1. Land Lines: Yes, I believe that pretty soon we will drop our land lines. At least for personal use, I can count the times I used one to call a friend in the past month. Usually you do it when you want to have a long conversation that you can’t have on the mobile phone. Which takes me to #2.

2. Cell Phone Minutes or SMS: I believe that phone carriers will stop offering this service and everything will be through the internet. We will all mostly have the same plan with unlimited internet on our phones or at least many gigabytes of monthly usage. Our phone calls and messaging will happen through there with services like Twitter and Skype.

3. Home ISPs: As land lines will disappear, mobile internet will take over, for example now I can live with my data plan and thats it. I call through my mobile service and use the internet through them as well even in my desktop or laptop. I believe desktops and laptops will come with the equivalent to 3G (Some already do). But that will be the standard for the internet.

4. The Mouse: Yes, our old and faithful friend from the 80s will disappear and we will have greasy screens everywhere.

5. Cable and Satellite TV, and Show Schedules: Yes the internet will take over this one as well, we will pay for the shows we want to see on demand and more Product Placement than TV Ads. Show seasons on DVD are starting to prove that. Even live shows will happen through the internet.

6. Laptops: Ok, maybe this one won’t happen in 10 years but this format will disappear eventually thanks to touchscreen. We will not need a mouse nor a physical keyboard. It will take years before we get used to not have physical buttons, but the success of the iPhone proves that it’s not a big deal. Tablets will rule the world. The weird part will be getting used to the model: vertical screen-horizontal typing.

7. Paper Magazines and Newspapers: I believe that print media will reduce to special edition books like pop-ups or extremely graphic stuff. But the daily common Magazines and Newspapers will be also delivered directly to your screens.

8. Paper Notebooks, Exams and Homework: This one also will take probably more than 10 years. But if we want to keep our planet safe there will be plenty of alternatives that do not involve paper in schools, exams, homework and note taking will all happen through screens.

9. Wired Battery Charging: What? Is he nuts? No! The Palm Pre uses an inductive charger surface where you just put your phone on the surface and in it charges! No plugging! So I believe that this technology will spread as it becomes cheaper and we will have Charging Surfaces all over the place for our Phones, Tablets, Cameras, etc. In our desks in schools, Coffee Shops, Airports and basically everywhere so our gadgets will be constantly charging wherever you go without carrying anything else.

10. Life without GPS: Personal Geo Location is becoming a huge and scary technology that thanks to GPS on phones is starting to develop a whole new era of communication and tools. Imagine walking into a theatre and just by walking in you receive and interactive playbill to your phone. Or walk into a store and receive discounts, etc. If you want to start experiencing this try Gowalla on the iPhone or Google Latitude on any smartphone.

11. Cash and Cards: WHAT!!! He went even crazier! This will take definitely a couple decades but cash will considerably start lowing usage as we use more and more credit and debit cards. With something like Square where we can use our phones to accept credit and debit cards for personal use, combine it with a technology like Bump which allows for data transfer between phones just by bumping them together. So combine them and your dad will be giving you some money for the movies on your phone, which then you will use for pay for the movies, Starbucks, the stores and then lend some money to your girlfriend!

Haha, I will personally keep a copy of this and see if I’m right in the future. What do you guys think we will laugh about in the future? Please leave a comment and follow me on Twitter @PpValdes . Also remember to subscribe or join the Facebook Group and spread the word!

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The big thing for me is Theatre right? So how does Social Media and the new Apple Tablet (tentatively called iSlate, just speculation) come together with theatre. Well the truth is that it doesn’t but I dream of a close future where it does and this is how I think it should be. If you are reading Steve Jobs, think on us theatre guys more often please.

Us guys in theatre production carry around a whole bunch of papers: Scripts, Plots, Plans, Drawings, Calendars and Schedules mostly. Half of the day we spend it actually sharing these papers with a whole bunch of people, we do modifications to it, we share it, we reprint it and some of us started using laptops but we still go from one paper to the other because honestly, who wants to carry around a laptop onstage? Nobody.

