Tomorrow evening (March 27) the 501 Queen streetcar will be making an unusual trip through downtown Toronto. It'll be following its usual route, using one of the usual vehicles, only this time everyone aboard will have taken a vow of silence. Instead of talking, they'll be Tweeting.
The journey is a piece of public theatre that’s part of this year’s Free Fall performance art festival. Called “Route 501 Revisited,” the piece will see members of the public jump aboard the streetcar for a guided tour of Queen Street that’ll be entirely conducted through Twitter. Toronto journalist Jonathan Goldsbie will act as a guide during the tour, Tweeting out points of interest to the hashtag #Route501. Passengers will be encouraged to chip in with their comments and observations — but only by using Twitter on their cellphones. There'll be no talking allowed.
Explaining the idea behind the special streetcar ride, Goldsbie says, “I’ve always had an interest in theatre and I’m also pretty well known for Tweeting.”
Goldsbie has over 5,000 followers on Twitter.
“Route 501 Revisited” aims to mimic the experience many TTC users have each morning, of sitting inches away from someone but never communicating with them. “The goal is for no one to speak at all, but have a running discussion on Twitter,” says Goldsbie. “It’s really interesting to see how you can maintain people’s interest just by having a conversation.”
Goldsbie says he chose the 501 route because, “It’s the longest one in the city and it goes more or less in a straight line.” He adds, “I love the idea that passing a certain point, like Lakeshore West, is like passing through unexplored territory.”
In mixing technology and performance, the piece aims to explore ideas of public and private spaces, pitting the openness of being on a streetcar against the privicy expected of a cellphone.
Goldsbie was first approached by festival co-curators, Michael Wheeler and Franco Boni, who told him about American groups that had done performance art using Twitter.
“They gave me a budget to work with and I thought, ‘What would I do with a budget?’ I would charter a street car!”
The “Route 501 Revisited” journey will start from Neville Park and run east to west. There will be a stop at Dover Court to pick up passengers. Tickets are available to the public and can be purchased online. The Free Fall festival runs until March 31.
501 Queen Streetcar, Neville Park, March 27, 7 p.m., $20 (festival pass $23-$45), 416-538-0988
