Local theaters ready to bow to tweeters in the audience

But distraction to others a primary concern

December 28, 2011|By Beth Teitell, Globe Staff

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“I am thrilled by how dynamic and compelling our social media outlets are becoming,’’ Peter DuBois, the theater’s artistic director, said in an e-mail. “But I believe that from the moment the curtain goes up to the moment it comes down, the art on stage is all the engagement the audience needs. That onstage moment you miss to read or send a tweet could be the one that sends chills up your spine, stirs you with empathy, or sends your imagination wild.’’

Many patrons are less worried about the tweeters’ enjoyment of the show than their own. “If someone sitting next to me is using their phone it would definitely distract and annoy me,’’ said Sasha Sherman, 28, of Watertown, who frequently attends the opera and the symphony.

But Eric Andersen, 35, an IBM IT architect with 7,000 Twitter followers, says tweeting has become such a big part of his life that he no longer draws a distinction between commenting to a person who is with him physically and a person who exists in his smartphone.

“If something interesting or unique happened once or twice during the performance and I wouldn’t necessarily be able to remember it later, I’d want to tweet it,’’ he said.

As the lines between physical and virtual companionship blur, Elisa Hale, the public relations manager at the Norma Terris Theatre, says social media users need to be accommodated, particularly by theaters trying to attract young patrons.

“You’re talking about people who can barely help themselves from texting while they’re driving,’’ she said.

The push to allow such phone use during shows comes at a time when performing arts attendees are increasingly older than the average US adult, according to a 2008 survey by the National Endowment for the Arts. The percentage of adults ages 18-24 attending classical music concerts fell from 11 percent in 1982 to 6.9 percent in 2008. Ballet attendance among the group also dropped, from 3.9 percent in 1982 to 2.5 percent in 2008.

Not just any tweeter will do, of course. Theaters need a correspondent who is focused on the show and not the Patriots score and who actually knows how to tweet. When the Palm Beach Opera advertised free twitter seats at its final dress rehearsal, it wanted only those with large or engaged Twitter followings.

Even legitimate tweeters can encounter issues. Said Hale: “I was reading what someone had written, thinking of a response, then realizing I should be putting down my phone to clap.’’

Beth Teitell can be reached at bteitell@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @bethteitell.