Now there will be a new product that we don’t really know exactly what it will do but here is my dream if you are dreaming or if you develop software call me because we have some business to do:

Imagine that it will be magic paper where we can read all this information and share it. And this is where social media starts to kick in. Imagine that you can tell in a map where all your cast is, your designers etc, then you can send them information on rehearsals. That you can automatically have new versions of the script without loosing your notes when you are working on a new piece. Imagine that as an actor you can make blocking notes with pictures, voice recordings, videos right on your script, or you could pull those of a Stage Manager. Calendars that change automatically. Level sessions where you can take your piece of paper where you have your cues recorded and take pictures of your work at the same time. Where you can instantly video chat with a colleague just by clicking his name wherever he is. This will improve communications and the way we work.

So what is the problem? Dinosaurs. Yes, you may think those guys stopped being a problem millions of years ago but no. People still refuse to use e-mail in some places or you can’t count with people reading them. The very first step is to embrace technology and stop thinking that it is some kind of demon that will take over our souls. It is not. Our soul is not going to go through an e-mail. So please, step one, embrace technology and use it, to its full potential. The amount of free tools out there in the internet is ridiculous and with things like the iPhone and Nexus One they are just getting simpler and simpler but if us as theatre practicians don’t jump on that bus, we are doomed to expensive and long theatre productions. Let computers take care of the machine so we can take care of the art ok?

What do you think? Do you imagine a Jetson’s future for theatre production? Would you like it?

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1. Social Media . In the 90’s it was the internet, but this decade we really started to discover new ways to it that we couldn’t imagine before. Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, Wikipedia had brought information to new levels and privacy no longer exists. I just read two articles in TechCrunch about how now we choose what to keep private, instead of what goes public. They also talk about a website called Web 2.0 Suicide Machine where you can enter all your information, and a machine will delete yourself from the internet with no turning back. So far, more than 300 people have commited social media suicide. Bummer.

2. iPod and iPhone. I am an Apple sucker, I have to admit. But seriously what started as a cool MP3 player became standard for music. My parents call iPod now to any MP3 player. But not only that, then the iTunes store made music downloads legal and to many people who didn’t think it would succeed, it is now the #1 music retailer in the US and getting stronger worldwide. There are still good people out there. And the iPhone, well, just see how cellphones were made before and after the iPhone.

3. 3D Movies. I know this wasn’t invented in the 2000’s but it was until this decade that we start to see them in regular theatres all over the world. And I would like to use this opportunity to invite you to see Avatar in 3D. When will 3D Broadway will get here?

4. Cirque Du Soleil. You may disagree, but I think this a new way of artform. And even though they did a lot of work in the 90’s (Including their best show to my opinion “O”) it was this decade where it started to spread all over the world and they started opening shows like crazy. Good for them for raising the bar in performing arts.

5. Wicked. Avenue Q. In 2004 this two big musicals where conceived and why I think it is so important in the decade? Well Wicked unfortunately I believe is the only musical that will run for a long time and will become a classic of this decade. On the other hand, Avenue Q winning the Tony for best musical stated that you no longer needed 30 actors and a multimillion dollar production to win and to be good.

6. Harry Potter. Yes, again, I know that this started in the 90’s, but worldwide, it was until the 2000’s with the release of the movies that the Potter Mania really flourished outside of the english speaking world. I truly bow to the genius of Harry Potter the revival of Lord of The Rings, Golden Compass and Narnia. Kids needed to read something as they waited for the Potter books to come out. Hard to make a 7 year old read a 700+ page book in the PS era.

7. TV on DVD. I bet that no one in the 90’s had a full TV series on DVD. Suddenly we discovered that we could watch those shows that we love over and over again without commercials. We had seen a couple of good episodes on video, but nothing compared to what you see in music stores these days. Its a new way to pay for our content and it has been forcing advertising to rely a lot in product placement.

8. Musicals on the Big Screen. The biggest and most appreciated revival for our circle. Moulin Rouge opened a Pandora box introducing again musicals on the big screen and followed by Chicago winning the Oscar, encouraged film studios to explore again musicals on film. I’m surprised that Les Mis is not out there yet.

9. YouTube. I think youtube is just the first step on how our computer will take over our TV, most teenagers now spend way much more time watching YouTube than open TV and therefore I’m sure advertising will get only stronger and stronger in here.

