Courtesy

This is audio of Patti Lupone stopping a performance of Gypsy to yell at someone taking photographs.

While, as a stage manager, I don't condone actors stopping performances, (I've had some very annoying experiences with this) as a theater professional, I think Ms. Lupone's speech is hilarious and right-on.

Although of course I must point out that someone was also illegally taking audio of the show, which is also annoying.

Too often theater-goers forget that they are indeed at a live performance, with living, breathing people working their asses off to entertain these unwashed masses.

It's nice that people get excited to see a performer. But it is just disrespectful to violate the theater's rules by taking photographs, video, audio, etc. Not to mention that the thing that makes a theater performance magical is the fact that it is live-- never to be seen or duplicated exactly again. Live performance is electric, unedited, unpredictable. Capturing it on film or video somehow cheapens that magic. Allows the performance to be dissected, analyzed and picked apart in a way it was never intended to be.

So audience members: turn off your cell phones. Leave your cameras at home. Sit back, shut up, and enjoy the magic of the moment.

Ms. Lupone, my hat is off to you. You are truly a grand diva who doesn't take any bullshit.

My thanks to Kirsten Burke for this video!