Theater Etiquette

I've been to the theater twice in the last couple of weeks - to see Chicago and Wicked - and BOTH times I was seated by people who were in serious need of a lesson in Theater Etiquette!...

Lesson #1: DO NOT talk during the show! I always thought this was a given (I mean come on - common sense people!), but apparently some people are lacking in that mental capacity. During the Chicago show, there were 2 older women seated behind us and they talked during the entire show! Despite attempts to shush them, they just kept right on gabbing - and we're not talking at whisper level, oh no, it was full volume! I finally couldn't take it any more and turned around during the second act and said, "Do you mind? It's hard to understand when you're talking!"


Lesson #2: If you must eat candy during the show, kindly remove it from its wrapper BEFORE the show starts. I can understand needing a mint during a performance especially if you have a cold and sucking on a mint will help prevent you from coughing during the entire show. But what I can't understand is someone continually rustling their LOUD candy wrapper during a show.

Lesson #3: Get that child a booster seat. If you're child is too short to see over the adult ahead of her, kindly procure a booster seat for her. Do not continue to pass said child back and forth between parents during the show, and the parents definitely should not be switching seats during the show too. I paid $75 (well $50 really b/c it was subsidized, but that's beside the point) for my seat and I expect to be able to see the show, so pick a seat and stick to it!

This next gripe isn't really about theater etiquette but it drives me nuts all the same. Why, oh why, do theaters not stagger their seats? Again this is just common sense... It's kind of hard to see if someone's head is taking up the entire center stage!