10. Hot Ticket. MET Opera Live. It was this decade that Sony’s Hot Ticket started bringing concerts and live events that only a few could enjoy to Movie Theatres worldwide. And the MET Opera started also broadcasting their opera’s in movie theatres. It is wonderful to see this and I hope this encourages producers to do this more often so we can spread the knowledge and invite new audiences in every town and therefore encourage local producers once they have a bit of an audience.

Ok, so this is my list people. Please feel free to add any suggestions on your comments. (Look for link next to the title). Then again if you would like to subscribe use the RSS button, or join the Facebook Group to receive updates through there and invite others who you think might like it.

Happy 2010 everyone.

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The Overture. This is not the case is many shows but if you are watching a good old musical there is going to be one, as well as in many operas and ballets. This is a piece that is not meant for you to grab a seat, or finish your conversation or finish your phone call. An overture is a piece that was written specifically to get you in the right mood for the show. Is the bridge between real life and theatre, they dim the lights so you can enjoy it and establish the tempo of the show. Yes, believe it or not, listening to music attentively will change your heart beat speed, and this will affect how you feel the piece. In any case, weather you want to change your heart beat or not, there are many people that do want to listen to this piece and interrupting it is as bad as interrupting any part of the show, so behave.

Now, to my favourite part. Things that annoy me and many others during the show I’ll try to keep it nice and easy:

Coughing. No, I am not saying you are not allowed to cough, it is only natural. To add to this, theatres are always places were there is a lot of dust accumulated and sometimes dry. In many cases there will be smoked during performances but it is harmless and it is specifically made to not make you cough, but many people do it as an instinctive reaction, so I’m saying this so just so you know and your mind doesn’t trigger the coughing. For these reasons, there are things you can do if you tend to cough a lot. My best recommendation is to have some candy in hand which takes me to the next item.

Candy and Snacks. In most theatres there is only candy but at least here in Mexico there are many many options. Including peanuts, chilli, etc. The clue is to keep it quiet. So please nothing wrapped would be a good idea. So the best thing I find is hard candy that comes in little tin boxes. They usually sell it at fancy theatres but if not, any Starbucks would have some and then you can refill with your favourite candy. I wouldn’t recommend anything crunchy (I know I’m getting picky, so what).

Chatting. Evidently it is not ok to chat during the show. I mean, the sporadical comment is ok from time to time, it is part of enjoying someone’s company in the theatre, but keep short and quiet and don’t make big conversations around it. There will be time for that.

Singing and Humming. No, it is not ok! The only place I would agree if you sing is in Jukebox musicals. Where everyone is expected to do so. (Well, that and rock and pop concerts). It is incredibly unfortunate to see people singing along or humming to a musical, opera or symphony concert. The saddest part is that most of those ’singers’ do it to show off! Yes! Don’t deny it! Many people wants to show off that they know a specific song and stuff and they think that people around them will believe they are very educated, but not! It is of very very bad taste to do anything like that.

Pay Attention. This most of the times depends on the show more than in the audience. However, do your best, most likely you paid for the show and if not then someone invited you hoping you would pay attention. This means don’t spend the show text messaging, thinking about the future or distracting other people with stuff that has nothing to do with the show.

Intermission. (I’m almost done with this part, bare with me). Intermission is a place to give a rest to the performers and often to do a scene or electrics change over. Audiences should take a break, maybe have a drink or a smoke for those of you who really need it. And then again, we come to the bathroom topic. Go only if you really really need to (you won’t be able to enjoy the show if you count the seconds for it to be over), but if not, don’t make those lines longer. Think that many people really need to go, so let them have their chance and everyone will be able to be back in their seats on time. Many times there will be an Entr’act . Which is kind of like an Overture but after the intermission. Same purpose, same rules apply.

Thanks for reading and later you will be able to read the final chapter: Ovation and After the Show.

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But why did they exploded like gun powder? It is simply. Thousands of people around the world discovered that they could now write a musical! Yes! You don’t need a composer now, you don’t even need a good plot, you just need a good CD collection and some time. Think on any story, find whichever song fits and just go for it! And guess what? People will love to go see it! Just because they want to hear the songs. Disney made a show called On The Record with all of their music, but I think something really clever is that they didn’t attempt to add a plot to it, it was more like a concert in Musical Theatre style, and that is what people wanted, to hear them played live with great voices and new arrangements.

