibit photographing [or recording] a performance, so your camera [or other recording device] could be illegal as well as bothersome to those around you.  The clicking sound is irritating to your neighbors and the flash is dangerous to the actors, and neither is part of the play.
  • 5. PLEASE TURN OFF ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Beepers, pagers, alarm watches, cell phones, CD players, portable radios, and other noisy electronic gizmos have no place in the theatre.
  • 6. PLEASE DO NOT EAT OR DRINK IN THE THEATRE. Unlike a movie, which keeps going no matter what noise you make, the actors on stage are distracted by what they hear in the auditorium. You will contribute to an enjoyable experience  if you refrain from rattling wrappers and crunching ice.
  • 7. PLEASE DO NOT PUT THINGS ON THE STAGE. The stage is not a resting spot for your pocketbook or your playbill or your feet.  These items are ugly for the audience to look at and dangerous for the actors.
  • 8. PLEASE DO NOT RIFFLE YOUR PLAYBILL. Do not smack your playbill nervously against your leg, or roll and unroll it, or scrape your teeth with it. Open it in advance to the performance page so you can check for important information if you can read in the dark.
  • 9. PLEASE KEEP YOUR FEET OFF THE SEATS. Don’t drape your legs over the seat in front of you, and don’t walk on someone else’s seat to get in or out of yours.
  • 10. PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR SEAT UNTIL THE END. The end means the end of the curtain call. If you are ill or bored and must leave before the show is over, leave as quietly as you can and at an interval if at all possible. It is extremely discourteous to the actors to head for the door before the performance is entirely ended.

Adopted From: Another Opening Another Show:  A lively introduction to the Theatre by Tom Markus and Linda Sarver (University of Utah and Pioneer Theatre Company), Mayfield Publishing Company, 2001.