After the applause

Original non-fiction-style practice text.

The dance group bowed and left the stage to loud applause. In the foyer, their organiser began collecting costumes. One dancer asked why they could not leave immediately: their performance was over. Their stage manager, Pia, was still behind the curtain.

The group had borrowed three portable screens from the next performers. Pia checked each hinge before returning them. She also removed the tape which marked the dancers' positions, since its bright lines might distract the next act. When a loose clasp was found on one screen, she pointed it out to its owner instead of silently folding it away. The performers waited and helped carry the last screen.

Pia joined them twenty minutes later. The applause had marked the end of their appearance, she explained, but not the end of their responsibility for the space and equipment. By leaving the stage ready, they had finished the part of the performance that the audience did not see.

Explain why Pia thinks the group’s responsibility continues after the applause.