Theatre history and etiquette

Theatre has been hit hard by Covid 19. We all know this. In honor of the opening and lifting of regulations due to Covid, let's dive into some theatre facts you didn't know before. 

Theatre (live theatre) is an art form that created the modern films you know and love. Why is it important? Look around you and tell me what DVDs and TV shows you love most, then imagine that live theatre never happened and acting was never a profession. Most of our entertainment stemmed from live theatre. Let's honor and give that fact some respect with some wacky, strange, and weird trivia. Go buy tickets to the next live show you can see, too. Support the live theatre experience as much as you support our movie theatres, please. Without the live theatre experience, you would never have modern theatre and your Netflix favorites. 

Broadway

For those who don't know, off-broadway is not based on geography. It is actually based on the number of seats. Shows move from off-off-Broadway and move up to Broadway if they are considered good enough. Broadway has 500 seats, off-Broadway has 100-499 seats, and off-off-Broadway has less than 100 seats. Some shows that are produced don't make it all the way to the Broadway stage. 

Women In Theatre

Today we show women on the stage regularly, but there was a time when women were not allowed onto it or were scandalized by being on it. The church forbid it for a while. Shakespearean plays had young boys in corsets to play women. A select few theatres offer the true Shakespeare experience, but they don't do that anymore in most places. It makes it a little uncomfortable to know that Juliet is a young boy kissing a grown man. King Charles II made it a requirement that women fill women's roles later on.

The Renaissance actors were only men, exclusively. December 1660 was the first known actress in Othello, playing Desdemona. Opera opened up more opportunities for women, mostly. So did Burlesque. They were still being told "no" by culture, but they no longer cared. Women in the theatre lost their reputations and gained some sort of social freedom. Women were supposed to be home, not in public oftentimes.

Odd Superstitions

There are some odd beliefs in theatre communities, and one of which is not to say "good luck". Because it was believed there were creatures in the theatre that tried to sabotage things, you say the opposite of what you want to happen. Weird? Yes, but it still exists as a theatre rule today. 

Theatre "ghosts" are common, weirdly. I'm not sure why. Sometimes to "appease theatre ghosts" a single light is left on all the time. Also, some theatres have seats permanently opened for theatre ghosts. Why this place attracts ghosts may be a constant mystery, but I do know that theatre ghosts are somewhat common. I have seen unexplainable things in two theatres or heard stories about apparitions in theatres I've attended, so we may never know what is supernaturally going on. 

Macbeth is never said by name because the production is said to come with bad luck. It is "the Scottish play" in a theatre. Also, some believe the curses in the play from the three witches are real witchcraft. The cleansing ritual for saying the name of the play in the theatre is to leave the theatre and spit over your shoulder, spin and brush yourself off, or recite a line from another Shakespeare play. 

Don't whistle backstage. The fly system used to be controlled by sailors that were hired by theatres. A whistle poorly timed could kill an actor. Whistling came before the computer systems to control what is done when. 

Apparently, when you have a bad dress rehearsal you will have a great performance. You perform better as you make mistakes. It may or may not be actually true, but it is a theatre superstition nonetheless. 

Odd Theatre Terminology

If you hear something about going down to "Hell" or up to the "Heavens" it is referring to the trapdoor in the floor or the ceiling of the theatre. You are not really going to Hell if you exit the stage through "Hell". 

Stage blocking is also not what you think. See the diagram below for the basics. 

Etiquette

I have these rules of etiquette burned into my soul, and this applies to concerts and movie theatres (in some cases), too. The performing arts should be treated with respect. Actors are sensitive creatures who need reassurance of their importance and their ability to act well. Therefore, the below rules are to be applied to everything live theatre and live performance. 

1. If you must leave, do so at intermission where the actors won't see you. If you know you can't come to the whole performance - DON'T. Should you urgently have to use the restroom and intermission is over, do it at a scene change and come in at a scene change (and hurry up in silence). In the case of a musical concert, you can leave or come between musical pieces/songs. This rule does not need to be followed in a movie theatre, where actors can't see you and you can buy the movie later after release (though it is still annoying for a crowded theatre). Live theatre is not a movie theatre and you can't replay a scene later because you had to leave for work.

