I’ve been going to the theater a lot lately. There’s a phenomenon in theaters that bothers me.
I’m not usually one to give a standing ovation during curtain calls at the end of a show unless I really, really loved it. But I often find that I have to do so anyway, because people in front of me – perhaps right in front of me or several rows in front of me – stand up and applaud, thereby blocking my view of the actors taking their bows. Which means that I, too, have to stand up while continuing to applaud so that I can see the actors, even though I worry that those around me will think I’m one of those people who lacks taste and would probably even stand up after something like Tarzan. (We stayed seated at the end of Tarzan. A point needed to be made.)
I think this is how theater-wide standing ovations happen: via a sort of reverse-domino effect, a few numbskulls near the front of the theater stand up, forcing everyone behind them to stand up, forcing everyone behind them to stand up, and so on. Finally, the rest of the people in the audience stand up because they don’t want to seem like killjoys.
There needs to be a term for such unintentional standing O’s. Perhaps notwithstanding ovation or misunderstanding ovation.
Note to producers: in order to ensure a standing ovation at the end of every performance of your show, just seed the front rows with tall people.
If I am forced to stand in order to see at a performance that I don’t feel is worthy of a standing ovation, I will stand, but pointedly cease clapping at that time. I doubt anyone actually notices, but it makes me feel better.
Surely the better alternative to ensure a standing ovation is to make a good production?
Or is that just wishful thinking?
I fully agree. I’ve been in exactly the same situation many times. I wonder if many if these people realize that such rousing displays should be reserved for exceptional performances. Or maybe they really liked “Jekyll & Hyde” that much, the poor, deluded things. :-)
Having gone to tons of music performances/recitals, it seems that the standing ovation has lost any meaning that it ever had. Anybody can get one for any kind of performance, especially if its a big flashy production. I usually hate to stand at the end of a performance, but most of the time I am required to take a forced ovation.
Can’t people just sit down?
Sometimes when people begin to stand, and I don’t want to: stand up and start putting your coat (don’t clap) and move towards the door…you can still see whats going on, and you don’t have to join to pertend to love the performance like the tons of followers around you.
When I went to the Johnny Cash “musical”, Ring Of Fire, the audience LEPT to their feet for a standing-O. I was appalled, but it did appear to be rather genuine.
well, it’s basic mob theory–if a small yet significant number of a crowd does something, it will spread like a disease through the rest of the crowd, especially if it is socially perscribed, like clapping at the end of the performance (cf. la claque).
Now, standing ovations are pretty common and therefore don’t mean much more than simply clapping. Which, to my mind, shouldn’t make anyone upset about having to stand since you’re really not showing that much more support for a performance. In a production where one regualarly receives standing ovations most performers don’t read much into it–it only really means anything in community theatre and to fragile egos. So, i wouldn’t feel like you’re betraying your opinion of the show by standing.
I’ve been to more than a few shows on Broadway at the end of which few if any people were standing–some of them were simply losers (Thou Shalt Not), but most of them were just not crass enough to attract a clueless mass-market audience. It’s nice to be able to participate in a collective decision that a show was good but not great.
Also…a lot of people standing at the end of bad shows are just trying to hasten their exit. It speaks well of a show that its audience cares enough to sit through the entire curtain call instead of ducking out at the first opportunity.
Innocent-by-standing ovation!
I suggest standing on the back of the seat and screaming “Are you people fuckin’ crazy?” at the top of your lungs.
I’m confused- why do you need to see the actors take their bows? If that’s the only reason you feel compelled to stand, why stand? When I feel a standing O is undeserved, I just stay in my seat, and I don’t really miss seeing the bows.
Because I like seeing actors take their curtain calls, of course. :)
I read an article in the Times some time ago that hypothesized that the rash of undeserved “O”s was due to high ticket prices. The rise in prices makes theatre going a special event, not something you do in your day-to-day life. Standing at the end is a way for the audience to make the $100/person evening an event — to assure themselves that they got their money’s worth and were a part of something special.