I’m not saying that its not a good idea to do a Jukebox Musical, I honestly love All Shook Up (and that one is even worse cause the story is Twelfth Night). But I think that we are reaching the point were its enough of that. We still need original musicals, we still need composers and people that have never done musicals to back off and let musical composers work. If you ask around for people’s favourite musicals, unless they are big fans of a specific band, most likely they are not going to mention one of this Jukebox Musicals. It is clear that pieces like Les Mis, Phantom, Chicago, Cabaret live forever because the music was specifically wrote to match the story, by default naturally. I encourage producers if possible not to go for the safe bet of a jukebox musical, and embrace what could be the next best musical.

There is also the other point to cover that is musicals based on books and movies, or both. But I think this is a totally different case, because at the end the book and songs were written for that specific story, which makes the piece way more coherent. Also, by inspiring your songs and a book or a great novel or movie brings you the best of two worlds. I highly doubt that a brilliant composer is also a brilliant novelist (not that it couldn’t happen). If they inspire their work on each other you can get great musicals with great music and a great storyline, like Phanotm, Les Mis or Wicked. All of them brilliant theatre shows that will stay around forever. No matter what is playing in the radio.

What do you think? Is your favourite musical a Jukebox Musical? Leave a comment (next to post title) and let us know. Subscribe to the RSS. Remember you can join the Facebook Group (button on the right) to be notified when I write and you can invite others to see this posts. Thanks again and happy Xmas shopping!

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1. A new kick-ass-multimillion-here-to-stay musical on Broadway. Since Wicked I don’t think we have really seen a big musical that will become a classic for years to come and that revivals will be made forever and productions Worldwide will flourish. I mean Billy Elliot may be something like that and even Mary Poppins, but we all know we are not talking about the same proportions. Its been 5 years already and the decade is gone, is that it? One show of this nature in a decade?

2. More people in theatre seats. I know we all wish for this but we cannot continue blaming it on an ‘uneducated audience’. Or that audiences have no culture therefore they don’t go to theatre. “AUDIENCE” is not this abstract thing that has a spontaneous reaction to things. WE are all audiences and guess what, if we don’t have people in our seats its because WE are doing something wrong as theatre makers. Think in you raw audience, not in your fellow writers and actors, think on the general public, not in smart-ass critics. Then you may have a chance to actually appeal to your real consumers.

3. A greener production process. I have met a couple production companies that are recycling sets. (Yes, this is also to save money) but if we start sharing as a community our sets we won’t only save money but we will also save wood, and therefore trees. (I don’t know why it always comes down to trees). Also, it is unbelievable the amount of paper we waste on this production process from scripts, to lists, to calendars. We need to find a solution to do our little part on it and maybe serve as an example to other industries where a change would have a greater impact than ours.

4. A Kindle. Yes people!!! I would loooove a Kindle. I write so much about it and all the things that could potentially we do in our industry with it and I’m even designing my own Theatre friendly prototype and I don’t have one! So if you are wondering what you could send me over this Christmas? Don’t hesitate, its a Kindle. (Or maybe a Nook would do as well). For those of you who don’t know what on earth I’m talking about the Kindle is an e-book reader from Amazon. Nook is new competition from Barnes & Noble.

5. A Direction. I didn’t direct anything artistically this year and that is annoying me. I know I’ve been busy doing production but every once in a while I need that to fulfill my artistic needs. Working on a couple projects thank god.

6. Social Media Response. I have been trying hard to keep up with this Blog and Twitter and fortunately it has grown into something. However, I would like to reach a bit further than my friends and colleagues. Not that I mind at all writing for them. So for that it takes me to keep up with what I hope is good content and for you to subscribe, comment and spread the word if you like my letters.

7. ¡MUCHA MIERDA! Is the spanish version of Merde (Lots of Shit!) and that is also how we wish good luck in Mexican theatre. However this time it refers specifically to my new upcoming Video Podcast called exactly like that. I have a great lineup for interviews which is amazing. (And by the way I would like to thank them for their support, its quite moving). So if you speak Spanish stay tuned for its launch in January. And if you don’t speak Spanish, also subscribe so you see me talking funnily.