2. Unless audience participation is part of the performance, remain silent. This rule can be applied in movie theatres, too. Nothing is worse than someone talking through a live theatre show and you not being able to rewind, thus live theatre is a place this rule applies doubly. You can laugh at the comedy, ooh and ah at scenes, and cry at sad parts - just don't interrupt the flow of the performance by yelling at actors. Frankly, this rule applies to any preacher or speaker you ever encounter. 

To be clear, I have seen a pastor get their flow interrupted by a churchgoer yelling a retort that was uncalled for. That pastor is someone I work for. It made me angry for more than one reason, but one reason I was angry was that this rule was burned into my being due to all my life experience in the arts. The only thing anyone should yell up at a pastor is "Amen!". Additionally, no actor should have to deal with drunken people interrupting a show by screaming at actors onstage. That, too, is wrong. Show respect to your speakers and actors of any type. I don't care what they said, what they look like, or how badly the actor is acting - you need to respect anyone speaking to or performing for you. 

3. Put the phones away. Your text can wait. This applies to any speaker, pastor, movie theatre, musical performance, or live show. If you truly have a life emergency that is an exception. Most people who are going to shows are not in that situation (give or take first responders and police). This is a common courtesy and theatres of any kind tell you to turn them off in the first place (no, not vibrate - off!). Don't call your friend in the middle of the show, either, or an usher might escort you out. If you must call someone for news of an emergency, go out to the lobby at the next scene change. Come back at the scene change after you return. Actors can see you come in and out, as well as your shiny phone screen. In the case of movie theatres, it just disrupts everyone else. Don't be that human. If a phone does go off, don't respond with loud annoyance, because that is worse than the phone.

Also related to phones and devices is the matter of illegal and pirate recordings. Yes, please turn off all devices that aren't medical and don't pirate shows online (as much as people like to watch them). We arts people have to make money somehow. Tickets have to be sold. Broadway will scream at you for it. 

4. Snack quietly and don't bring a full dinner to a show (unless it is served to you at a dinner show). Believe it or not, some have brought a full meal to a live show. Movie theatres might discourage this, too, but they might not know if you do this. Also, unwrap things before the scenes begin to avoid crinkling during quiet scenes because slow unwrapping does not make it better. If you snack clean up after yourselves. 

5. Come on time. You can't rewind anything. You will disrupt the seated people who are on time if you come late. Give yourself time to get your snacks, drinks, and read the playbill. At lights down be seated. 

 

6. Get tickets ahead! You will thank yourself when the performance gets sold out and you have one. Those who don't heed the warning have to wait and see if someone doesn't show up. Covid will increase the need to do so, I guarantee it. This goes doubly if you are bringing a large group. Have those group tickets before the seats are all taken up. Be a Boyscout and be prepared. Ticket staff and ushers will thank you for your consideration. 

7. Don't block aisles. Why? Because often actors use them in the course of the show. Nothing is worse than being an actor who has to rush down an aisle, only to trip on a woman's purse or man's jacket. Keep your stuff at your feet. Don't throw anything onstage, either. 

8. Use the restrooms before you get into the theatre, during the intermission, and after the show. I understand if you have health issues that make it impossible to hold your bladder but do try to. If you know you can't make it through a show because of this, maybe just get a DVD or stream a movie instead of seeing live theatre.

Sources:

https://www.blaketheater.com/theater-etiquette/

 https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/20-amazing-theatre-facts_34626.html

https://dramatics.org/why-do-theatre-people-believe-weird-stuff/

https://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-theater

https://nctheatre.com/blog/women-theatre-historical-look

https://www.radford.edu/content/cvpa/home/theatre/current/know/etiquette.html

https://broadwaydirect.com/theater-etiquette-dos-donts-attending-broadway/

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/women-in-theatre-eight-facts_45974.html

https://www.writerstheatre.org/blog/gender-shakespeares-stage-history/

Pictures:

The British Library

Memes

Stage Faves

Movies so bad they're hilarious

You heard about The Room? Well, it was not watched for quality. Some films get watched for mocking purposes. The Room was truly a disaster that was shown again for laughs (when it wasn't actually a comedy!). How many other disaster artists are there? Let's dive into that. 

