Apologies ahead of time, but today I'm on a rant or maybe a bit of a lecture. What's my topic? Theater manners.

I love live theater. Whether it's local, touring shows or, my favorite of all, Broadway, it's one of my favorite activities. For me, this love of theater started when my sisters and I were young, and my parents would take us to the Childrens Theater in Seattle. (Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!) So fun! It continued as I got older and the annual theater memberships were for musicals like South Pacific, Oklahoma, Finnegans Rainbow, Camelot, Funny Girl - I loved all of them. Once I got to college, I majored in Communications but had a Theater minor and got to actually be in and direct some plays. (One of my wild and crazy dreams is the idea of how fun South Pole Santa would be as a musical. I'd have The Pierces do the music for it and the movies. 🙂 🙂 🙂 )

Recently, I've seen productions of Chicago, Mama Mia and Grease. All local and all well done. And here's my rant: at all of these performances, there were audience members that didn't applaud. What the what?

I so hope no one reading this is a non-applauder (my on-the-fly word inventing 🙂). For every production there is SO much work that goes into bringing those shows to the stage for all of us to enjoy. Hours and hours of directing; learning lines and dance numbers; arranging music; designing sets; placing lighting; putting together perfect costumes. It takes months to bring together every production and a huge passion and commitment by those on stage and those we never get to see. And then, on opening night and every night after, they also have to fight their own nerves and self-doubts and sheer vulnerability involved in sharing their best. All of that. Yes, they love it, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The very least we can do is applaud after each song/each completed act.

This is true for any performance whether it's theater, concerts, soloists, an orchestra - whoever it is. They are bringing their art to us; we can cheer them on. We can give them our standing ovations and shouts of "bravo" at the end as well. 

Applauding is just another way to show appreciation, respect and even kindness. In fact, don't just sit there. Lead the way! Choose to clap first, clap loud and be the last to finish! 

That's my rant. Add joy to the world. Put those hands together. It's really so simple.

Oh Oh Oh - Jingle