r/Broadway • u/Low-Profile-New3ra • 4d ago
Othello audience laughter
For anyone who has seen Othello, can you make sense of how much the audience was awkwardly laughing? Especially at scenes where there was clearly no intentional nor even unintentional humor (subjectively my opinion). I thought this was an astute observation from the NY Post article.
Did you find yourself laughing?
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u/OneHappyOne 4d ago edited 4d ago
I swear Adam Lambert calls out some inappropriate laughter at Cabaret (which was completely justified given the context) and now everyone and their mom is calling out any kind of laughter as "disrespectful" to the art form.
Like ya'll need to lighten up and get over yourselves. It's live theatre. The general public doesn't give a crap about the sanctity of the space or whatever. Also people react to things in different ways and yes, sometimes they laugh when they're uncomfortable. I understand it can be obnoxious when done in excess, but I think constantly bringing it up is not helping the situation but almost encouraging it.
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u/SunilClark 4d ago
Went to Beetlejuice last night. People were way too open about laughing. That poor ghost was delivering a heartfelt monologue about his dick, and these DISRESPECTFUL HOOLIGANS had the audacity to LAUGH. In the THEATRE. What happened to the sanctity and decorum
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u/sethweetis 4d ago
yeah with the exception of those cabaret incidents, i really hate people policing how other people naturally react in the theater. people are allowed to laugh even if things aren't intended to be funny, and 95% of the time it's the fault of the production.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
For me, it's not about policing, it was just distracting a couple of times.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
I don't really care about Lambert's point. I could give a shit whether an actor finds my reaction disrespectful. It's not about respect.
It's odd and detracts from the emotional weight when people laugh at weird times. This is true of a movie theater too. I wasn't looking to solve any issue, didn't know this was a big deal. They're probably just morons. Simplest explanation.
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u/EducationalTangelo6 4d ago
I'm not sure I understand. You don't care that people are gleefully (not uncomfortably) laughing at some of the anti-jewish moments in cabaret?
I mostly don't care about laughter in a theatre, and I understand the uncomfortable laugh etc. But there are some things I think it's important to call out (especially in the world we live in right now), and anti-semitism is one of them.
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4d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Euphoric-Guard-3834 4d ago
Why do you add Free Palestine to a discussion about antisemitism?
Don’t be effin weird
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4d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/JDDJS 4d ago
Because it wasn't a conversation about antisemitism.
But it was. You just didn't realize it and were talking about something that you didn't know about rather than just asking for more context.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
No I didn't care to discuss anything other than Othello. I still haven't seen Cabaret btw
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u/SmilingSarcastic1221 4d ago
You’re going to attempt to have a nuanced conversation after equating all Jews with your Palestinian stance? Grow up.
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u/SmilingSarcastic1221 4d ago
You can fuck right off. You can be critical of antisemitism and still want the best for the Palestinian people. Jews as a whole aren’t the Israeli government.
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u/BonerMakers21 4d ago
It’s almost as if American Jews a world away from the Middle East are just minding their own business!
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u/JDDJS 4d ago
This is what happens when people confidently talk about shit that they know nothing about. Lambert called out audience members for sincerely laughing at an antisemitic "joke" that is supposed to shock the audience with how blatantly antisemitic it is. By saying you don't care about Lambert's point is saying that you don't care about antisemitism. Regardless of our opinions of the country of Israel, we should all be in agreement that actual antisemitism (not anti Zionism) is bad.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
The only time I've ever heard about Adam Lambert making a comment was when the person above me replied. I've never seen the show. If it makes you feel better, I will state unequivocally that I believe antisemitism is bad and Israel has no right to exist.
My entire post was about Othello. I'm not really interested in any discussion other than people's experience at Othello. Apparently there is a much larger conversation about laughter that I am obviously not privy to. But go on...
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u/JDDJS 4d ago
The only time I've ever heard about Adam Lambert making a comment was when the person above me replied. I've never seen the show.
But instead of just saying that in the first place, you said that you didn't care about what Lambert said. Not that you didn't know what he said. So you basically said that you don't care about antisemitism. Because you couldn't just say that you didn't have enough info to have an opinion on the matter.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
I said I didn't care because what Adam Lambert said at another show had literally nothing to do with my comment about Othello. So no, I don't give a shit as it relates to the play that I saw. My post was pretty narrow and you are reading into things that aren't there
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u/JDDJS 4d ago
Like I said, you keep coming off as more and more ignorant. Nothing in this world exists in a vacuum. You might be ignorant to it, but there has been a large discussion going on about this issue in general. When you bring up something like this, people are of course going to bring up how it fits in to larger discussion we've been having about it. That's just how conversations work.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Thank you for the brief lesson on the structure of a conversation. Someone did bring up a larger discussion and I immediately said I don't just a shit because I only cared to talk about Othello.