Fun fact, there is a filmmaker by the name of Neil Breen that is truly something else (and by something else I mean.....just interesting). I once showed a professor (one who knew how to make good films) a clip of Breen's work. He had no words. The filmmakers I'm talking about today produced movies that are so bad they are hilarious. It was never intended to be a comedy and we are laughing at it. 

Manos: The Hands of Fate

I'm actually going to start with one that is so bad this mere clip is enough to leave me laughing at the quality of it. If you can sit through this whole movie you are stronger than I. 

The clip above is from Manos: The Hands of Fate. I'd imagine that you couldn't fake this laughing stock of a movie if you tried. The plot itself is a reason not to waste the hours you can never get back. 

The plot is that a family gets lost and trapped at the home of a devil-worshipping man and his servant Torgo. This man then wants the mother of the family and wants to deface her with burning hands. It already sounds bad. The acting alone in this clip is enough to leave me wondering if the director was on acid. 

Neil Breen Films

Neil Breen has made several films, and surprisingly, has a cult following. Are any of his films good? No, but they are comedy gold. These films are Double Down, Pass Thru, Twisted Pair, Fateful Findings, and I Am Here ....Now. If you want to watch a man destroy several laptops and comedically focus on distrust of the government you found the right film. 

I don't think a paragraph on Breen will do his awful and comedic films justice. Allow me to show you why. I suggest watching the full movie for the full experience, just to understand the unnatural dialogue flow, bad acting, and writing. 

The Room

This one got put out in theatres again - for being the worst/best movie and so others could watch and laugh all over again. You know it is a bad film if the main character kills himself and the filming is so bad you are too busy laughing at the quality of the scene. Yeah, this isn't an award winner. 

However, if you want to waste a few hours and a whole bowl of popcorn, be aware of sex scenes......and from what others have said, they are truly awful. I did not watch those scenes. Just know they are there. There are nine of them. 

Birdemic 1 and 2

Take The Birds and give it a less-than-college-student budget. Then hire the worst director ever. And edit it poorly. The video below is by JonTron, who does a good job of highlighting the "good" parts. 

Sharknado

Yes, let's not forget this one. Sharks, lots of sharks, and cheesy acting. In fact, let me show you a few scenes.

Conclusion

This has been the so-bad-it's-good movies list. I know many people have different standards of bad, however, these are undeniably bad and inspire laughter, and maybe a cult following. I know filmmaking isn't easy, but....wow.

Sources:

https://screenrant.com/best-so-bad-theyre-good-movies-ranked-rotten-tomatoes-scores/

IMDB.com

https://25yearslatersite.com/2020/10/30/who-is-he-what-is-he-the-films-of-neil-breen/

Pictures:

Vagebond's Movie ScreenShots

Historical Debutante Balls

Bridgerton is all the rage these days, and that leads us to the accuracy of the series. Debutante balls, upscale society, etc.... Without further adieu, let's go into it.

Every series is not without historical inaccuracies unless it is a documentary. Historical fiction is not exact, but close enough. I am not going to compare my research to Bridgerton because of the sheer amount of articles already published on that topic. I'll let you compare my research to the drama on Netflix yourselves. 

Where the tradition comes from 

England is the start of our research journey. The idea was that at a certain age women were presented to society to find a husband of similar or higher social standing. They were often accompanied by a large dowry. The debutantes were debuted in seasons, like when the families were all in the same area. The end goal is to have a ring on your hand and a husband. If you failed to catch a man after 3 seasons and you were 30 you'd be considered a spinster. There was shame connected with this. The season was referred to as marriage marts. 

If you have noticed that debutante balls in movies have women announced with a relative you are seeing an accuracy. The formal entrance is held and dinner is served. There might be speeches. Then there is dancing. Family members of the debutante may give gifts, but guests aren't expected to. 

The thing is that social rules are abundant here, tiny ones that we consider a tad over-polite. Personal compliments, for example, can be made by only personal friends, unless someone was quite old. Aquaintances would comment on dresses and be in bad taste. "Coming out" parties were not associated with homosexuals or bisexuals here, nor would these people have been accepted by anyone. In this case, the young women get flowers at their "coming out" in society. Some parks were good places to get attention and run into the opposite sex. Brothers or fathers would accompany them while riding.

