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The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org.

Articles

Reception Lines - Love 'em or Hate 'em?

 

A recent comment in our feedback box prompted me to take an informal survey from among my theatre friends and critic friends around the country. Mark Sawyer Dailey wrote,

Thank you, Theatre Louisville....I admire what you do & how you do it. I have also admired the courage and tenacity of our theatres in Louisville...it's impressive to see the diversity of plays; topics, theatres; talent.

I have one question I wish someone could address; I have only seen this here in Louisville. After a performance, I am curious as to why the "wedding greeting line" that cast members form as the audience members leave. This is awkward and defeats much of the work that the production has worked to accomplish. If the production does for me what they are trying to do, being forced to see a cast member, 2 minutes after curtain call, ruins the feeling, the mood created. It brings me out of the play, and back to the 'real world'. Let me stay in the moment of their production.

and, what if I didn't enjoy the play..or a particular performance? The last thing I want to do is to be FORCED...no way out... into meeting the actors...it is uncomfortable and often leads me to have a negative response to the performance i have just witnessed. The Green Room is the aproppriate place for audience members WHO CHOOSE TO can meet the cast. This Louisville convention is a true sign of an amateur production and amateur actors.

Am I just an old fart!?!?!?!?

thanks!

I was skeptical that Louisville is the only place in the country where actors form a reception line after a show, so I posed the question to my Facebook friends, which include a fair number of arts journalists from far and wide. Here are some of the responses I received:

Byron Woods, of the Durham Independent Weekly, wrote:

Seen in almost all of children's theater – with children responding with genuine delight in some cases, visibly and audibly cringing in others – and almost nowhere else, save the occasional _early_ independent company. Exception: Opening night galas and such.

Opinion? About the same as I feel about the pre-show curtain speech: It's a small enough (aesthetic) evil – and through it the company is trying to connect with its audiences. Though I personally don't care for it, I have a hard time begrudging it.

This reception line is likely a part – maybe the only part – of the theater experience that _isn't_ created for the critics or with them in mind. I've always taken it as a message intended for another group of people, and not myself: a company's thank you to the ones who came to support them....

I do tend to think it's amateurish, except in children's theater – and the regional practice seems to back this up. But when it happens, it doesn't compromise the experience I've already had with the production – by then, that's in the can.

When I exit, there are inevitably so many other friends and well-wishers gathered around them that they're literally addressing another group of people. I don't linger and I don't engage with them. I just walk on through the lobby, a bit away from the line, either making eye contact or not, as I choose. Rarely am I the only one who does so.

The only time I truly object to curtain speeches is when they're offered as an apology for the work to come. That's happened once in the past year. Another topic for another time.

I find myself nodding in agreement to most of Byron's response. There are times, though, that I've enjoyed going through the line to meet some of the cast members if I don't know them. But what purpose does this serve? Is it merely my own ego gratification? They won't remember me, out of a line of many well-wishers. And if I do this once, and don't do it other times, what kind of message does it send? I've never viewed the practice as amateurish, although that was the universal response I received from my poll.

One of my frequent theatre companions flees whenever faced by the reception gauntlet. As many people responded, it's very awkward to go through that line. And I have to agree for the most part. How many different ways can you say "great show" before it becomes meaningless?

Here are some other comments (I'm leaving them anonymous):

"I know actors who hate it because they're concerned about picking up some random bug, and I can see their point."

"Terrible practice that is limited to companies that don't know any better and high school/college theatres."

"There's nothing more awkward as a critic, or even just someone who didn't really like the show, than to have to face expectant actors right after. i've almost stumbled over myself trying to get away before they formed the line."

"Several companies here [Davenport, IA] do the reception line, but most make it easy to escape. One, that I reviewed Sunday, is in a former barn and its lower level is filled with Christmas craft sales, its big fundraiser of the year. The cast lined up so that you couldn't help but make contact with them on the way out the door. But, like Byron did, I waited until someone was distracted and tried to slip away as well as a large man can."

Interestingly, not one actor or director responded to my query. I wonder how they feel being on display, faced with a long line of well-wishers? It's far different from being onstage, with the audience in relative darkness. Some seem to enjoy meeting their admirers, while others appear just as ill-at-ease as people who hae going through the line.

So, theatre companies, I'm throwing this out to you for your consideration and to let you know how people feel. Here's a solution posed by Mr. Dailey (who is not an old fart):

"I suggest that they put a note in the program, something like, "If you are interested in meeting with cast & crew members after tonight's performance, please do join us in the green room." It's similiar to if actors, IN COSTUME, show up in the audience before the show begins. I saw this at the opera recently, OF MICE & MEN, and it was just embarrassing!!!!!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

UPDATE: I received reader comments on this story. First, A.S. Waterman (former publisher of this webite) says: Michael Ray Harris says, "I think the receiving line is fine for amateu productions if they want to do it, although I personally prefer to meet my cast friends at a local establishment after the show for vivands and adult beverages. I admit that, sometimes, I do get the feeling that it's like begging for extra acknowledgement after the applause, but most actors in these shows have family and friends who really want to congratulate them in the aftermath of their performance. HOWEVER - I have also been to professional touring productions where chorus members (not leads) came out for in-costume pictures with the audience after the show, fundraising for Equity Fights AIDS. So there really aren't any rules, are there??" Larry Dieckman says "I have no problem with greeting the cast after the show. It gives the audience a chance to say something to a friend or reward a special performance. I've never felt forced to meet the cast, if fact, I enjoy meeting and getting to know the actors." Posted by SRD, Wednesday November 25, 2009, 9:15pm