#Hashtag

Social media can hurt you and help you! A group of great actors get together and prove that life in LA is difficult at best, and exciting at it's worst. The human factor gets lost in a sea of tweets, texts, instagrams, and smartphones that seem welded to the players hands. Clever, funny, and heartbreaking, this is new satire that says be careful what you wish for. ... full review

How much fun. This exuberant, funny, smart group of actors have conjured up a current, innovative commentary on social media. While talking to a fellow actor in the SPOLIN PLAYERS, who asked me how was hashtag, I started to rave about the evening. He kept nodding, saying cool while tweeting on his phone. Hey, I said this is what it's about. Are we ever just two people together communicating anymore? It's an enjoyable evening acted by a superb group of actors. FUN... full review

Unlike most Fringe shows, this one encourages you to leave your phones on, to live tweet, Instagram or Vine the performance and share the experience. Although a bit choppy and sometimes difficult to follow, the show as a whole was fun and enlightening. You feel for the struggles of the characters, although sometimes they telegraph their intent too much. It is a worthy effort. Kudos to Spencer Howard for a good story and a understandable performance of the transformation that the need for social interaction can cause in our lives. For the rest of my review, check out Examiner.com.... full review

#HASHTAG is a new comedy directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski and devised by The Mechanical Heart, a group of UCSD Alumni who put the show together in only six weeks. It explores the other kind of LA gridlock: the daily struggle to remain engaged in the present moment in a culture built on social media and status anxiety. Everyone is searching for their dream relationship and dream job, but at what cost? And just how much influence should you allow social media to have on your dreams? Look for my full review on Broadway World: http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-HASHTAG-Examines-the-Daily-Struggle-to-Stay-Engaged-in-the-Present-Moment-20130609... full review

Not very compelling but fun and enthusiastic.... full review

I think I would have loved this show if my phone hadn't died right before the opening song. I was looking forward to playing along but I didn't get to! Damn technology! But, I guess that's the point. In all seriousness, the performances were stellar and the message was clear without clobbering us over the heads with it. For the rest of the day I was rather glad my phone was dead. #hashtag reminded me how wonderful it is to be present in the moment.... full review

This is one of Hollywood Fringe theater festival's winners! It's hands down one of the best. A "10" in every category - writing, acting, staging, direction. It's smart, funny and poignant. Lead actor Spencer Howard is a stand-out. His delivery, timing and physicality are seamless. This is a seriously-talented actor/writer to pay attention to - he is going places. Overall the play is a very clever, insightful portrayal of the role that technology and social media plays in our lives these days and how we choose to use it. Don't miss this one.... full review

This is a smart show. It's brilliantly framed and all of the actors are on stage the whole time, when they're not being used, they're lined up against the back wall plugged into their phones. Except for the one character who only has a flip phone and doesn't know what a hashtag or instagram or twitter is. In fact, for most of the play he's in the back with the others, except he's reading a book. And I don't think it's an accident that his chair is actually a stool, and he's higher than the rest of the cast. He also seems to be able to communicate more clearly with actual humans face to face. Which is a brilliant contrast to all of the other characters who do get caught up in their digital worlds. This is a clever story and a smart script.... full review

This was a smart show that on one level is a relationship story and on another is an exploration of how technology has crept into many of our lives and in between our relationships. The production has a lot of heart and the cast is superb. It's a very enjoyable hour of theatre.... full review