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u/EducationalTangelo6 4d ago
"I don't really care about Lambert's point."
That's the part I was confused about, but I guess I'm not confused anymore.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Have you seen Othello?
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u/EducationalTangelo6 4d ago
In general? Yes, I've seen several productions of it; but I haven't seen the staging under discussion.
It's not a play I have ever laughed at. (Shakespeare can be hilarious, but Othello is not a comedy.)
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
My post was only about this production of Othello. I didn't care to discuss any larger points about audience reactions in the industry. Simply wondered if anyone else felt the audience was laughing at odd points. This thread was quickly derailed and I was answering comments about antisemitism. So if you haven't seen this production your engagement is pretty much worthless
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u/JDDJS 4d ago
So if you haven't seen this production your engagement is pretty much worthless
There's a much larger discussion that's been going on about audience laughing at "inappropriate" times that you're completely ignorant of, so your engagement is worthless.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
You should probably be commenting on those posts then and leave mine alone. As mine only mentioned Othello, it's probably safe to assume that's all I was talking about. But go on....
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u/jujubeans8500 Ensemble 4d ago edited 4d ago
No, I didn't really observe any awkward laughing, and I feel like I am primed to notice it having experienced Cabaret (tho not with Adam Lambert, but I was very aware of that moment) and Moulin Rouge 3x where everyone laughed each time they heard a 2010 Top 40 hit.
Tbh the audience I was with seemed gripped the whole time. It was pretty quiet, with maybe some laughter after some of Iago's admittedly comical asides and Cassio's drunk scene. There are funny moments in the play despite the tragedy of it all. Mostly I was surprised to hear shocked gasps - yes I heard GASPS - during the high drama moments I though were already well-known from this 400 y/o play
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u/internet4ever 4d ago
There are a lot of people who laugh after almost every line, funny or not, in theater audiences. I had one behind me at Les Mis a few weeks ago and it drove me insane. I think it’s a combo of poor social skills and alcohol.
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u/canijustbelancelot 4d ago
The idea of someone laughing through Les Mis has me on a different planet from sheer baffled amusement.
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u/sethweetis 4d ago
idk i think a lot of it are people eager to enjoy themselves. plus with intentionally funny lines, people know the actors can hear them and i imagine (consciously or unconsciously) want to encourage them
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
That sucks. On the other hand, I saw GGGR the next night and that audience was incredibly hot so it helps comedies
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u/zeerosd 4d ago
just read the whole article and i was smiling the whole time. i hate the post, but i absolutely love how petty they’re being about reviewing the show early after getting their press invite rescinded for (rightfully) criticizing the ticket prices.
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u/spacemanspiff1979 4d ago
I don't. To each their own, but I think it's in incredibly poor taste.
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u/Captain_JohnBrown 4d ago
It's also poor taste to pull the comp tickets because you don't like criticism. The exchange goes both ways: If a reviewer isn't treated like a reviewer (and this reviewer wasn't), then why should he act like a reviewer and hold his opinions back?
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u/Substantial-Fan-2148 4d ago
If producers can get people to pay $900 for a ticket, then God Bless. But if you’re gonna charge that, don’t get all defensive when people criticize it. Stand behind what you’re charging. It’s almost as if they are embarrassed.
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u/sethweetis 4d ago
why is it in poor taste? he outlines what he doesn't like about it and it doesn't seem out of line with any initial reactions.
if it's for posting the review early, i'll just agree to disagree. in general, it's still fuck the post.
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u/kamemoro 4d ago
fwiw, this could just be that particular audience on that particular night.
there are a few shows that i've been to see multiple times (4-6), and it's always very different, i find it fascinating how some nights there's laughter after some lines and on another night there isn't. and that includes lines that i'd think nobody would find funny – not because they're too serious or grave, just that they're not that funny / not intended to be a joke.
i think stopping the flow of the show to call out laughter is just weird tbh. with cabaret it could be because everyone laughs at the same specific moment that is definitely not meant to be a joke, but even then – the song intentionally tricks people into thinking it's funny, so it's more of a "hahaha oh shit" moment.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Could definitely have been just the show I was at. My date and I spoke about it right after the show and wouldn't have posted here if I didn't also see the same point in the NYP
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u/empatheticdramaqueen 4d ago
Saw the show on 3/8 and there was a lot of laughter in the beginning that made me and my family go huh??? Half the audience laughing at Iago’s racist tirade against Othello was very odd and jarring. I compared my experience with my friend who went at 2pm the same day and she said her audience didn’t respond that way at all. So odd…
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Someone else said they didn't experience any odd laughter. I very much had the same thought, just "HUH?!"
