Theater Etiquette Conundrum: Who Gets the Armrest?

• DATE: July 20, 2015
• POSTED BY: Sarah Carrillo
• CATEGORY: News

To gain a little clarity on some of the biggest live entertainment etiquette questions and concerns, Goldstar surveyed more than 1,000 members as well as theater experts. We’ll share the insights from this survey in a series of posts (see previous posts here, here and here).

Today’s conundrum: Who gets the armrest?
Most respondents agree that the “armrest wars” basically boils down to a finders-keepers situation. So whoever puts his or her arm on the armrest first is sittin’ pretty for the rest of the show.

However, the twenty-first century’s answer to Emily Post, Real Housewives of New York star and author of Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair, LuAnn de Lesseps says she always leaves the armrest for the theatergoers seated next to her. “After all, good manners and etiquette are about making others around you feel comfortable, says LuAnn. “And what’s more comfortable than the armrest?”