Theaters Now Offer "Tweet Seats" To Those Who Want To Tweet During The Show

We're all trained to power down our smartphones and leave our iPads in the car when we enter the theater. It's common courtesy to the performers and the other patrons to not distract them with the chime of a new text message or by tapping wildly on our keypads during the show. However, there are a handful of theaters and organizations who have decided to embrace the smartphone addicts of the world and create "tweet seats" - sections of seating encouraging the use of Twitter to discuss the show. Surprisingly, it's not movie theaters that are paving the way for a connected, interactive experience: it's the more classical live theater and opera houses. According to USA Today, there are a handful of opera houses, musical productions and even Shakespeare companies encouraging the use of Twitter while their players and singers are on stage. Of course, the placement of these "tweet seats" is key. Not everyone is allowed to simply turn on their phones whenever they like, as the majority of patrons still prefer the silence and distraction-free atmosphere of a traditional night at the theater. Most production companies that have decided to embrace Twitter are seating those ultra-connected types at the very back of the theater. It's the smaller venues that are leading the way when it comes to "tweet seats" - major venues like Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center have yet to give a nod to their tweet-obsessed patrons. Elisa Hale, the public relations manager of Goodspeed Opera House - one of the handful that does offer these new "tweet seats" - explains that she is constantly monitoring the Twitter chatter from backstage: "This is sort of an enhancement … because there is a way to interact during the show." And she goes on to say that they have experienced no negative tweets during any performance. What do you think about "tweet seats"? Would you want to be able to carry on a hashtag conversation about a performance while watching it? Or would that be too distracting? Let us know in the comments below. (Top image: IvicaNS via Shutterstock; Middle image: ID1974 via Shutterstock)

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Theaters Now Offer "Tweet Seats" To Those Who Want To Tweet During The Show

Lauren Dugan

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Lauren Dugan