Etiquette Boss: Theatre etiquette

February 4, 2016 Phillipa Morrish

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Etiquette rules evolve and often change to reflect the social conditions of the day. It is often a tricky situation, because changes in one country might not be reflected when visiting another. I therefore like to state the standard or general rule, and then give options to accommodate changing social standards.

For example, in theatre etiquette, the traditional rule is that ladies and gentlemen enter the movie/theatre row differently. The female enters the row facing the stage, walking as close as possible to the seats in front of her, but being careful not to hit the back of any head in those seats. The man enters in the opposite way. He enters the row with his back to the stage; therefore he faces the people in his row while slipping into his seat.

However, all theatre spaces are not made equal. Some are built with smaller spaces through which to walk, and very short, tight dresses are once more in vogue for younger females. In such a situation, it is less distracting for a lady to enter the aisle facing the seated audience, instead of facing the stage. When the space is narrow and getting to a seat cannot be smoothly performed without distracting persons already seated in the row, it is better for ladies to enter facing the audience.

BEAUTY TIPS:

Padma Lakshmi, host of “Top Chef,” fights a flaky scalp by microwaving jojoba oil and massaging it into her scalp.

Catherine Zeta Jones uses strawberries to whiten her teeth. She brushes regularly with toothpaste, rinses her mouth and crushes three strawberries in a plate. She then swabs the berries on her teeth and leaves it for five to 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

Cindy Crawford sprays whole milk mixed with water on her face several times per day to keep it fresh and dewy.

Julia Roberts soaks her hands in olive oil mixed with warm water for at least 10 minutes to strengthen nails and keep hands moisturized. This can also be done by massaging olive oil into hands and wearing cotton gloves overnight. Feet can look better also by doing the same and wearing thin cotton socks overnight.

Mariah Carey places a drop of peppermint extract into her lip gloss before applying to her lips for that pouty look without the injections. Mint brings blood to the lips, which also helps to intensify the lip color.

Phillipa Morrish is the President of Etiquette Training International.