Theatre Etiquette

Overview

In Lesson 3 of Theatre Foundations in Action, students examine how respectful behavior supports performers, audiences, rehearsals, and backstage work. They analyze realistic scenarios, practice theatre routines, and collaborate to create a class etiquette guide.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate respectful audience, performer, rehearsal, and backstage behavior.
• Analyze theatre etiquette scenarios and explain appropriate choices.
• Enter, exit, and respond during performances while maintaining focus.
• Collaborate to create a clear class theatre etiquette guide.
• Explain how professional conduct supports a safe, focused theatre environment.

Success criteria

• I can follow audience expectations during a performance.
• I can protect rehearsal focus and respond respectfully.
• I can enter and exit appropriately in a theatre setting.
• I can explain why theatre etiquette matters to the whole company.

Curriculum links

• Theatre conventions: Students apply audience, rehearsal, performance, and backstage expectations.
• Collaboration and professional conduct: Students work respectfully, share responsibility, and respond constructively.
• Informative writing: Students organize a topic into categories and use headings or visual elements to improve understanding.
• Speaking and listening: Students use visual displays and oral explanations to clarify expectations and findings.

Lesson structure (95 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Hook and learning intention. Teacher opens with the provocative opening scenario: “What could ruin a performance without anyone saying a word?” and introduces the learning intention and success criteria. Students silently list possible behaviors, then share one idea with a partner.

2. 8–20 min · Model theatre etiquette. Teacher uses the etiquette teaching slides to contrast respectful and disrespectful audience, performer, rehearsal, and backstage behaviors. Model a brief example, such as entering noisily during a scene, then replay it correctly. Students identify what changed and explain how each behavior affects focus, safety, or confidence.

3. 20–35 min · Scenario analysis. Teacher forms six groups of five and distributes the theatre etiquette scenario sheet. Read or display one scenario at a time, including situations such as whispering during a monologue, touching props without permission, laughing at a mistake, or entering late. Students discuss the appropriate response, record a reason, and prepare a short role-play. Provide icons and read scenarios aloud as needed.

4. 35–52 min · Role-play and feedback. Teacher invites groups to perform selected scenarios, first showing an unhelpful choice and then a professional choice. After each role-play, teacher asks, “What supported the company?” and “What could be improved?” Students perform, observe closely, and give feedback using the sentence stems “I noticed…” and “A respectful choice would be…”

5. 52–67 min · Entering, exiting, and focus practice. Teacher uses the movement and focus instruction slides to demonstrate quiet entrances, safe exits, ready positions, audience attention, and appropriate applause. Students practice in groups of five: one performer or reader, three audience members, and one observer; rotate roles after each round. Observers check whether the group maintains focus, moves safely, and responds appropriately.

6. 67–85 min · Create the class etiquette guide. Teacher assigns groups one category—Audience, Performers, Rehearsal, or Backstage—and displays the etiquette guide task and category prompts. Students create three to five “Do” statements, one reason each rule matters, and a simple visual or symbol. Groups present their suggestions; the class combines them into a shared guide under clear headings.

7. 85–95 min · Plenary and assessment. Teacher revisits the success criteria and reflection prompts and asks students to demonstrate a silent audience reset: enter, sit, focus, respond, and exit. Students complete the success criteria exit ticket slips by identifying one etiquette behavior they can demonstrate, one behavior they need to improve, and why etiquette matters. Collect the slips as students leave quietly.

Resources

• the Theatre Etiquette presentation deck
• the theatre etiquette scenario sheet
• the success criteria exit ticket slips
• Projector or interactive display
• Open performance space
• Chairs arranged in audience rows
• Timer
• Chart paper or board space
• Markers and pencils

Assessment

• During scenario analysis, listen for students who identify an appropriate behavior and explain its effect on performers, audience members, or safety.
• Use role-play observations to check quiet movement, audience focus, respectful feedback, and appropriate responses to mistakes.
• Review the exit ticket for individual evidence that students can explain the purpose of theatre etiquette and identify a next step.

Differentiation

• Provide scenario cards with clear icons, read directions aloud, model each routine, and allow students to rehearse privately before presenting.
• Offer sentence starters such as “This behavior affects the performance because…” and “A professional response is…”
• Allow written, spoken, drawn, or acted responses; assign supportive roles such as observer, narrator, or stage manager.
• Give advanced learners the extension challenge of designing a professional code of conduct for a school production, including standards for rehearsal attendance, technology use, backstage safety, conflict resolution, and respectful communication.