I directed a production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible for my school's winter production this year. Last night was opening night. If you are familiar with the play at all, you know that it is terribly tragic, with moments of high tension and emotion. However, during several times like these, we had audience members laughing. Some people talked throughout the first act. It was mostly the high school students at this show who were a problem, but I witnessed similar behavior from adults at a production of A Streetcar Named Desire last summer. This seriously disturbed me. What has happened to our society that people can't handle serious drama or even basic etiquette? The entire incident showed an utter lack of respect for the other audience members and the people onstage. Even if you don't understand what's happening onstage, you should at least have the good manners not to spoil it for other people by acting up. As my mother has told me many times, there is no excuse for rudeness.