Audiences

An intriguing article in the Globe yesterday by Kate Taylor re 21st-century, digitally-oriented audiences and the live performing arts, and what steps some artists/companies are taking to deal with patrons who just can't unplug for two-plus hours.

It will be interesting to see if some of what Taylor had to say can be put into productive dialogue with a show at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco called The Audience as Subject that Richard and I are hoping to get to when we're in that wonderful city next week. Matthew Akers' film documenting Marina Abramović's one-on-one audience encounters at MOMA a few years ago (The Artist is Present) is also screening at SFMOMA while we're there. But I think I'll wait to catch the film when it plays her in Vancouver at DOXA on May 9th (the day after my panel discussion following the Vito screening). However, Richard and I will definitely be in the audience for the Berkeley Rep show In Paris, starring none other than Mikhail Baryshnikov! Not every day you get to cross something like that off your live performance bucket list. And I promise there will be no tweeting or texting from me while MB is on stage.

But first there's my very own audience to survive on Monday night at the Solo Flights event on Granville Island. The monologue's in as good a shape as it's going to be at this point--thanks mostly to Dave and Kerry. If I can get through the evening without throwing up, I'll be happy.

P.