8. An HD TV and a PS3. I don’t think this needs further explanation.

9. A trip to Vegas. Hehe, not only is my best friend’s Bachelor Party over there but also there are so many new shows going on there that its worth a trip just to see what is new with Cirque. They are opening an Elvis show and I haven’t seen Love. I am excited about this shows but honestly, does Cirque really need to go into this formula of using a band’s success to have a good show? I don’t think so. Elvis and Beatles are ok, but lets leave it there, please. Cirque du Soleil is amazing on their own.

10. A Musical Movie. I know this wish is granted with Nine and Fame coming soon to Theatres near you but having one in line is not so bad. If you asked me, I would love to see Into the Woods turn into a movie. Maybe Miss Saigon would work as well and Wicked of course, but since Wicked is doing so well in productions Worldwide and many to come, maybe its not time yet for that. On the other hand I loved what Sony did with RENT: The Live Performance. I would really love to see more of that, specially with shows that already closed (they have nothing to loose that way). Maybe Beauty and The Beast the Broadway show on Movie Theatres? That would be awesome!!!! Then be able to own on DVD, priceless! (Well, usually around 30 bucks).

11. The Apple Tablet. As many of you know there have been so many rumors on this product and Apple’s competition to the netbooks. I think Apple has the right to establish how the tablet era is going to work (they did it pretty well with Mp3 players and Cellphones). So I can’t wait for that mobility on a desktop and all the applications that we could potentially develop for theatre production, specially stage management and PMing. (See my post: Technology Sluts? I mean slots..)

12. Love. Awwww. Yes. It would be great if we could improve the love for us and people like us, then we will be able to love more people beyond our comprehension and status, and eventually love people in general (that is in general, you may still hate a couple ones). Love in movies, in shows, in poems, in arts and in conversation. Love in strangers and specially those we know. Hehe, I had to finish with something utopic and Christmasy.

Thank you for reading and hope that you enjoy this 12 days of Christmas and joy. Don’t be a Grinch and get caught up in the spirit, even if it seems fake its a good excuse to give a hug and a present and eat a lot of good food. I would love to hear about your wishes so please visit, comment, subscribe and share. PEACE.

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On top of all and why this specific tool is popping everyone’s interest is that you can use Google’s API (meaning you can write your own software) to write gadgets to suit your needs. Developers can use this technology to do ANY interactive, live gadget. So right now there are only a few around. For example a Sudoku game, you can put it there and any participant of that wave can start filling in information, you can all see it happening live or if you missed it, you can playback the order of events. Or a poll or decision gadget. Where participants can just click an option and it will update you on who needs to participate, who is missing to vote and make group decisions easily and in one same space rather than scrolling through many e-mails.

So what about theatre? (I’m sure thats the main question in everybody’s mind right now at Google). This means that we could potentially improve the way we communicate and give more sense to e-mail when several people are discussing something. But more than anything, it means that we could write a Gadget, lets say to do a Production Calendar (that could be linked to Google Calendars) and many people have an opinion on it either live or through e-mail but specifically to that part of the calendar, meaning that PM, TD, Director and SM could collaborate in a Calendar without having to send, print and distribute endless versions of it. This also means that you can always refer to that E-mail and have the latest version and commentary on it AND see what the changes are, when they happened and who made them. And the best part is that it all fits in a Browser, so you get rid of compatibility issues, people not being able to open the Excel file, or the PDF file. When people read their e-mails late they will always get caught up and there is no way you can miss anything on any given conversation to one topic. My team and I (Inside of The Box) started already to experiment and hopefully we can bring new tools that uses this technology and save trees, e-mail, but more than anything time and miscommunication.

This is just the beginning and I hope that many theatre and technology geeks like me join in this experiment to change not what we do, but how we do it. The less time we put into doing the machine stuff the more time we will have to focus on the art itself. –Men didn’t do art until they were able to stop worrying about food, and they managed to do that with a technology called agriculture–

If you like this post I invite you to share it in you social media like Facebook or Twitter. You can subscribe to the RSS with the button on the right. You can join the Facebook Group to receive Facebook notification when I write something new and you can also invite others to read me there. Thanks for your support and please post a comment telling me what you think. I would really like to know that.

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I was last night watching a TED Conference talk on education by Ken Robinson [brief interruption for those of you who don't know TED Conferences, its this annual Conference where the most important creatives from around the world gather to talk about their ideas hoping to reach other important people to receive support for their ideas. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design check it out at www.ted.com or their Podcast]. Anyway, he explains his ideas on how the current education system worldwide is focused on punishing mistakes and pushing young people to think in a linear way, pushing our intelligence to just one part of our bodies, our brain, and mostly just one side. A school presents the scenario of success as a University Professor. Anything else is just unacceptable.

