Of Love and Social Media

Last fall I watched as my mentor Alli Houseworth, Director of Marketing and Communications made a bet with Tim Plant, former Director of Development that she could raise $1,937 (the number of Facebook fans we had) in a mere week and a half using social media alone (Click here to read about it). There were doubts. Who knows what social media sites are really good for, aside from a distraction at work, stalking your kids, or posting hilarious photos of kittens on the walls of those friends from college you probably wouldn’t remember in five years anyway (well, it WAS college). As many of you know, she won that bet. In fact, she demolished that bet, and Tim was forced to admit that social media was useful for more than the aforementioned things via a rather embarrassing curtain speech in which he wore a shirt declaring his love for social media, and of course, we made him join Twitter.

Since that fateful day, we have become vociferous in our thirst to know what else social media can do for us. We’ve discovered non-subscribers who have been faithful for years, we’ve found fans from around the country, we’ve had contests, we’ve…demanded a lot of attention. For our current show, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, we’ve even managed to construct an “Apple Orchard” in the lower lobby that consists of old Apple products collected in part by a response to a call-to-action we put on our Facebook and Twitter pages. So why do those of you who don’t buy into the whole social media care about all this? Because throughout it all, no matter how you spin it, our social media efforts come down to one, basic, pure thing: a conversation with our audience. Woolly isn’t satisfied just putting work out there that we find explosive, engaging, and thought-provoking, we’ve moved on from just that. We want, we NEED to know what YOU are thinking, and how you feel about our work. So, as a dedication to all of you, here are some responses we’ve received from the show via Twitter and Facebook:

–          @david_fabian: SM movies make u want to smoke a cigarette. Mike Daisey’s Agony & the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs made me want to use an iPad @woollymammothtc

–          @delitzer: Won’t ever look at my iPhone the same way again. RT @BeccaClaraLove: “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” at @woollymammothtc. So good!

–          @LinsdaySWeldon: I’m not even a tech geek, but The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs @woollymammothtc is still one of the BEST shows I’ve ever seen.

–          @actorkathryn: @woollymammothtc – The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs = AMAZING. Great work, Team Woolly…

–          @joeyonan: Woke up still ruminating on last night’s #AgonyandEcstasyofSteveJobs. Stunning, hilarious, profound theater. @woollymammothtc

–          Sarah Fox Chapman: Mike Daisey’s “The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” was outstanding. It was humorous and sad and thought provoking.

–          Mary Akiyama Guarino Kearns: Mike Daisey’s performance last night was outstanding. I’ve been an Apple fan my entire life, but haven’t bought any new technology since the FoxConn suicides were publicized. However, Daisey’s monologue brought new depth to my understanding of the problems inherent in the way our tech products are manufactured, and gave me much food for thought regarding what I can do to help change things for the better.

If you’d like to join in the conversation (and we want you to!) but don’t necessarily Facebook or Tweet, please send us an email at discussion@woollymammoth.net. After all, we Woolly-ites need your input to prevent extinction!

~Katie Boyles, Marketing and Communications Assistant

What is the Role Technology Plays in Your Life?

Here at Woolly we love to hear what our audiences are saying! At the Pay-What-You-Can performances of The Agony and the Ecstasy of  Steve Jobs this past Monday and Tuesday, we surveyed our audience members and asked them the question: What is the role technology plays in your life? Here are some of the responses that we got:

“I’m online so much that my students and colleagues worry when they haven’t seen me online for awhile.” ~Erik Larson, 41

“My life is dependent on Google services (gmail, calendar, contacts, gchat, Googledocs, greader, blogger, etc.) So I decided NOT to go back to China (for awhile) after the Chinese government blocked the Google service there.” ~ Fang Fang, 26

“Just that I’m so bad at it and I want to do better.” ~Mary Scarpa, 56

“I find the Internet rather terrifying: its immensity, its vacuousness, its inherent ever-expanding formlessness.” ~ John Boonstra, 26

“I went to Canada this past summer for vacation. I only brought my phone for navigation, communication, and planning. When I lost reception as I crossed the border, I was hobbled: no map, address, phone numbers, or any idea where I was going. Thrown straight back to 1992! But it was one of the most exciting times and I had more and better interactions with that friend than I have in a long time.” ~ Aubri O’Connor, 27

“I come across very informed to people who don’t understand it. I taught someone to cut and paste in 2004. He looked over- no joke- and exclaimed ‘This cut and paste thing is amazing!’” ~ Lorin Kleinman, 41

“Technology hates me.” ~Anonymous

“Often, especially with older colleagues at work. One time a colleague came to me with a data CD in a jewel case and asked me to open it. I immediately thought she needed help accessing files on the CD, so I opened it…and then she stopped me and said, ‘Wait, do that again.’ Yeah…” ~ Carly Borgmeier, 30

“One time at technology camp…” ~ Jan Remissong, 46

“I conducted a relationship by Skype. We were about to wed online, but my finace’s parents couldn’t comprehend the whole idea! Oops! I also keep connected with my family and friends in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.” ~ Bigz Aloysious Bigirwa, 30

“http://blog.ich-wars-nicht.ch/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/foreplay.png” ~ Juliette Larmier, 24

“Drunken texting is the downfall of my life.” ~ Ruth Rasby, 24

“I know that a lot of folks are scared of technology, and I’ve certainly had some moments of technological frustration or panic. But in general, I think of it as a good thing- something that lets us do more things quicker and be connected to more people in our lives.” ~ Layne Amerikaner, 25

What is the role that technology plays in YOUR life? Let us know!

