breaking the moment

playbill gives us yet another interview with patti lupone, who spends three or four paragraphs talking about what audiences do to annoy her: take photos, talk on the phone, send text messages, put their programs on the edge of the stage, not enjoy her performance.

i can tell you from personal experience (as can a million other actors) all those things are annoying. but now, ms. lupone has brilliantly and graciously explained exactly why they are annoying:

"The thing it does is it breaks the theatrical moment. It breaks the theatricality of the [moment] for everybody, for the audience especially."

yes, patti. nothing like breaking the theatrical moment.