Twitter versus Theater?

My money is on twitter.

I was texting and tweeting my dismay throughout Cyrano, if that helps…

I'm of the school that thinks theatre is a space to perpetuate engagement with the present. Commenting on an event is not being fully present, even when tweeting about a debate whilst in your living room. In addition, commenting during an event dampens the importance of considering. Making the world solely a place for knee-jerk reaction cheapens thought.

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These arguments are all good ones -- to explain why you don't like people Tweeting during a performance. But, like or not, that's the way the world is going. What are you going to do, arrest people who do in the theater what they do everywhere else? Wouldn't it make more sense for theaters to find a way to make sure this practice doesn't disrupt other theatergoers? You can complain about the world -- or you can find a (probably technical) solution that moves us forward.
Is it OK to use Twitter mid-performance?

It wouldn't bother me one bit if ushers did begin arresting people who turn on their phones for ANY reason during a live theatrical performance. A single phone has the potential to disrupt every single person in the theater, including the actors. Bottom line: if you don't have the attention span to sit through a two hour performance, save your hundred dollars, spare everyone around you the disruption, and stay home.

We shouldn't chase them away- they should listen to the announcement at the beginning of the show that tells them to turn off their phones.

Last night at Drood a woman in her late 20s started texting and tweeting in front of me. I let it go on for a minute and then tapped her on the back and told her to shut her phone off. She said, "Oh I'm almost done." I gave her a look and told her, "Turn it off. Now." She rightly got scared and put the phone away. How's that for a manners class?

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Wow.
Do you not see the irony of your ad hominem attacks -- your aggressive rudeness?
Look at any manners book, and you'll see the same advice: The only person on whom you can enforce politeness is yourself.
I'll state my point once more and hope some of you calm down.
Yes, the situation now with disruptive individuals can feel intolerable. Looking at the big picture, I feel we are in a stage of transition such as routinely occurs with the introduction of new technology. There will be a solution, as there has been in the past. (Perhaps, for example, relegating phone users to an isolated area of the theater. -- or, say, coming up with a device on the back of seats that is only visible to those who use it. ) In any case, the solution is not to turn into righteous little theatrical Taliban.

Updated On: 10/20/12 at 11:24 PM

Perhaps the nickname for the back of the balcony should be changed from the cheap seats to the tweet seats?
I can't believe some people are suggesting the OP is troll this is a pertinent conversation . Personally I hate the idea of allowing cell phone use in theaters, I also hate that food is allowed in theaters, but you can't stop progress for better or worse. Personally I'd rather that a solution is found and a new industry standard set (like tweeting allowed in the rear balcony) than wait until some marketing genius at Disney realizes that there's an untapped market in Tweens dying to give thier show free advertising and have them decide to allow tweeting at all Disney shows. Imagine at Newsies for example the free publicity it would get if its young audience spent the night tweeting stuff like "OMG he just did a back flip you have 2 c this #amazing" "jack is so hot u have to see him" "they're dancing on news papers so cool" allowing constant tweeting through a show could increase a shows free publicity exponentially it's only a matter of time before some marketing director/producer decides to exploit this. Then what do you think will happen once one show decides to allow tweeting in the audience? Just like what happened with allowing food, it would start at one or two family friendly shows and eventually spill over into all theaters.

You can complain about it and hate it all you want but I'm afraid cell phone use through out a show is inevitable. I just hope that a solution that's as unobtrusive as possible is found before it's too late and it's just allowed.

The OP is not only a troll but also a shill.

Not only is the OP posing a question in a passive-aggressive manner intended to "upset" other posters--the very definition of a TROLL--but the OP is also directing posters to drive traffic to his own website--the very definition of a SHILL.

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If I ever see you tweeting at a show mid performance, I can guarantee you it's the last time you'll ever see that phone.

Idiot.

Why can't you wait until intermission or after the performance?

Now that live TV shows plaster the screen with instant tweets I can say with considerable certainty that NOTHING is being tweeted that can't wait.

Tweeting during a performance is at least as rude, disruptive and unnecessary as talking to the person beside you. Somehow most of us learned to refrain from the latter.

You can't charge Bway prices and allow audience disruption. I don't see live theater ever reaching the point where tweeting during a performance will be acceptable.

Maybe "tweet seats" will become a thing though, who knows?

Now if this were about movie theaters then there is a discussion to be had.

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