― By Allen Barton
Where’s all the BHP Social Media?
Sigh.
I’ll be honest with you: I’d love to delete every last bit of wherever we exist on social media. We have an Instagram that we barely use. We have a Facebook page — whatever. I deleted the Twitter account. I suppose we have some stuff up on YouTube, but I haven’t looked in forever.
I’m kind of sick of all of it. Aren’t you? I have a couple personal accounts here and there where my level of interest goes up and down depending on the week. I’ve never been a power user on the personal front. And professionally? I just never thought that anything that occurred on social media was more important than what happened live on stage in my theatre.
A well-meaning student sent me to an Instagram account of a different acting studio, because she thought it was good and we could mirror some of what they do. And it was good! Whoever is in charge over there is doing a nice job. There’s content nearly every day, and cute stupid fucking videos making fun of actors and their self-centered ways, their anxieties, etc. There are interviews with teachers blabbing about their various philosophies and inspirations. It has a look and a consistent style. Okay. Good job. You couldn’t pay me to get interested in doing something like that for the BHP.
I’m just not interested. I have a theatre building. It’s over on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Until an earthquake or asteroid or, ahem, pandemic, takes us down, physically, so we can no longer operate there — that’s where I’ll be. I think there are plenty of other people, young people even, who are probably sick of social media, too. They participate in it like they occasionally eat a freaking kale salad — they’re supposed to, it’s good for your career, blah, blah… I’m not saying it’s of no value whatsoever. It has some value. And it has vast negative consequences, too (which can’t be said for the kale salad).
So. Social media. The Beverly Hills Playhouse. Sigh.
I’ll see you down at the theatre.
