Down in Front! No Ovation Required

Thank you for your article on standing ovations (“Standing Ritual,” by Diane Haithman, Aug. 2). I believe they should be reserved for extraordinarily fine theater. If standing ovations become standard, how do you express appreciation for the truly outstanding? Jump up and down on your seat?

BILL BERGFELDT

Hollywood

In the New York theater, a standing ovation is reserved for the highest-quality performance. On other occasions, those who want to get out of their seats early move to the side aisles to applaud and then run.

In Los Angeles’ larger theaters, you will find three or four folks jump to their feet, the people behind them can’t see, so they jump up too. This is not a standing ovation.

In Equity waiver houses and other small venues, you don’t see standing ovations, which leads me to think some folks in the audience of larger theaters want the performers to see them.

JOYCE-RUTH BUNKIN

Thousand Oaks

Regarding Haithman’s perceived distinction between East and West Coast audiences’ proclivity to stand at the end of a performance: I attended many a Broadway show in eight years in Manhattan, and can’t remember one, no matter how marginal, for which the audience didn’t stand.

I always felt the (largely tourist-filled) audiences were congratulating themselves on attending live theater as much as anything. They seemed to stand as much for themselves as for the performers, as if to say, “We know what an appreciative audience does at the end of the show--ain’t we sophisticated?”

JOEL GOLDES

Oak Park

Appreciation can only be shown by the length of the applause. This is always cut short in Los Angeles because half the audience is on its feet and moving to the doors.

MAX GOZESKY

San Diego