Twittering at a Show — Page 2

Is it me you are saying is being idiotic? If so, I am not against twittering, Twitter away. Just don't do it in the theatre, no matter how much you think your Social Network needs to know your thoughts scene by scene, Act by Act.

---

Sorry snafu I wasn't responding to you but WayWicked. I was going to post that after what they said but got distracted. I am actually against doing at the theatre also.

They're even talking about this in North Carolina! Its at the bottom of the blog:

http://nctc.typepad.com/blog/#tp

And according to the SF Playhouse Facebook site, the twitter Playhouse Pluggers nights are coming back:
http://www.facebook.com/SavvyAvenueSanFrancisco#!/pages/San-Francisco-CA/SF-Playhouse/36443847667?ref=search

Glad they are keeping them. Love a theatre that actually does something innovative. And I hope this pisses you off even more!

I really don't see how Twitter is so innovative, but that's just me. If I wanted to tweet, I might as well stay at home.

---

Exactly Marianne. Like the woman next to me who was texting the entire first act of Grey Gardens one night who when I confronted her snapped back, "MY son is deathly ill and I need to know how he is doing!"
"If your son is That Deathly ill what the hell are you doing here at the Theatre annoying everyone around you?" was my answer. She stayed for the second act and she didn't text so I guess he survived.

---

INNOVATIVE!

---

A few years ago, I saw a wonderful dance performance at the Joyce. The company was VOX and the evening's dances were themed around technology. As a part of the opening piece, we were reminded to turn off all cell phones. This wasn't done in the traditional fashion, but integrated into the dance piece it self. This was accomplished with projections on a rear screen. Before intermission we were given permission to turn back on our mobile devices.

At the beginning of the second half, this time we were asked to keep our cell phones on and the screen actually flashed the phone numbers of the dancers who were all sporting their own cell phones. We were asked to call them. It was absolutely brilliant. I actually got through to one of the dancers and we spoke throughout the piece. Simply wonderful fun.

If there is an artistic reason for integrating technology, I'm all for it. What I abhor is those people who interrupt the process when it is totally inappropriate. You're in a theater. Turn your phone off... well, unless you're asked to keep it on...



I stand by my earlier comment: People who's phones go off should be removed from the theater and tortured. At the very least be legally mandated to attend a class in appropriate cell phone usage. Or, theaters should be allowed to block the signal during performances.

Doctors and other people who need to remain connected could be required to sit on the aisle and report their location. If there's an emergency, an usher could notify them and swiftly remove them with minimal disturbance.

TURN OFF YOUR PHONES!!!!

See...THAT'S an interesting, intriguing way of using technology at the theatre. It's being used to connect the audience and the actors/dancers. I would be interested in seeing something like this.

The use of Twitter that has been debated about here in no way is innovative. It does not connect actor and audience member in a dynamic way like in Briefer's story, and is really encouraging people to not be active participants in the theatre. And don't say it's to enable, because that's one of the worst things that can be done. Theatre exists because it is about human connection and perception. No one would go if it wasn't about that. That's why people still go despite the availability of TV and movie theaters. You can't recreate reality.

---

I don't have one - don't see the appeal in any situation, ESPECIALLY not during a performance - but the term is "tweeting", not "twittering".