Within the last few months, Broadway mega-stars such as Audra McDonald and Sutton Foster have been taking a stand against disrespectful behavior occurring during live theater performances via social media. Both actresses have reported patrons sleeping, texting, and engaging in other faux-paus of attending the theater.

Dude in the front row snoring – I don’t like you. #mostexpensivenapever #wakeup

— Sutton Foster (@sfosternyc) August 2, 2014

The Scoop recently sat down with Dr. Michael Sokol, chair and professor of theater at Drury University; and Karen Richter, box office manager at Springfield Little Theatre, for some simple pointers on how to be a polite theater patron:

1. Arrive to the show on time. Richter advises arriving about 30 minutes before a show stars. Sokol agrees, saying: “People are used to movies where it’s an 8:00 movie and they can show up at 8:10. You can’t do that with theater. It can be very disruptive.”

2. Turn off cellphones, and put them and other electronic devices away. Though this issue is a more recent one, Sokol says it is a key one. Not only does it disrupt fellow patrons, it is a distraction to the actors. It’s not like a seeing a movie where the performers have already done their work. “The movie is not aware of it,” Sokol says. “The actors onstage are aware of it, which is a much bigger problem.”

3. Don’t try to record the show, either through photographs, video, or audio, unless you have specific permission. Richter points out that trying to record a performances is banned due to the copyright laws of a show, and in some cases can harm those onstage. She recalled a recent experience at SLT where an audience member tried to take flash photos of a show.

4. Let yourself be immersed in the show, and enjoy yourself. As Richter puts it, “It’s just culture; it’s good to see live stuff.” Sokol agrees, stating that attending a play is all about human contact and connection that he says is somewhat amiss in today’s technology-focused world. “People come to the theater to escape that cellphone and to appreciate the human interaction in our lives.”