I remember in my school for plays in Grammar School the main roles were assigned to the kids with the highest marks. Yes, the main roles were assigned to the nerds (and you can imagine most of them were not very talented). To be part of the school choir or soccer team you needed 8.5 (of 10) in your marks. And you would dedicate just 1 hour a week to this so called EXTRA CURRICULAR activities. This is where we grow up, in a culture where being good as an athlete, musician, dancer, singer, painter, writer, composer, is a nice quality but useless, a hobby, an ‘Extra’, but what really matters is that you are good at memorizing, not creating. Then we are told we are children and that we are supposed to change the world and make it better.

Telling my parents that I was dropping out of University to do theatre was not an easy thing. Even when I had a scholarship for doing art at it. But even my University asked for a 8.3 average to be able to keep doing that thing that got me the scholarship in the first place. I was fortunate to go to Theatre School after and study Production (in Canada because you can’t even study that in Mexico) Parents intend no harm, but we live in a world where we believe that artists can’t make a living, or get a job. I grew up in Mexico and I wonder how many Mechatronic Engineers this country needs? and why is it better than what I do? There is no better and worse and that is the whole point.

I plead to parents and educators to encourage the sports and the arts. Make it as important as Math and Literature, and please by all means stop calling it Extra Curricular activities. Take your kids to concerts, theatre and big sports events and if your kids dream of being there, let them explore and get to know themselves. Remove all prejudice from you mind and encourage ANY area a kid or teenager wants to explore. If you think your kid won’t make a living by being a dancer, then start going to ballet and dance shows and start encouraging people to do so, so your kid has a future.

But the most important task is in us. Those of us who are good at extra-curricular. If we don’t act accordingly, no one will ever respect or believe in what we do. I wrote the 8 points to put a future in what we do as emerging artists and try to live and act according to them:

1. Believe in what we do, because if we don’t no one will.

2. Explore, train and pursue, work hard on it. Taking it easy is the reason why people think its an easy road and therefore a bad one.

3. Be professional, or no one will understand that its a profession.

4. Stay away from drugs, no real talent should need to fuck up with your brain and body to flourish.

5. Support your colleagues. Recommend all shows and performances and when you critique be constructive, don’t trash, we don’t want to keep people away from theatres or halls, even if they are ‘competition’. We need each other people.

6. Teach. Go down to the chain of happening and put some time in encouraging interested younger generations to do what you do.

7. Don’t give up. We are swimming against the current but its very easy when you understand why. Create and be part of moving us further, as a community.

8. Keep it real. We live in a real world with limits of time, money and space. If we get lost in our abstract creative world we will be useless for the rest of the world and therefore our craft will die.

What do you think? Please Comment and Subscribe. If you like it, please share it in your social media and mail and you can also join and invite people to the Facebook group (CLICK HERE) to receive updates on what I write. Thanks!

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So now you have chosen your show, you have your tickets (good ones I hope) and you know what the show is about and why it should be seen. Great!

Now probably not the very first question in your mind but an important one is how to dress for the occasion. Well in most cases this is not a big issue anymore. In most cases it is not inappropriate to go as you would go to the supermarket. However, there are two main reasons why you should care. The first one is dress codes, to most theatrical events you should dress casual. For Opera and Ballet usually you are supposed to dress a little bit more formal. Another thing to consider is if the show happens at night, or if its a Matinée, events at night evidently require more formal dressing and usually darker. If its an opening night, gala, or special performance it depends on the kind of celebration that will go with the show. But with so many exceptions and experimental shows, if you are unsure on how to dress the very best way to know is to call the box office or front of house and ask, you have nothing to loose. The second reason, is to make your evening special, remember a night in a show its all about making an experience out of it, and to dress up and smell nice will always make it feel a bit better. In any circumstance the important part is to be comfortable, with your clothes and with your circle.

