Practicing "Good Audience Behavior"

Diane Paulus at New Victory Theater writes about her experience as a teaching artist. I am immediately reminded of a transformation that has gone on with me in the last year. In schools all over performance teaching staff are heard saying "Show Performer X how we here at School X demonstrate good audience behavior." Even in the classrooms teachers want perfectly still and quiet little children. For the young child - really for most humans - this is an unrealistic endeavor. What they really mean to say is "listen attentively." What they are really after in the classroom is "on task" behavior. Good audience behavior is predicated upon a good performance - good teaching. If what is before an audience is engaging, you will have their full attention. If it's not - you won't. Simple. Go to a NY Phil performance of a work a little under rehearsed or off, after intermission you won't see as many patrons in the audience. The expectation should be no different for students a.k.a. audience under 18 years. Audiences under 18 years are unapologetically clear about what they like and what they don't like. Perhaps what we should be teaching them is how to be excited and accepting of many arts. Perhaps what we should be teaching is tolerance of what they don't like and how to behave as not to "ruin it for the rest of us." Meanwhile, perhaps we should reconsider our own performances. If students are not responding with "on task" behavior, let's examine if the problem is with them or with us.