I went to see a show, and a trend has arisen which bothers me. It’s about the programs we receive as we enter the theater, which are often the well-known and popular Playbills(R). An attendant will often hand one to you, and as you take your seat and silence your mobile devices, you can read about the cast and crew, learn about the playwrights and authors and catch an article or two about Broadway or the world of performance art. You may also find a place for dinner or a retirement home for Aunt Millie in the ads.
Fans collect them; nostalgists keep them in a binder or box, and some people discard them. At the theater I visited, there is a large brochure holder full of them, on the wall near the door, and folks who don’t want their copies simply put them back.
It’s a funny type of recycling, and I find it confusing.
Though I’ve never heard of anybody catching a disease from a written work, some may wonder if germs can be picked up from a glossy billet which has been held by somebody else. The fact that an attendant handed it to you in the first place doesn’t seem to bother anybody. Sometimes the theater employees wear dress gloves. However, we are still in the waxing and waning of a global illness, so we have unknown fears to contend with.
The number of trees used to print theater programs is likely not the same as magazines or books, but with the house filled with people who I saw actively engaging their mobile devices to place them on silent, maybe it’s time to go digital with Playbill(R).
I experienced a digital program during the holiday season, and it was easy to access. Of course, I didn’t have something to take home as a souvenir or to add to my collection. There are pros and cons for both.
I just hope that we can always enjoy Playbill(R) and the experience of live theater well into my old age. Or at least as long as I have room to collect my programs.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 