To Tweet Seat Or Not To Tweet Seat

As I sit here late on a Saturday night after a very long day of work when I probably should be thinking about sleep, I'm thinking about "Tweet Seats." You may ask yourselves, "What is a 'Tweet Seat'?" I've wondered quite a bit lately about the kind of publicity or general PR that can be generated for a theatrical production through this fairly recent development.

A "Tweet Seat" or "Tweet Seat Performance" is an area of a theatre or perhaps an entire performance dedicated to allowing patrons to get out those smartphones- yes, during the show, gasp...- to Tweet about the goings on during a performance. Perhaps a patron wants to give a "shout out" to a particularly strong number, scene, or performer. Perhaps they want to tell everyone they know to #comeseethisshow.



I believe this may be the first of an even more integrated approach to new media, and social media in particular, and American theatre. As practitioners of theatre, our greatest hope is generally that audiences are engaged with and by a production. If audiences are engaged on a deep and meaningful level- and entertained, too, of course- then they are far more likely to become regular patrons of the theatre.

I offer up links to two examples of the use of social media and theatre here. Broadway's recent revival of the musical Godspell employed the use of "Tweet Seat" performances. A debate on the use of technology in realm of for profit theatre as seen on NBC's Rock Center can be seen in this link. Another example of an integrated approach to social media and theatre can be observed in Abilene Christian University's production of iOthello. The ACU Theatre production team created a YouTube video describing the process in depth, and it can be viewed at this link.

However, the question we should ask ourselves as practitioners is, "Are we ready to integrate social media into our performances?" While the idea may be appealing, I feel that we must consider the possible negatives along with all the positives. Yes, incorporating technology and social media may create the possibility for a publicity and PR goldmine, but what if the patrons don't like the show? We must all be ready for negative reactions and how to deal with them. This is where a strong public relations staff member or crew must be on the ready. If reactions are negative, do we choose to delete posts? How do we plan to filter them? The use of social media could greatly extend the run of a show, or potentially close it on opening night.

A great deal of planning must go into using social media during a production. I don't suggest entering the realm of "Tweet Seats" unprepared or uninformed. I also suggest an alternative. If you would rather dip your toes in the water than jump in head first, a designated "Tweeter" could be assigned. This person will be a member of the production team who can post about the show, but can also offer backstage updates and interviews. Patrons could subscribe to or follow the posts to get a more in depth look at what happens on and offstage during a performance. This could allow any company from a small community theatre to a large LORT (League of Regional Theatres) theatre or even for profit production to offer something akin to PBS's Great Performances which offers onstage and backstage coverage of a show.

However you may feel about cell phones and other technologies entering the realm of old-fashioned, hand-crafted American theatre, I offer my own very humble opinion. These technologies can enter the space as "concealed weapons" ready to go off at inopportune times distracting patrons, or they can be integrated into the performance more seamlessly. Also, when planned for and handled correctly, technology and social media can offer a new kind of publicity and public relations for your company to enjoy.

Until next time...
Ro Huizinga