How can I temporarily turn off the Apple watch display? The display on the Apple Watch tends to turn on and off too often.  This is distracting especially in darker environments.  

This rapid turn on -then- turn off of the display that occurs when 


"talking with one's hands" 
general household chores (emptying the dishwasher) 
moving around in a theatre (eating/drinking) 


This is distracting to the listener or the speaker (wearer of the watch).

Yes, I can immediately dim the watch by covering it, but any accelerometer  motion will reactivate the display.  

Preferred experience

Ideally I would like to cover the watch and have it go dark for either a custom time period, or until the screen is tapped.

Documentation or control over the actions that cause the display to light would be beneficial
I think Apple's new Theater mode is what you are looking for. It's now available as of WatchOS 3.2.