The age of maturity was not a number. If you completed your education and were emotionally ready to come out in society it was allowed. An accomplished woman here could speak several languages, do several art forms like embroidery or musical talents, memorized the members of the monarchy, learned history and geography, learn to host parties, and still give birth to multiple children. Yes, that much, and somehow not go insane. None of these women could be air-heads and get far in life. 

Court Gowns and Dresses

The wedding gowns of white silk look similar to the white silk court gowns that were worn in this period of time when presenting to the Queen. Some women converted these into wedding dresses. Some also were married in darker dresses that could be used another day. The white silk dresses were a requirement - and no cream would do! You had to have gloves and properly heeled shoes. 

Short version - black tie standards for guests.

Dresses in general started with undergarments. If you thought bras were a pain in the butt you ought to hop in your time machine and put on these! Firstly, drawers (capri-like pants) followed by a slip, corset, petticoat, camisole, bustle, underskirt, and skirt/jacket. In this way, the undergarments were the only dirty things to wash. 

Who Could Participate

Alright, so here's the fun part - you had to be elite. In this way, some bachelors married common women who came out at smaller balls and debuted in small parties. They understood all the criteria were nearly impossible to meet and many women carried themselves better, but couldn't meet it. 

Debutantes of aristocracy were expected to be here. Daughters of clergy, military or naval officers, physicians, and barristers were also eligible for the honor of being presented to the Queen for the season. Lots of women came out in smaller parties and tea parties, but were never presented to the queen. Only a handful of women were presented to the Queen and attended court functions.

Callers and Courting

To call on someone you could do as little as leaving your card, as well as take turns on the dance floor with a lady, invite her guardian or father to visit, have dinner with the family, or have a chaperoned walk. Courting could take years or months. Some women started the season with a match lined up. 

Courting has a long list of rules that developed, some of them that weren't established in 1813 and others that were. These crushing social rules weren't all there in 1800s and some were added in 1900s. Keep in mind that not all these were 1800s and I'm not sure what year the rules were established.

1. Never go out alone with a gentleman, especially at night 

 2. Never address a gentleman without an introduction

3.Never receive a man alone - be chaperoned

4. No physical contact

5. Courting men could only offer their hand if the road was rough

6. flirting was done with a fan

7. no night dates, and men can't stay long

8. no walks with gentleman - even in courtship

9. only male relatives in a closed carriage

10. men can't invite women over

11. engaged men kept their eyes only to their ladies

12. no sexual behavior before engagement

13. no politics or intelligence required

Marriage began with courtship, which began with conversation, walks, and company. Next was engagement, which meant walks alone, holding hands in public, and unchaperoned rides. Still no night dates, though. Marriage was last, but it had to be the same or higher status. If we dated like this I suspect divorces would be lessened, yet I don't suggest it for the modern man or woman.

Courting women couldn't accept luxurious gifts from men, but it was acceptable to give books, sugary candies, flowers, and sheet music (my kind of gifts). It was bribery to give expensive gifts to a woman not engaged to or related to you. Men and women had different standards, clearly, so that might be another day's topic, but you get the point. Courting is not a light matter. 

Language of Fanning

Fans were flirting. Believe it or not, Tim Burton used this in Alice In Wonderland. It was a language of women and it was acceptable flirting, unlike the ways we flirt today. 

The list below is how to communicate without words. 

fan fast: I'm independent

fan slow: I'm engaged

fan with right hand in front of face: come on

fan with left hand in front of face: leave me

fan open and shut: kiss me

fan open wide: love

fan half open: friendship

fan shut: hate

fan swinging: can I see you home?

I imagine lots of signals were sent in one ball and we wouldn't notice in our society. Watch time period dramas again and look at the fans. What are the women saying?

Sources:

http://www.katetattersall.com/coming-out-during-the-early-victorian-era-debutantes/

http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/debutante.html

https://www.doulike.com/article-an-online-dating-guide-to-courting-in-the-victorian-era

http://nitsas.com/blog/debutante-season-rules-and-rituals/

Pictures:

Decider

Victorian-era.org

Teaching Introverts

Introverts know all too well that public education, camps, and even society as a whole are based on extroverts. We are tired of being told we need to be fixed. Half the world is introverted, so why are we being taught like extroverts? Teachers, you can help us learn better and be more comfortable in your classrooms and camps. Listen carefully and let me invite you into this discussion.

