Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 08:04:19 -0700
Subject: Re: PUPT: New pet peeve




Here most theatre venues make a pre show announcement that includes
requests to turn of all devices, cell phones, beepers, etc, often
employing humor. I'd suggest an audience participation warm up where the
audience practices saying in unison "Please turn that off, we are trying
to watch the show", led by a puppet on stage.

When we did a melodrama we did a pre show audience rehearsal in
traditional 18th/19th century American audience responses: booing,
cheering, cat calls, calls to "do it again" (very popular after a good
death scene) and the audiences enjoyed them a great deal.

I've done so many outdoor shows in parks, vacant lots, parking lots,
street corners, etc. That distractions and interruptions seem like a
normal element of the environment, offering a great opportunity for
improvisation and performer audience interaction that enhances the live
theatre experience in ways that tv, film and video game could only hope
for. I guess the "rough theatre", to use Peter Brook's phrase is the
most vital form to me, in this time or unprecedented hype and
pretension. When we were in the parks every summer, with shows that
involved live musicians, big and small puppets, actors, jugglers, etc.
We had a standard practice that when a loud airplane or a vehicle with a
siren interrupted the show, all action would stop and all involved would
turn to watch the passing plane, ambulance, fire engine, or police car.
We eventually took to planting our own actors in the audience to
interrupt the show, push their way into the performance, and finally
reveal that it was all part of the show. It always amazed me how adults
and kids would fall for it and first be concerned and finally delighted.
I even used the device on-stage in a "serious" play, where a plain
clothes detective and two uniformed officers stopped the play and found
and arrested an audience member (all actors) into about 12 minutes of
the show. Some audience members even attempted to argue with the police.
It amazed me every night.

Cell phone conversations are annoying in theatre venues as well as
restaurants and coffee shops. Any opportunity to educate/ridicule the
loud, insensitive offenders can be celebrated.

MM

Sander wrote:

> While you mention the lack of puppet respect, here is my new pet
> peeve.  Cell phones.  During the last performance, I was interupted
> three times by cell phones going off.  And the worst: "Oh hi!
> Nothing.  I'm at a puppet show for J---. What? O.K. I'll pick up some
> on the way home."  Can't you just see how far little Junior would get
> if the family was at a "real" play and Junior's cell phone rang?
> Nancy

HTML VERSION:

When we did a melodrama we did a pre show audience rehearsal in traditional 18th/19th century American audience responses: booing, cheering, cat calls, calls to "do it again" (very popular after a good death scene) and the audiences enjoyed them a great deal.

I've done so many outdoor shows in parks, vacant lots, parking lots, street corners, etc. That distractions and interruptions seem like a normal element of the environment, offering a great opportunity for improvisation and performer audience interaction that enhances the live theatre experience in ways that tv, film and video game could only hope for. I guess the "rough theatre", to use Peter Brook's phrase is the most vital form to me, in this time or unprecedented hype and pretension. When we were in the parks every summer, with shows that involved live musicians, big and small puppets, actors, jugglers, etc. We had a standard practice that when a loud airplane or a vehicle with a siren interrupted the show, all action would stop and all involved would turn to watch the passing plane, ambulance, fire engine, or police car. We eventually took to planting our own actors in the audience to interrupt the show, push their way into the performance, and finally reveal that it was all part of the show. It always amazed me how adults and kids would fall for it and first be concerned and finally delighted. I even used the device on-stage in a "serious" play, where a plain clothes detective and two uniformed officers stopped the play and found and arrested an audience member (all actors) into about 12 minutes of the show. Some audience members even attempted to argue with the police. It amazed me every night.

Cell phone conversations are annoying in theatre venues as well as restaurants and coffee shops. Any opportunity to educate/ridicule the loud, insensitive offenders can be celebrated.

MM

Sander wrote:

While you mention the lack of puppet respect, here is my new pet peeve.  Cell phones.  During the last performance, I was interupted three times by cell phones going off.  And the worst: "Oh hi!  Nothing.  I'm at a puppet show for J---. What? O.K. I'll pick up some on the way home."  Can't you just see how far little Junior would get if the family was at a "real" play and Junior's cell phone rang?   Nancy