Lately, I’ve been thinking about curtain calls in theatre.
For a long time, when seeing Fringe shows or smaller independent productions, I’ve noticed that during the curtain call, actors often “salute the booth.” That is, they acknowledge the stage manager — and, by extension, the rest of the crew — with a gesture similar to the one used to acknowledge a conductor after a musical performance.
In my opinion, this is a great practice. The crew works just as hard — if not harder — than the actors, and they absolutely deserve recognition.
But here’s what I’ve also noticed: when I go to larger productions, like a Mirvish show or something at Stratford, that salute doesn’t happen. There’s no acknowledgment of the booth. No nod to the crew.
So I find myself wondering:
Is saluting the booth considered “unprofessional” in larger venues?
If not, then why doesn’t it happen?
Why doesn’t everyone salute the booth?
It’s all about directors preference, in my experience. I worked at Pacific Theatre in Vancouver for three years as resident stage manager and it was about 50-50. Some directors said that they didn’t like it aesthetically, for others the curtain call was choreographed to fit the feel of the show and a salute didn’t feel appropriate. I honestly don’t care one way or another: I still like the argument that if people have no idea I exist I have really done my job well. That said, I appreciate the desire to acknowledge the work of the whole crew.
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