I know yesterday was "Ask bk" day, but...
I was wondering what bk or any DRs think about the practice of actors stopping the show and/or breaking character to deal with audience members whose cell phones ring during a performance. Is this a deterrent to bad audience behavior? Does it take the audience out of the theatrical moment MORE than the cell phone does?
From personal experience, I have to say it's probably better in a live show for the actors to stop and address the problem. I can think of nothing that rips me right out of the proceedings than a cell phone...or someone suddenly coughing violently...or a baby crying...or a child whining. The latter issues are generally short-lived and should be ignored if at all possible. But with a cell phone, I think it's wholly a different thing. In addressing this, the audience member has two worries....disturbing the actors and disturbing his fellow viewers, even though the cell phone has pretty much "killed" the on-stage moment.
In movies, I take it upon myself to loudly recriminate any oaf who left his or her cell phone on and is sitting there either ignoring it or fumbling with it. Heaven forbid anyone actually sit there and talk after answering it. During one movie, a woman pulled out the ringing phone (loudest damn noise I'd ever heard emanate from a cell phone). She fumbled and fumbled. She was two rows in front of me. I finally said, "For the love of God, Lady, turn the damn thing off."
She replied, "It's new and I can't see where the answer button is."
"Then," I suggested, "you'd better take it outside, hadn't you?"
She left, and I got a nice round of applause.
