Taraji P. Henson On Debbie Allen’s ‘Joe Turner’s Come & Gone’ Intermission Announcement: “Theater Is Not For Punks”

After making her Broadway debut last month, Taraji P. Henson is opening up about the challenges of performing for a live audience.

The Golden Globe winner, who plays Bertha Holly in the current revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Barrymore Theatre, recently commented on director Debbie Allen‘s pre-recorded intermission announcement asking audience members to silence their phones and behave, a common practice with Broadway shows like The Rocky Horror Show and Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

“Theater is not for punks, okay? Theater is for the strong,” she told Vulture. “You have to have discipline. I love that it’s a living organism.”

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