Standing Ovations

What is it with standing ovations in this country?

When a performance has been truly exceptional (and many are), I am happy to join my cohort of enthused audience members by rising and applauding the talent and execution of the performers. Excellence like theirs needs all of the support and applause it can muster, particularly during these difficult economic times.

But these days, it seems American audiences suffer from the Lake Wobegone effect, boldly declaring almost every performance above average, liberally meting out their highest praise for what should of right be reserved only for the truly noteworthy. European audiences more often know not to give their praise so promiscuously, to hand out their precious ovations so wantonly, to part with their enthusiastic applause so carelessly.

As a consequence, in America, the lines become blurry between adequate performances and those that truly inspire, between an evening’s entertainment and a life-changing event. The widespread grade inflation epidemic from our colleges and universities has now hit the Kennedy Center and the National Theatre.

But how did we get here? Like many parents, I have sat through my share of Kindergarten “graduations” and lopsided children’s soccer games in which one team entirely dominates another and yet no one may be declared “winner” or “loser.” All are excellent, all are bright, all are beautiful. It makes it difficult to distinguish the truly meritorious from the mediocre.

If we want to maintain our thriving artistic culture, in the District or anywhere else in our country, we must learn to restrain ourselves, to reserve our fondest praise for those exceptional performances that inspire not only their audiences but also other artists to improve their craft and constantly strive to exceed even their own expectations.