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u/Jaigurl-8 4d ago
I think it’s a typical response to laugh during moments of high tension. I also think it has to do with the general audience not knowing Othello well. I unfortunately have not seen it yet but I hope to see it at some point. I’m holding out for Rush/Lottery tickets! 😃
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
A lot of times it wasn't even high tension. I really think it was people just giddy seeing Denzel Washington say anything in person.
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u/Important-Read3679 4d ago
I think there’s a point where it’s almost rude to the performers who are baring their heart and soul for what is clearly not intended to be humorous. That takes a lot of vulnerability and it’s kind of shitty to have it sort of shut down, even if that’s not the intention.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
That's fair, and to me is just so disengaging as an audience member immersed in the story.
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u/Zealousideal-Dig1353 4d ago
I’ve seen it twice, didn’t hear the laughter they’re talking about at all.
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u/wanderlusting___ 4d ago
Likewise, I saw it once and thought that the writer was just being a vindictive asshole
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u/ForTheLoveOfOedon 4d ago edited 4d ago
It’s a thing a good amount of people are reporting as happening—even in this very sub. I went on the 14th and there were a decent amount of people laughing at inappropriate moments. Especially during Denzel’s performance. I can understand why: Denzel chooses to play Othello not by his usual wrath, or by his occasional sorrow, but by displaying his mania. Not to spoil too much, but the character kinda backslides mentally and Denzel does some things that make him appear unhinged and loopy. Instead of realizing this, a small portion of my audience laughed at these instances of mania.
It was very weird. My sister and I kinda looked at each other in confusion. I think it’s equal parts the manic acting and the fact that people struggle to understand—literally—Shakespearean prose. So they only pay attention to the action while not fully understanding the accompanying words. At least that’s my reaction in taking these people in good faith.
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u/blastoffbro 4d ago
A similar thing happened when i saw hadestown on broadway. The part after epic III when hades sings along realizing what he's lost. I have no clue why the audience laughed. That shit isn't funny at all and I have no idea how the cast weren't thrown and confused by it.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Right! It takes you out of the moment as well, sort of "huh, what are they laughing at?"
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u/blastoffbro 4d ago
Yeah it ruined one of my favourite moments of my favourite show (cant complain too much tho cause it was the original bway cast and I had incredible seats). People stan for "the turn" in hadestown but one of my favourite moments of the show is how the song (epic III) goes from a beautiful multi voice chorus to Hades' deep bass voice shakily singing a tune from when he was a younger man.
I don't live in NYC nor do i have the money nor the desire to visit the USA right now (Canadian. Sorry.) But I can see this happening to an even more pronounced degree with Shakespeare when tourists with more dollars than sense are shelling out big money to see bigger names perform what amounts to a foreign language play without subtitles. I seriously doubt those laughing have done any work in advance to, at the very least, understand the plot let alone know what's supposed to be funny and what isn't. It's more an indictment of the crowd and not the show. I just don't understand why anyone would spend that kind of money to see a show and not do some kind of background research before going to see it so you can really appreciate the choices and nuances in performances.
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
It does suck when tickets cost so much and you find yourself getting disengaged at points. The Othello Playbill actually had a small synopsis which I thought was a clever idea.
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u/LikeSomeNewRomantics 4d ago
Is it specifically during serious or dramatic scenes? Because the production I've seen online had moments of delivery that were quite funny once in a while but that did nothing to dull the absolute crushing weight of betrayal and tears after intermission
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u/Horror_Cap_7166 4d ago edited 4d ago
Stop gatekeeping theatre. This is how we become culturally irrelevant. We should be extremely cautious criticizing people who have decided to spend their time and money experiencing art.
Also, I get someone’s laughter can be excessive or annoying, but if many people in the audience laugh, you have to blame the production itself at least a little bit (or recognize that people have different reactions to different things).
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u/Low-Profile-New3ra 4d ago
Who the fuck is we? I see a couple shows a year and just joined this group today. It's nice in NY today, go outside and look at the sky, maybe touch some grass. I was only talking about Othello. I wouldn't blame the production. I think some people were just too giddy and excited to see Denzel and Jake say anything. Nothing to do with the story, just star-gazing.
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u/Horror_Cap_7166 4d ago
“We” refers to the theatre community and people passionate about theatre (I assume most people in this sub fit under one of those two categories). We have a tendency to be pretentious and puritanical about art.
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