VMSS students and staff have noticed that some student audience members are behaving inappropriately during the school plays and musicals. Some audiences have been better than others, but many agree that it’s a problem. Students in school productions are feeling nervous enough without the snarky criticism and rude behavior from the audience. Here are some tips about being a good audience member.

1. Be quiet- Sometimes during the play, it might be hard to hear what the actor onstage is saying. If you start talking on top of that, things will get chaotic and confusing, eventually leading to a messy performance.

2. Show good body language- By displaying good body language, you are showing that you are interested in what they’re saying and doing. It might even give the actor or actress a boost of confidence which overall enhances their performance.

3. Give all your attention- By being focused and attentive while watching the play and NOT goofing off, you show that you care about what everybody in the production is doing. That’s the best kind of support you can give to the actors.

4. Laugh at appropriate times- Something that bothers people is others laughing at inappropriate times. It ruins the feeling of the production. The worst thing is, you’ll be stealing the attention from the play.

5. Applaud at the end- This is probably the nicest thing you could do at the end of a play. It shows the actors and actresses that you enjoyed the production and that you think they did a fantastic job.