In Case of Emergency

OK, so does anyone else think this new state (or whatever) law that requires theatres to make a pre-show curtain announcement explicitly pointing out the exits is just plain stupid? And annoying?

Before a performance of Master Builder, Aurora announced "A new state law requires us to point out the exits...." And the audience laughed incredulously. Some have got more fun, like ACT's announcement before Gem of the Ocean, which features Gregory Wallace in character, sarcasm and all.

OK, yeah, in the unlikely event that terrorists decide the way to bring down the country's economy is to attack a local theatre, I'm sure the audience in question would love to know in advance which way they should start running.

But in the meantime, after the cell phones and the no photos and the Equity and the candy wrappers and now the exits, jeez, it's all turning into a Shakespearean prologue.