Being assigned to attend a play at the MAC Theater can be a little stressful if your main experience with theaters involves a big screen, loading yourself down with popcorn and snacks, and trying to find good seats. Or you may just shrug it off and wonder, how different can it be from the movies?
Quite a bit.
A few tips can set you straight and make sure your first live theater experience not only helps you meet your course’s requirements, but is enjoyable for you and everyone involved.
BASIC RECON
Some of your basic questions—name, time, cost—can be answered by browsing the MAC Theater Department webpage. But to really get the most out of the experience, for yourself and for your assignment, you should learn a little more about the play itself. After all, it’s hard to take effective notes or enjoy the performance when you don’t really know what you are in for.
With a movie, it’s hard to avoid discovering the premise of the upcoming feature. You’ve probably been hit with promos—whether you wanted to be or not—for months it seems. So, you have a pretty good idea of what you are in for long before you buy your ticket. With live theater, you have the opposite problem; you have to do a little digging, but the information is out there. Just open a Google search, type in the name of the show, and add the word “play” or “community theater” behind it.
For instance, Romeo & Juliet will soon be hitting the stage, and you will turn up quite a few links, ranging from the spoiler-free to a more in-depth summary of the classic that excites generation after generation of theater-goers. After that, in April 2019, 9 to 5 is showing, and this link gives you an idea of why anyone who suffered under a bad boss might like to attend.
THE TICKET
Thanks to your Google-Fu, you know the basics—so now what? Do you wait until the night of the show, park in Student Lots D or E, and pop into the theater in the Fine Arts building?
Well, you can do that, but you run the risk of being turned away because the house is full. It’s better to treat a play like the first night a popular movie hits screens and buy your tickets in advance. Instead of clicking over to Fandango, walk over to the MAC Bookstore. You can purchase tickets there up to three weeks in advance of the show.
AT THE SHOW
You probably don’t even think of the word “etiquette” at the movies, which basically is summarized in the twenty-second reminder that plays on the screen before the feature starts. Live theater is different. Actors, directors, and behind-the-scene workers put in a lot of work to entertain you for an hour and half or so. More than that, it’s not a casual environment.
That doesn’t mean the rules are demanding or complicated. Most of live theater etiquette boils down to two things: minimizing distractions and showing respect, which is why the following list is fairly basic.
- Arrive early.
- Sit in your assigned seat.
- Dress comfortably, but not too casually.
- Do not eat or drink in the theater.
- Unless it is an emergency, do not leave your seat except at the break (aka intermission).
- Turn off your electronics.
- Don’t rush out once the play is over, but stand and applaud the actors.
This makes sense when you think about it. You can slip in during the previews or miss a few minutes of the beginning of a movie, but you can’t do that in the live theater. The actors on the big screen won’t mind a door opening, and you won’t upset your fellow movie-watchers much by a late entry. But at a play? The actors can be thrown off by your arrival and fumbling around for your assigned seat. Doors open a half an hour before the show starts, so seek to arrive in enough time to not get denied at the door, for there is no late seating at the MAC Theater.
If arriving late can throw off the actors, so can getting up in the middle of an act to use the restroom. According to Chuck Gallaher, Director of Theater at MAC, generally any play that lasts over an hour will have an intermission, usually between Act 1 and 2. This should be indicated on the program you were handed, and you can use that fifteen-minute break to make a dash to the restroom, wet your whistle, and maybe make use of a nearby vending machine. Just don’t bring any of the food or drink back to the theater when it’s time for the play to resume.
Etiquette starts with minimizing distraction, but continues with other shows of respect. Take care with your appearance. Dress somewhere between casual and business casual. According to Mr. Gallaher, this not only shows respect, but helps with the sense that live theater is a special occasion. This doesn’t mean suit and tie, but nor should you show up in an everyday T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. Khakis or slacks, a dressier pair of jeans, a buttoned-down or collared top, a nice blouse, a tasteful skirt—you get the idea. Finally, don’t be in a rush to leave. When the credits roll on the big screen, there is a stampede for the parking lot. With live theater, stick around and demonstrate your appreciation of the actors and all the work involved in the production—in other words, give a hearty round of applause.
NOISE
You might have noticed that we didn’t include anything about noise in the above list. That’s because unlike at the movie theater, a little noise is encouraged.
You are encouraged to react.
Feel free to laugh at the funny bits in a comedy or to “ooh” and “aw” over an exciting moment. This feeds into the actors’ energy, according to Mr. Gallaher, which encourages them to perform their best. Some productions even include audience participation.
So some noise is all right, but that is not to say you should whisper or talk with your friends or boo or shout at the actors. But honest reactions? Definitely encouraged.
ABOUT CHILDREN
Students attending MAC fill a range of ages, and some have young children. If this is you, you may have special concerns. If you are worried about missing a show because you have no babysitter, the good news is children are welcome at the theater. Your earlier Google-Fu should have given you an idea of the appropriateness of your child viewing the play. Also, if the children become a little too fidgety or fussy, you can take them out to the lobby, and best yet, not miss a thing. As Mr. Gallaher pointed out to us, there are monitors you can tune into.
TAKING NOTES
Last but not least, if you are required to write about a play for your class, you may be stressing out over how to remember the necessary details.
You can take notes.
This is not a movie theater where you have just enough light to sneak off to the restroom or fish around in your box of Junior Mints. Live theater boasts more lighting because the actors need to see, too. You can take notes—just nothing messy and not on your tablet or your phone, as Mr. Gallaher reminds us.
Instead, jot down information on the program you received when you arrived, which is a pamphlet that reveals a little about the characters, the plot, and the real people behind the production. Better yet, come prepared with a little notebook and pencils. Take advantage of intermission to record key details you don’t want to forget. Finally, review your instructor’s guidelines before the night of the show, so you don’t forget any proof or requirements. It would be a shame, for instance, to toss that program to find out later you needed to turn it in.
After reading all these dos and don’ts, you may be exhausted. But hopefully, you also feel more comfortable about visiting the MAC Theater for the first time. In this way, you are not only better prepared to complete your assignment, but to enjoy the experience itself. For there is something special about live theater. As Mr. Gallaher points out, you are in the moment. This play can happen only “once in that particular way.” And that can make for an entertaining couple of hours and perhaps one of your more enjoyable class assignments.