I understand that you have to teach both extroverts and introverts in the same classroom. I understand that you are responsible for all the kids at camp and that a bored child can become trouble rather quickly. I just want to make it clear that introverts are often overwhelmed with group activities for long periods of time, being called out publicly and put on the spot, and generally being forced into any spotlight. Yes, we learn to do extroverted things, but only because we were forced into it at a young age and we need to survive out in the world. We hate small talk, yet we learn to do it for work and other functions, all while being bored out of our minds and wanting to disappear into books. 

Having trouble identifying the introverts in the room? Look for small social groups. We also take a minute to think, yet we concentrate deeply. We observe more than speak. We avoid large crowds. Introverts are defined as introspective people who need social recharge time. We run our mental processes and thoughts through long-term memory, not short-term, so we need a pause to process and react. We open up and speak in smaller groups and private places. We are not built for long social periods of time. We are half the world. You know an introvert in your life - I guarantee it. We are called shy by those who don't understand that "shy" is not "introverted" and we don't need to be fixed. Shy is anxiety, but introverted is that we need process time. Introverts are often forced to socialize by today's standards of normality when we are running on empty socially, so be understanding when finding these people in your camp group or classroom. If they look socially exhausted leave them to themselves and they may perk up. 

Camps

Camps are full of fun activities and never dull. Constant activities are generally not fun for the introverted personality, who needs time to process and breathe. Yet, counselors have to herd the kids into activities all day because they are told kids left on their own get into trouble. In some cases, I know that to be true, but not all. Please let a socially exhausted child read a book in the cabin, or just sit with them. Unless you know someone is playing you, of course. Counselors are responsible for all the kids that live in their cabin. I know. I was one once. 

Most camps have a choice in activities and some of the time there is the freedom to chill. I'm not saying camps are awful. I enjoyed them. I just know that competitions are also not the most fun for us introverted kids. An over-competitive group will cause stress to a kid that isn't competitive in nature, especially if you are losing constantly and your group generally sucks at stuff. That sounds crude, but it is true of one camp experience I had. I also had the opposite experience, where a leader said 'do your best, have fun, but I don't care how we rank'. Ironically, the latter made us do better in rank than the former. As a counselor or leader, please don't pressure competition, even if you want the trophy. You may just get the trophy without the pressure-cooking, so relax. 

Leaderships should be mixed in extrovert and introvert ratio, ideally. Why? Because introverted kids need a role model on how to balance themselves in the world. An introverted leader can be related to, thus they can ask for advice and have support in hard moments. A leader that is attentive to both personalities (extroverted or introverted is not important here) will do well to lend support to both, unifying the kids under him or her. Friends are created in unified groups. This is the idea of camp groups. Done well, this concept is amazingly good at bonding kids. 

Depending on the ages and if your crowd is mixed, you may deal with flirting. Yes, this is important. pay attention to this subject. Notice who is cozy with whom and be aware of the drama that could form into a storm. Introverts and drama are a bad mix, which leads to the introvert becoming overwhelmed and hiding or retracting from the group dynamic. Yes, we may flirt, too, but if we do that is our own fault (speaking from experience), but still talk to that kid and help them learn how to fix it. Teach us young how to avoid drama, please. 

The Classroom

The public education system makes it hard to support an introvert because we are surrounded by people constantly and they try to fix us. We are looked upon with concern if we don't want to play a game or need space. It may be a good idea to create options for big projects that support all personalities. One of the biggest problems include group projects and speeches where we are put in the spotlight or have to deal with a lot of other humans. We like individual projects, in short, where we turn in our paper and don't stand in front of the class with everyone staring at us. 

Theatre is weird. This is one space where I can be someone else for a while and blow some peoples' minds by putting on a performance on stage with no fear. Yet, I can't do a speech without having a mental freeze-up. It's like my mental computer freezes and all my preparations were for nothing, yet if I have a script memorized I can do it almost perfectly. This is because we don't know the reaction of our audience in speeches, but when we go on a stage, everything is going to go how we expect and rehearsed. Predictability makes all the difference. The stage is predictable, but our outside conversations and speeches are just the opposite. Peer reflection that says we "look unprepared" because we mentally froze doesn't help us in any way. Please remember this and be understanding. 

