In London, a new production of "Hamlet" is underway with Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead. After one of the first shows had a rocky start due to technical difficulties and audience disturbance, Benedict came to his fans and the public with a request: Don't film the play. He continued by saying, "There's nothing less supportive or enjoyable as an actor than being on stage experiencing that."
What Cumberbatch said really made me think about how our society is today. Every cool moment during a play or a popular song at a concert has to be recorded on some device for the sake of posting it on all social media. If the majority of an audience is doing this, then all you see is a sea of phones in front of you. Is that how an exciting experience is supposed to be remembered?
To me, Cumberbatch made an honest request that was straight to the point without being mean to his fans, and I completely agree with him. Not only does device use during shows take away from the overall experience, but it's completely disrespectful. I've been to plenty of concerts where all you can see if phones even before the band comes on stage. It is easy to get swept up in the moment and get excited for the act to start, but people often forget that there are hundreds of others behind you waiting for the same show, who will be disappointed if they can't see at least some of it.
The other thing is, not many people think about the actors or musicians or artists who are performing, and this is at the heart of what Cumberbatch was saying. Actors like him want to perform their best and give audiences a show that was worth their money and time. In order to do so, they should be shown some respect from the audience. People may not think that actors can see what goes one in the audience because it's so dark, but as Cumberbatch points out, they can see even the smallest red light. He says this is extremely "obvious" and distracting and can take away from the overall performance.
So what can be done? I'm not calling for an end to device use all together. I completely understand why people do it. I'm not perfect, and I've taken pictures or recorded videos at almost every concert I've been to. However, I do believe that it can get to a point that becomes obnoxious and disrespectful to those around you as well as those on stage. We take pictures and videos to preserve those memories forever. Yet our brains are very beautiful things, and we often remember far more than just the things we take pictures of. So I say live in the moment, take in all the sights and sounds around you, and keep that phone in your pocket as much as you can. Those kinds of memories are going to last far longer.
