Why the Pennsylvania Ballet Wants Patrons to Turn on Their Cellphones

Over the holidays, the Pennsylvania Ballet asked patrons to turn on their cellphones—at least during intermission and after the show.

From December 26 to 31, audience members at performances of The Nutcracker participated in a live poll via text message. At intermission, they voted for their favorite character, and after the performance, they weighed in on their favorite scene.

Monitors in the lobby displayed the tally, as did the ballet’s Web site and the Phillyfunguide, a site run by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

The vote was part of the alliance’s Turn Your Cell Phone On! campaign, which is designed to increase the interactions arts patrons have with the works they view.

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance ran its first texting campaign during the Philly Fringe festival in September. During the two-week event, 760 people answered polling questions about seven shows by text message.

For more information: Go to http://www.phillyfunguide.com.