Stardom and Etiquette

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My husband has worked in theatre for most of his career and had the good fortune to not only work with wonderful people, but the opportunity to share his experiences giving his family a unique education in the etiquette of the industry.

 

For example, he has taught us that if you are attending a preview performance and sit in center orchestra with a seat or two still vacant on the aisle as the lights go down, there's a good chance that the writer or director (with clipboard in hand) is going to be seated next to you. Therefore, no talking and no opinions about the show until we are well out of earshot of the theatre, preferably riding towards Hicksville on the LIRR. This direction has served us well, as my young daughter was thoroughly prepared to remain polite yet sincere when the writer of the revival of Little Women asked her what she really thought of Jo March.

 

So when my husband had learned of a fellow associate who had a supporting role in a recent Hollywood film he made sure that we got a hold of the DVD as soon as it released to support her. The agreement was that while our son and daughter would be going out to movie night at Hofstra we would be going to a movie night on the grey sofa.

 

There is something to be said for polite and sincere especially since the film— action and suspense— was not a favored genre of mine. It's like comparing Michael Bay to Woody Allen. Sorry guys, but for me Woody wins.

 

In a very early part of the film, my husband instantly recognized his coworker. She played the villainess, nasty and evil and I had to look through my fingers while she choked the lead in a moving car. When she was ditched minutes later inside a tunnel, I wondered if she had any more scenes. Fortunately she turned up late in the story to struggle and fight again, this time on the land and in the water. Whew.

 

"What did you think?" was on our minds, but unspoken as we watched the closing credits. And although I can't get my hour and twenty minutes back again, it felt cool to (kind of) know someone who was part of a Hollywood production. I'm just grateful it wasn't the premier and I didn't have to be polite or sincere with the director sitting next to me.

 

A contributing writer to the Herald since 2012, Lauren Lev is an East Meadow resident and a direct marketing/advertising executive who teaches advertising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology/SUNY, LIU Post and SUNY Old Westbury.