There\u2019s been a lot of talk about patron use of technology in theaters, the most recent story of course being Patti LuPone\u2019s snatching a phone out of a texting audience member\u2019s hands in the middle of a scene during \u201cShows for Days\u201d at the Lincoln Center Theater.<\/p>\n
LuPone, a Tony and Grammy award-winning actress who has graced Broadway stages in Evita,\u201d \u201cGypsy,\u201d \u201cLes Miserables,\u201d \u201cSweeney Todd,\u201d and numerous other shows you\u2019ve wanted to see, has long been vocal about her dislike of audience distractions, and for good reason. Imagine that you were doing your job and the person to whom you are speaking starts staring into a tiny screen, talking with someone else.<\/p>\n
Oh, wait. We don\u2019t have to imagine this, we live it every day!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rude, it\u2019s distracting, and it\u2019s antisocial. At UCF, we devote entire paragraphs in syllabuses about not using cellphones during class time. At the theater, we post signs, put notices in playbills, and politely request that phones be turned off during the preshow announcements. Yet people persist.<\/p>\n
As a marketing professional, I occasionally consider welcoming phones into the theater. \u201cWhat if we create a Tweet Seat?\u201d I think.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrons could talk about us on Twitter, share a status on Facebook, grab a quick snapshot (also against the rules, but a story for another day) and share it on Instagram! \u2018Theatre UCF has the best shows evaaaaarrrrr! Come see it! #ilovetheater #yougottaseethis #UCF #chargeon #hashtag.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But every time I consider it, I always come back to no. It\u2019s not just for the performers that I say no. It is also because theatregoers, just like students in the classroom, will have a better experience if they put down their darn phones.<\/p>\n
I no longer watch TV without my phone. \u201cI wonder what else that actress was in?\u201d and out comes IMDb. I no longer read without my phone. In fact, that\u2019s pretty much the only<\/em> thing I read anymore. I no longer ride in the car as a passenger without scanning my phone (though I do drive<\/em> without it, because rules.) The only place I am without my phone is when I am forced to put it away \u2013 and man, I cherish that time. But screen addiction is a powerful thing. Even though I value my phoneless time, I don\u2019t do it unless forced to.<\/p>\n We need a break from the beeping, the dinging, the ringing, and the glowing screens. According to various opinions, smartphones are impacting our focus, our relationships with our children, and even our posture. We need time with no distractions. We need real experiences that we can share and discuss in real face-to-face conversation with our friends. We need to sit and look up<\/em> at something, for a change! Theatre can do all of this.<\/p>\n Let your busy mind escape from your stresses and slip into a new world. Theatre provides a chance to dream, to visit faraway places, to travel to a different time. Partake in the Age of Aquarius, dance with a drag queen nun, ride on a flying turtle. Wear a 50s party dress, a pirate\u2019s eye patch, or a slinky evening gown. Sing in a barbershop quartet, boogie on down, defeat the killer zombies. Theatre UCF patrons have been transported to some of those places in recent seasons and will visit the others this year.<\/p>\n Give the theater three hours of your time and it will give you a whole new life for the low, low price of one ticket \u2013 and no phones.<\/p>\n And then, once the play is over, and you have returned back to reality from your short trip to our fair Verona, you can turn the phone back on and tell everyone: \u201cJust got back from Italy! BEST MINI VACATION EVER!!! #ilovetheater.\u201d<\/p>\n Heather Gibson is marketing director for the School of Performing Arts in the UCF College of Arts & Humanities. She can be reached at heather.gibson@ucf.edu.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s been a lot of talk about patron use of technology in theaters, the most recent story of course being Patti LuPone\u2019s snatching a phone out of a texting audience member\u2019s hands in the middle of a scene during \u201cShows for Days\u201d at the Lincoln Center Theater. LuPone, a Tony and Grammy award-winning actress who has graced Broadway stages in…","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":67259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[3,21,28],"tags":[7549,14919,7882],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-67597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-opinions","category-theatre-ucf","tag-heather-gibson","tag-theatre-ucf","tag-ucf-forum"],"yoast_head":"\n