David Hack, Freelance Writer

Guidelines for Audience Behavior

by David G. Hack

Good audiences do not happen by accident. Students do not have to be a hard audience to play to. Students are taught to be a polite, responsive, appreciative audience.

Students must be taught appropriate behavior for a wide variety of audience situations. Groups respond differently at basketball games, rock concerts, symphony concerts, dance performances, and plays. The audience is a viable part of live performance with a distinct role to responsibly carry out.

1. Live performance is different from movies and television.

Scenes in movies and television can be “perfect.” If the director does not like the way a scene turns out, it can be shot again.

Scenes in movies and television can be “real.” If the director wants the scene to take place in Paris, the cast and crew can go to Paris to film the scene.

The audience at movies or at home has no effect on what takes place on the screen. The actors keep delivering a “perfect” performance regardless of what happens to the audience. Even if you turn-off the TV, the actors keep right on acting.

2. The audience is an integral part of live performance with a definite role to play.

The audience has a definite effect on the quality of live performance. The performers can hear whispers, candy wrappers, coughs, and other audience noises. The performers are “remembering” lines, music, movements, and cues. Audience noises CAN interfere with that remembering.

3. Performers are rewarded in positive feelings received from the audience.

It is important for an audience to take this responsibility seriously and to show appreciation for a job well done with applause. Whistling is rarely acceptable in live theatrical performance in this country. If the audience does not feel the job has been well done, the audience responds by withholding applause or by giving polite, restrained applause, but not by booing or hooting.

4. The audience must remember that the performers are live people and must be sensitive to them as individuals.

"Guidelines for Audience Behavior" was first delivered as part of a good audience development program at Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The guidelines were adapted by the Cedar Rapids School District and used district wide as part of the art education program.