Theaters Keen On Tweets

Cell phones and theaters don’t always mix, except when they do.

The Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island is the latest among a growing number of venues to embrace real-time social media use by offering “tweet seats.”

PPAC is setting aside a small number of free seats in the back of the venue for patrons who promise to tweet commentary from their smartphones during performances using a special hash tag. The program will reportedly run through the end of the year and then be evaluated.

And in Boston, the Huntington Theater has also climbed aboard the Twitter bandwagon, albeit in a different way.

The venue recently announced plans to open its Twitter account to an artist, designer, stage manager, or other person behind the scenes during intermissions of select performances. Audience members will be able to submit questions and the conversation will be displayed in real time on video monitors in the lobby.

Other venues supporting social media include Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater and the under-construction Tateuchi Center in Bellevue, Wash., which will include a large antenna to improve indoor cell signals for patrons.