“To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.”
Henri Poincaré, Science and Hypothesis
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
In today’s Wall Street Journal “Sightings” column I discuss a problem that has become an epidemic in the world of American theater—cellphone abuse—and offer a solution. Here’s an excerpt.
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Yes, cellphone abuse has reached pestilential proportions, but everybody in the profession privately admits that existing announcements, be they clever or straightforward, do next to nothing to reduce it. Why? Because the announcements aren’t made in such a way as to seize the attention of playgoers and persuade them to change their ways. Instead, they’re either cutesy-pie or pro forma, both of which signal that they needn’t be taken seriously.
Unfortunately, Patti LuPone’s widely reported in-your-face technique of shaming errant cellphone users by singling them out from the stage doesn’t seem to work any better. That doesn’t surprise me. Instead of insulting them, the trick is to get their attention—and get them on your side.
The only truly effective cellphone announcement I’ve ever heard was was made during the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 2009 revival of “American Buffalo,” a play by the famously foul-mouthed David Mamet. Before each performance, an unseen announcer shouted, “TURN OFF YOUR F—— PHONES!!!”
It worked, too.
Short of that, here’s what I’d do….
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Read the whole thing here.
A curtain speech by Patti LuPone, made after a 2015 Lincoln Center Theater performance of Shows for Days:
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.
BROADWAY:
• An American in Paris (musical, G, too complex for small children, reviewed here)
• The Color Purple (musical, PG-13, most performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Fun Home (serious musical, PG-13, many performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• Hamilton (musical, PG-13, all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)
• The King and I (musical, G, perfect for children with well-developed attention spans, reviewed here)
• Matilda (musical, G, reviewed here)
• Les Misérables (musical, G, too long and complicated for young children, closes Sept. 4, reviewed here)
• On Your Feet! (jukebox musical, G, reviewed here)
OFF BROADWAY:
• The Fantasticks (musical, G, suitable for children capable of enjoying a love story, reviewed here)
• Prodigal Son (drama, PG-13, closes March 27, reviewed here)
• Sense & Sensibility (serious romantic comedy, G, remounting of 2014 off-Broadway production, closes April 10, original production reviewed here)
IN SARASOTA, FLA.:
• Ah, Wilderness! (comedy, PG-13, closing April 10, reviewed here)
CLOSING NEXT WEEK OFF BROADWAY:
• Smart People (serious comedy, PG-13, closes March 6, reviewed here)
CLOSING NEXT WEEK ON BROADWAY:
• Noises Off (farce, PG-13, nearly all performances sold out last week, closes March 6, reviewed here)
Blizzards mean different things to different people at different times in their lives. To a fifty-year-old drama critic recovering from congestive heart failure who has to make his way to and from the theater district in two feet of blowing snow, a blizzard can be a fearful nuisance, depending on his schedule and his frame of mind. Fortunately, I live a block away from the subway and wasn’t in any great hurry. The streets and sidewalks were slippery but passable, and everyone I saw between my front door and the subway station was smiling. Most New Yorkers, however grumpy they may be on an ordinary day, respond festively to the short-lived chaos of a snowstorm….
Read the whole thing here.
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