Protests should never interrupt theatre performances

Over the past year, Broadway productions have seen their performances interrupted by protests. The first happened at Enemy of the People in March when a climate activist disrupted a performance. And then just last week, the same happened at Suffs when protestors disrupted a performance by hanging a banner from the box seating.

What was interesting about the Suffs protest is the fact that the very things the group was protesting are actually addressed in the show. Seems like this group should have actually sat through a performance before protesting it.

But there’s a larger point to discuss here. Interrupting a theatre performance for any reason, including protest, is never acceptable. Such interruptions are not only disrespectful to the performers and audience but also undermine the message of the protest itself.

First of all, it’s disrespectful to the performers and everyone else working on the show. An interruption disrupts concentration, breaks the narrative flow, and diminishes the quality of the performance. It sends a message that their hard work and dedication are undervalued.

It’s also disrespectful to the audience who, especially nowadays, paid a lot of money to be at that performance. By interrupting a performance, protesters effectively steal this experience from the audience, creating an atmosphere of frustration and disappointment.

It could also create a negative financial impact for the show itself. When Just Stop Oil protestors disrupted a performance of Les Mierables in London, producers stated that it caused £80,000($102,363) in refunds. For some Broadway shows, the loss of that kind of revenue could be devastating. I understand that this might be the intent of some protests, but if that’s not their intent, it makes the act even more unacceptable.

Also, interrupting a theatre performance is unlikely to foster meaningful change. Instead, many may view the protesters as disruptive and inconsiderate. This negative perception can overshadow the message, making it harder for the cause to gain support. In my opinion, effective protests should aim to engage, educate, and inspire, rather than disrupt and alienate.

This is not to say that protests shouldn’t happed at the theatre.

In 2020, protestors flocked to the opening of the West Side Story revival to oppose the casting of Amar Ramasar, who had be fired from the NYC Ballet for sharing explicit photos of female dancers. The protestors stood outside the theatre and engaged with those waiting to see the performance. I was there, and I saw at least a handful of people decide not to see the performance. At not time did the protestors interrupt a performance or put anyone in harm’s way.

That’s the way to do it. Interrupting a theatre performance is never acceptable, regardless of the cause. It disrespects the performers, violates the audience's rights, undermines the art form, and is ultimately ineffective.