Entrance applause, that is.

The play – performed at the Golden Theatre since previews began Sept. 23 – officially opens  today, October 14, and the two award-winning actors are nipping the fanfare at the bud.

It’s quite understandable for theatergoers to be excited to see the veteran duo. It’s been nearly 50 years since they have shared a Broadway stage (the 1966 showcase of Black poetry with Roscoe Lee Browne’s A Hand Is On The Gate). Before that, they were among the long-running 1961 Off Broadway production The Blacks by Jean Genet. TV and film projects also have not escaped the Tony and Emmy winning actors.

Tyson and Jones, 90 and 84, respectively, would have plenty of lessons to share as a result of their long careers. Yet, a lesson in theatre etiquette is now at hand.

Of course, it should be a given that loud talking, eating, sleeping and the use of cell phones is not a good look at the theatre – as well as going on stage to charge a cell phone in a fake outlet.

According to New York Show Tickets, standing ovations and entrance applause are overdone. It admonishes to not give in to peer pressure.

Traditionally, applause for an actor when he or she first takes the stage and standing ovations at the end of a Broadway show were signs of an audience so full of appreciation and respect that they couldn’t help themselves. Lately, these reactions seem to have become obligatory, and unfortunately when standing ovations and entrance applause are done out of mere habit, they essentially become meaningless. Ultimately, how you react is up to you, but let your true feelings guide you.

Well, Tyson and Jones no doubt are more concerned with giving the best performance possible than they are with an audience’s “true feelings.”

They both agree that the entrance applause is distracting. Tyson said her role is “one of the most difficult things I’ve ever tackled.” It doesn’t help that her castmate can complicate matters. She admitted that Jones keeps her in fits of laughter. During rehearsals, she pleaded with the cast to let her get her giggles out.

For an Associated Press article, Tyson further said: “It is extremely difficult in some instances to contain myself and to remain true to the character that I’m trying to play. I really can’t allow for it to happen in the theater.”

Jones, who continues to find theatre fascinating, said: “Once we open this play, we’ll still be discovering stuff about it.”

So to respect the work of the incredible union, hold your applause until… well, you have a Gin hand.

Directed by Leonard Foglia, The Gin Game follows Weller Martin (Jones) and Fonsia Dorsey (Tyson) – two residents of a nursing home who strike a friendship. Weller shares his knowledge of gin rummy, while together they relate stories of their past and expose one another’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game has a limited engagement of 16 weeks, ending in January. Tyson will not perform Dec 5-6. Get your tickets HERE.

What do you think about the request by the actors?

The post Hold The Applause: Theatre Etiquette From James Earl Jones & Cicely Tyson appeared first on Broadway Black.

Tyson, a three-time Emmy winner (“The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All”), is nominated for an Emmy this year for her guest performance in “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Between them, Jones and Tyson have three Tony Awards and five nominations. Tyson won a Tony in 2013 for her role as “Carrie Watts” in The Trip to Bountiful and Jones is two-time Tony winner for 1969’s The Great White Hope as well as Fences in 1987. Most recently, Jones starred on Broadway in the revival of You Can’t Take It With You.

This is the first time the pair have appeared on Broadway together since 1966 when they starred in A Hand Is on the Gate.”They’ve also worked together Off Broadway in the long-running production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks as well as in the film “The River Niger” and on television in “Heat Wave.” We gave you a behind the scenes look at their recent photo shoot here.

The Gin Game, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by D.L. Coburn, follows “Weller Martin” (Jones) and “Fonsia Dorsey” (Tyson), who meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship as Weller teaches Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated. Soon, their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game premiered in 1977, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and was revived in 1997 with Charles Durning and Julie Harris.

Leonard Foglia (Master Class) will direct the new production, which will run through through January 10, 2016 at the Golden Theatre.

Tickets are available here.

#TonyAward-winning legends #JamesEarlJones and #CicelyTyson star in #TheGinGame. On Broadway for 16 weeks only!

A video posted by The Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) on Sep 10, 2015 at 10:29am PDT

The post Cicely Tyson & James Earl Jones Will Begin The Gin Game appeared first on Broadway Black.

Recently, the two Tony award-winning stars completed a classic photoshoot for the upcoming production. Cicely Tyson looked absolutely stunning in a muted jewel-toned silk ensemble. James Earl Jones looked regal and stately in an olive two-button suit. The iconic laughter of Jones could be heard rumbling through the set while the cameras flashed. And while small in stature, Tyson posed with all of the presence and confidence one has come to expect from this legendary powerhouse.

When @IAmCicelyTyson gives you that "look" she ain't playing! #gingamebroadway pic.twitter.com/DCoSoTg20Q

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The Panorama Game #photoshoot pic.twitter.com/VyvB5aAq10

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Life is better when James Earl Jones laughs (feel free to listen on repeat) #laugh pic.twitter.com/YR9z6S4wXT

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The Gin Game is set in present time and chronicles Weller Martin, played by Jones, and Fonsia Dorsey, played by Tyson, meeting on the porch of their nursing home. They strike up a friendship, with Weller teaching Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in a younger world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated, until their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game was originally written and produced in 1976. This is the third time the play has been performed on Broadway. The play won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the two previous Broadway productions were nominated for a number of Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Actress in a Play.

Tyson at age 90 and Jones at age 84 are Black Theatre royalty and will grace the stage at the John Golden Theatre. Previews will begin September 18^th with the show opening on October 13, 2015, as previously reported. Tickets can be purchased via Telecharge.

We are prepping for our #photoshoot with our stars! #broadway pic.twitter.com/szwvAMay1g

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Accessories for @IAmCicelyTyson! #photoshoot pic.twitter.com/UlXB3MruV0

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Mr. James Earl Jones is ready for the shot! pic.twitter.com/WMjnnAuNx8

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The post Cameras Flash in Anticipation of Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones in The Gin Game appeared first on Broadway Black.

Weller Martin (James Earl Jones) and Fonsia Dorsey (Cicely Tyson) meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship, with Weller teaching Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated, until their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

Mr. Jones and Ms. Tyson are sharing a Broadway stage for the first time since 1966, when they appeared in A Hand Is On The Gate at the Longacre Theatre.  They also starred in the long-running Off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks.   They starred opposite each other in the film “The River Niger” and the TV movie “Heat Wave.” Mr. Jones is a two-time Tony Award winner (Fences, The Great White Hope), three-time Emmy Award winner (“Heat Wave,” “Gabriel’s Fire,” “Summer’s End”) and the recipient of a Grammy Award and an Honorary Academy Award.  Ms. Tyson is a Tony Award-winner (The Trip to Bountiful), a three-time Emmy Award winner (“The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All”) and an Academy Award nominee (“Sounder”).

The production will feature set and costume design by Riccardo Hernandez, lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer and sound design by David Van Tieghem.  The Gin Game will begin rehearsals on Thursday, August 13.

Tickets for The Gin Game go on sale exclusively to Citi^® cardmembers from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, July 5.  Visit www.CitiPrivatePass.com for details.

Audience Rewards^® members can purchase tickets through an exclusive presale from Monday, July 6 through Sunday, July 12.  Audience Rewards^® is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway & the Arts. It’s a standing ovation for ticket buyers across the nation. It’s free and fast to join.  Visit www.AudienceRewards.com to sign up and purchase.

Ticket sales to the public begins on Monday, July 13 by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200 or 800-447-7400 or online at www.Telecharge.com.

The post The Gin Game Starring James Earl Jones & Cicely Tyson Will Arrive Early appeared first on Broadway Black.