Forced participation is a subject that you need to know about from the start of your lesson plans. Give us several options, please, because the more willing we are to do something the better the project will be. It is human nature that when you require someone to do something they don't want to they won't do anything past the bare minimum. They can even stop engaging, in some cases, so be kind and let us show you what we can do best, simply by giving students introverted and extroverted options to choose from. I also advocate throwing out the participation grade part of your lesson plan or giving us a form of participation that isn't verbal. 

Group projects are hard or easy depending on the size of groups you put us in and the people. Large groups make it hard to get a word in because we want to sound dignified. By the time we mentally rehearse (yes, rehearse) our thoughts the topic is gone or we get interrupted time and again. Small groups of four may be like this if someone takes over, but it is still better to have more openings to speak than fewer. The quality of people makes these worse or better. Either way, it is a million times easier to work alone for us, because we don't depend on the rest of the group for anything. If you do have groups, make them small.

In General

If you described us introverts as quiet, shy, sensitive, or any similar word you probably influenced the reactions toward us. You didn't think about it, I'm sure, but it happened all the same. Presenting us as sensitive makes people treat us carefully and the word quiet makes people approach us like a birdwatcher approaches a bird. I, personally, am hard to offend, so sensitive is not the best word to use for me (though it is true I'm sensitive emotionally to a degree). Kids will treat us differently if you describe us in this way. 

This goes for every student; acknowledge our strengths and what we bring to the table. Please don't do so by bragging about us, however (so uncomfortable!). In this way, a book nook or quiet area of the classroom might not be a bad idea. Truly, that would make indoor recess more fun. Introverts will thank you. Even better, add a quiet part of the day to the curriculum and lesson plans. We pick up on this and hit our recharge button. You get more interaction from us as an added benefit. Show an introvert how to thrive in their element. 

Our thoughts come through less verbal mediums, like journals and social media (yes, that can make you think we're extroverted). Support us and give us time to think before you automatically jump into a large-scale class discussion. Maybe we could journal our thoughts first, or you could give us other options for this project. There are lots of nonverbal ways to hear our thoughts, so let us speak to you. In this vein of thinking, focusing on the quality of the participation is far better. Do us favors - we get enough criticism for our temperament already. Do let us know when we are transitioning into another activity.

Handle issues quietly. Seriously, this means the world to us. Loudly proclaiming our failures or mistakes is humiliating and humiliating a child is probably the worst embarrassment you can hand us. I distinctly remember forgetting my one scrap of paper for the concert, and even though I memorized it they persisted to embarrass me by handing me a paper and insisting on it - which proclaimed my failure to a whole crowd of parents and my classmates. They didn't mean to do this. I know that. Don't do the same to a student in your classroom. One on one private meetings are great places to talk and fix things in quiet. 

Speaking of unnecessary help, let us learn by ourselves at times. Yes, we are students, but if we didn't ask for help and you constantly treat us "special" it can be humiliating (for both reasons of excelling and failure). Let us explore. If we are truly drowning in a subject aid us privately, ideally, or find us a tutor. Proclaiming failure is a bad idea and that student won't trust you, let alone tell you what they need in a classroom to thrive. They will drown further, instead. Trust is everything here. Another point to make here is that when we speak we are often interrupted; don't make us deal with this in an educational environment and prove to us you are further untrustworthy. 

No emotional security means we don't learn well. Should I not feel secure being myself somewhere, I withdraw and learn less. Add bullies and you get a classroom that is not acceptable to introverts trying to learn. Humiliation also takes away emotional security, which can be said as trust. We go into our own world instead. Pay attention to this. It could mean they are bored or it could be they withdrew into themselves. There is a difference, so be prepared to observe further if you see us withdraw.

 Sources:

https://www.weareteachers.com/support-introverts-in-the-classroom/

https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/teacherzone/tips-teaching-introverts/

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/teaching-introverts-is-different/

https://www.partnersforyouth.org/rubys-story-understanding-introversion-in-a-youth-camp-environment/

Pictures:

John Spencer

Introvert, Dear

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