What Were They Thinking: Walking Out On The Performing Arts Bob Abelman Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal Member, International Association of Theatre Critics “She will never be invited to another show.” ~ New York theatrical press agent Rick Miramontez Joanne Kaufman of the Wall Street Journal – a veteran contributor of feature stories, profiles and theater criticism – recently wrote an article about her tendency to walk out on the plays she’s reviewing during their performance. In “Confessions of a Broadway Bolter,” Kaufman claims that “I’m of the ‘brevity is the soul of wit’ school and of the belief that only a few bites are required to determine that you just don’t like a particular dish.” By her own admission, she has short-shifted the Tony- and Drama Desk-nominated musical “The Last Ship,” the Blythe Danner vehicle “The Country House,” and the award-winning “Kinky Boots” and “Matilda.” We theatergoers have all noticed paying patrons who share this “no thank you portion” mentality. And while early departures happen in theaters all around the country, they seem to be particularly rampant here in Cleveland. Maybe it’s a sports thing. Browns, Cavs and Indians fans have – with the exception of a few dream seasons – grown accustomed to joylessly heading toward the exit after the 3rd quarter, at halftime or during the 7th inning stretch. This behavior has become so normative that, perhaps, it is also perceived as acceptable in other forms of live entertainment. For the rest of this article, go to: http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/