So now you are ready to go. But before you leave, I know I will sound like your mother, but please go to the bathroom, that way you don’t have to go once you get there (unless you are my mom or aunt). Arriving on time is essential to enjoy the show and let other people enjoy it as well. Plan to arrive an hour before the show if you are going to a place where you need to park. 30 minutes is more than enough where you don’t have to park. As I said before, this is all part of making theatre an experience. Have a glass of wine or a drink before the show, talk about your expectations or what you’ve heard about the show you are going to see, or anything else you want to talk about because once the show starts you will not be able to (or at least you shouldn’t). And I hate to sound repetitive but go the bathroom, its better to take your time right now than to crowd the intermission toilet run.

The beginning of the show is one of the most crucial parts of any spectacle. This is the part where I continue to sound like your mother. First things first, late comers suck! We all hate you! Yes, if you think when you are late you are ruining a show for yourself, think on all the people you are ruining the show for that also paid a ticket (most likely an expensive one) and arrived on time. So please arrive when you are supposed to. Many theatres won’t allow late comers to go in until a specific point in the show and some others will have late comer seats all the way in the back and won’t let you go to your seat until intermission (if there is one) so plan ahead. But if you do manage to be in the building, please be in your seat on time and wait. Some people stand up and leave and go to the bathroom last minute because the show hasn’t started yet, even if its time to. What many people doesn’t realize is that very often shows actually don’t start because there are people still in the lobby, people buying tickets (yes, that was supposed to happen days ago), or people in the bathroom (remember when I said you should go before leaving?) so please do help.

This may sound familiar but PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONES AND PAGERS. (Who still has a pager these days?). I know, this is a given one but WOW, it is extremely rare these days where a show isn’t interrupted by a cellphone. Also notice that the instruction is to turn it OFF. This is because when cell phones started, they would interfere with the RC (radio control) systems and could potentially trigger a set movement or crazy stuff like that. In very crowded places the excessive amount of cell phone signals can disrupt the Wireless Mic systems. Also very often technicians hear cell phone waves (that creepy sound you hear when your phone rings next to a speaker) on clear-com and distracts them. However, if you can’t disconnect from whatever you do for a couple hours, please by all means, do not let it make a sound, and if it vibrates don’t even think about answering. SMS to explain or just say: I’m in the theatre I’ll cal you back. Anything more than that is totally unacceptable.

The most important part is coming in Chapter 3: During the Show. I hope you find this article informative and please Comment and Share!

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Mr. Ken Davenport is a Broadway producer who keeps his blog updated, is on Twitter, and wants a Kindle and an iPhone for Xmas. He posted a couple days ago (find link below) about this new slot machines that are interactive and with a flashy screen and how the magic of the old slots with spinning wheels is simply not there. He concludes his article by saying that some things can be removed from its essence when big technology advancements are implemented and that live performance is one of those things. While I agree completely on the slot machine example, I disagree with the idea that suggests that incorporating the latest technology to performing arts will take something away from it. I know Ken is mostly talking about the stage and I still have my doubts about that, but in the core of our industry? PLEASE! Do we need to call a show strictly from a binder? Do we really need to post hundreds of schedules that we re-print all day long? Do we really need to go through pounds and pounds of paper with script versions and modifications?

The second post is the other side of the coin. What Time Inc. (Sports Illustrated among others) is doing to prepare to the tablet era (Find link below). Basically they are doing a virtual version of their magazine, but this is not what everyone thought it would be where they would PDF their magazine. No, its taking it to a totally new level of interaction and content. Please do check it out. We all need to embrace this kind of stuff because its the future of communication and what will keep us growing in any industry and as a society is the improvements on the way we communicate. I can assure you that no matter what industry or project you are working for, the main issue is always lack of communication amongst people. Do you miss newspapers when you watch the news on TV? Do you miss telegrams when you use your telephone? Or do you miss your landline when you are using your cellphone? Of course there are some pros and cons in anything we do, but lets get over it and embrace new technologies (especially when they save trees).

Speaking of communication, please comment. Can you live without paper? Can you read a newspaper or magazine on a tablet, iphone or kindle? Would you have a Kindle or Tablet in your hand instead of a paper script? Would you pay  as you pay for your magazines in the stands for an e-version of it? Please comment and subscribe!

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LINKS:

Ken Davenport’s Article: http://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2009/12/thanks-a-slot-1.html

Mac Rumors’ Article: http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/03/time-inc-also-working-on-digital-content-in-anticipation-of-apple-tablet/