December 15, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Pennsylvania Ballet will soon ask patrons to turn on their cellphones — at least during intermission and after the show.
From December 26-31, audience members at performances of “The Nutcracker” will have the opportunity to participate in a live poll via text message. At intermission, they will be able to vote for their favorite character, and after the performance, they will be able to weigh in on their favorite scene.
Monitors in the lobby of the Academy of Music will display the tally live, as will the ballet’s Web site and the Phillyfunguide, run by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
The goal of the alliance’s Turn Your Cell Phone On! campaign is to help audience members feel more engaged with arts performances, says John McInerney, a vice president at the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, who notes that neither the ballet nor the alliance will be capturing patrons’ cellphone numbers.
“Many times when people go to a cultural event, they might go to the bathroom or go outside for a cigarette at intermission or quickly leave after the performance,” says Mr. McInerney. “The goal here is to increase that discussion and conversation that we think adds to people’s enjoyment of the experience and helps build buzz for the show.”
And he hopes that those discussions will translate into increased attendance.
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance ran its first “Turn Your Cell Phone On!” during the Philly Fringe festival in September. During the two-week event, 760 people answered polling questions about seven shows by text message.
