Have you ever walked out of a show? If so, what and why? I’d love to read your answers.
There’s an article in the Gaurdian about the RSC production of “Marat/Sade” and how people have been storming out. inspired by this, they asked their critics to recall a time they walked out of a show…or should have. Read it here http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/24/arts-walkouts-marat-sade
The reasons for walking out seem to fall into three categories: BOREDOM, the offensive/abusive nature of the production, or the fact that it’s just really really baaaad. I’ve certainly seen shows that fit in every category, or maybe all three categories, as was the case of one truly horrendous community theatre production I saw of “Kitty Kitty Kitty.” So is it better just leave, or to stick it out and waste a valuable two hours. In my current life, two free hours represents an shining nugget of productivity or sleep, and I get really angry if that is taken from me. On the other hand, as artists we have a responsibility to stay and support our fellow craftsmen and also learn what we can from a failed production. I didn’t walk out of “Kitty Kitty Kitty” because the theatre sat 30 and it would have been unbelievably awkward, so I guess that’s a third reason.
I have yet to come across a play that was so offensive that I considered leaving. In my experience, if plays are vulgar, abusive, or explicit I’m usually more engrossed. When obscenity is used as the scaffolding for an otherwise boring play, THEN I start to get antsy. I had an interesting conversation with one of my co-workers about the Mabou Mines DollHouse. She’s an english major with very little experience with theatre beyond the page. She loves Ibsen, and had read “A Dolls House” multiple times, and so she went to see this at the urging of one of her teachers. She told me she spent most of the play with her head in her hands, watching through her fingers. She also kept talking about how they all got naked. This is sort of how our conversation went:
Her: And then they got naked, even the little guy!
Me: Completely naked?
Her: Well no…
Me: So they still had something on.
Her: well yes, but they were still basically naked! When that happened I was like, “Ok, its time to go.”
Me: Did you leave?
Her: No…
Something kept her in her seat, and I think it was the substance behind what she perceived as obscenity. To her it may have seemed like a car crash, to horrifying to look away. To theatre artists, I think its a wonderful success.
To conclude, here’s my walk out confession: I walked out of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s production of Romeo and Juliet this summer. It wasn’t too rude because it’s a huge outdoor theatre. I left because it was unspeakably boring, and half the actors didn’t know what they were saying, and the other half were treating the audience as though they were four. I left because I got so angry that I thought staying would be bad for my health.
I’m really interested to hear about productions you walked out of–or should have, please comment if you have a story!
One Comment
Ilana Brownstein posted on November 21, 2011 at 9:37 am
I’ve never walked out for being offended. I’d probably find the act of being offended really exciting, but I don’t think I’ve ever been offended by a play’s content in production. I have walked out, not infrequently, because of sheer boredom. It’s also hard for me to draw the line sometimes between boredom and a flat out terrible production.