Sitemap

Member-only story

The Gift of Applause

4 min readApr 12, 2018

One morning a friend and I went for an early run and stopped to rest at a scenic spot along the water. We chatted for a while until we realized we weren’t alone. A few yards away, at a rocky point jutting out into the harbor, were three people: a young man in a suit, a woman in a long dress, and an older man wearing a white collar. As the man in the collar spoke, it became clear that we were the sole witnesses to a solemn moment, and we fell silent. These people were strangers to us, but we felt a sense of reverence and connection. Seamlessly our roles changed from carefree joggers to wedding guests, and we looked on quietly from our rocky pew.

The sun was still low in the sky as the trio played out their scene, and when the officiant paused and the couple kissed, we clapped. Without thinking, we applauded respectfully but loudly enough that they could hear, and because they had not noticed us, they were surprised. They glanced over briefly, and then returned their attention to each other. Words were spoken, and they got into their cars and drove away.

After years of going to the theater, I’ve learned that audience members play an important part in the success of the performance. We tend to think it’s all up to the actors, the director, and the playwright, but that’s not entirely true. Sometimes in the middle of a play, an actor makes a rousing speech or a group of players complete…

--

--

No responses yet