Interested in contributing your thoughts to the blog? E-mail brooke@woollymammoth.net

~ Brooke Miller, Press and Digital Content Manager

A Quick Byte Out of the Woolly Apple Orchard

During the run of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Woolly will have an “Apple Orchard” in our lobby, where we “harvested” a variety of Apple products from the ’80s until today. Come see the evolution of technology right before your own eyes! Here is a sneak peak of the items on display in our lobby:

Apple IIe:

Released in January 1983 and originally sold for $1395, the Apple ][e was to be one of the most successful Apple computers ever (it was manufactured and sold for nearly 11 years with few changes). One of its defining characteristics was its ability to input and display lowercase letters for the first time. In 1984 the name was changed from Apple ][e to Apple //e, coinciding with the release of the Apple //c.

Apple ImageWriter II:

Released in September 1985 for $595, the Apple ImageWriter II was the first printer built exclusively for the Macintosh series. Because of the relatively small price and high printing speed, the ImageWriter series was extremely popular amongst consumer computer users. In 1990 the ImageWriter series was replaced by the ink-jet StyleWriter series.

Newton Message Pad:

Released in August 1993 for $800, the Newton Message Pad was Apple’s first completely new product in many years. It represented Apple’s entry into (and perhaps creation of) an entirely new market: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). The PDA market was barely present when the Newton was released, but other companies were working on similar devices.

The Newton Message Pad featured a variety of personal-organization applications, such as an address book, a calendar, and notes, along with communications capabilities such as faxing and email. It featured a trainable handwriting recognition engine, but unfortunately this engine was notoriously difficult to use. While later Newton models would show improved handwriting recognition, the Newton’s reputation for poor recognition would haunt it for years to come.

Apple Quicktake 200:

Released in February 1997 for $600, the Apple QuickTake was one of the first consumer digital cameras. The QuickTake 100 and 200 models were only compatible with Macintosh computers, while the 150 model was also compatible with Microsoft Windows. However, none of these models sold well because other companies such as Kodak, Canon and Nikon entered the market with brands that consumers associated with photography.

iMac (Rev. C):

Released in August 1998 for $1300, the iMac was Apple’s computer for the new millennium. Aimed at the low-end consumer market and designed with the internet in mind, the iMac was positioned by Apple as the most original new computer since the original Mac in 1984, and came in a stylish new case design, with translucent “Bondi Blue” plastics. It also included a newly-designed USB keyboard and mouse. By January 1999, the Rev. C iMac came in five bright new colors: Blueberry, Strawberry, Lime, Tangerine and Grape.

iBook G4:

Released in October 2003 for $1099, the iBook was much smaller than its predecessor, the PowerBook G4 and included a faster G3 processor, more RAM, VGA out, stereo speakers, and a higher resolution screen. It also was the first Mac to include a “combo” DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive in the high-end model.

iPod mini 4GB (Second Generation):

Released in February 2005 for $199, the iPod mini was built around a one inch 4 GB hard drive, and raised the bar for portability in a hard disk music player. It was small enough to wear comfortably on an arm band, but large enough to hold nearly 1,000 songs. Apple believed that its small size and consumer appeal would make up for its high price. As Apple hoped, iPod mini’s sold extremely well—the demand vastly outstripped the supply long into the summer months.

The iPod mini was available in five metallic colors: silver, gold, pink, blue and green. In order to fit everything in such a small package, Apple had to change the layout of the buttons from the existing iPod design. The result, which Apple called a “ClickWheel” allowed users to use the wheel as a touch-sensitive scroll wheel, or push on the four corners to click the buttons.

MacBook:

Released in May 2006 (original) for $1099, the MacBook replaced the existing 12- and 14-inch iBooks and 12-inch PowerBook model, completing the transition of Apple’s portable computers to Intel Processors. At the time it was considered one of Apple’s best computers, and around 2008 became Apple’s best selling Macintosh in history. The original MacBooks were available in black or white, and was the second (after the MacBook Pro) Mac to adopt Apple’s “MagSafe” power connector. The MacBook was Apple’s first notebook to use features now standard in its notebooks, such as the glossy display, the sunken keyboard design, and the non-mechanical magnetic latch.

iPhone 3GS:

Released in June 2009 for $199, the iPhone 3GS included both specification and feature enhancements over it’s predecessor, the wildly successful iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3GS included a higher-resolution video-capable camera, an integrated Magnetometer, and Voice Control. It shipped with iPhone OS 3.0 (which was also made available for previous iPhone and iPod Touch models), which included software enhancements, such as cut & paste, pervasive landscape keyboard, search, internet tethering, and a voice memos application. In June 2010, both models were replaced by the iPhone 4.

~ Brooke Miller, Press and Digital Content Manager (thanks to Rachel Grossman and Mike Daisey for their help!)

The Evolution of a Technology Giant

Our next show, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs has its first Pay-What-You-Can performance this Monday, March 21 at 8 pm, and we’re super excited! With the release of the iPad 2 last week, this show became extremely relevant and timely. Last Friday the Marketing and Communications staff here at Woolly spent the day at three different Apple store locations in the DC area, talking to people waiting in line for the iPad 2 and hearing about how much they love Apple products. If you haven’t checked it out yet, go to our Facebook page to see some hilarious photos, and check out our twitter hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy.

Learning about the history of the Apple company is pretty fascinating: a company created by two college dropouts, who built a computer in their garage that no one wanted to buy. Today, their company has a higher market share than most of their competitors, including the creator of Dell computers, who once said if he owned Apple he would “shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” Much of Apple’s success came from expanding the focus of their company to reach not just computers, but to take over the digital music industry, cell phones, PC tablets, and whatever else the techies over in Silicon Valley will think of next. I learned some interesting facts when researching the history of the company, did anyone else know that the first Apple store opened here in the DC area? (It was in McLean, VA). Here are some highlights of the history and major milestones of the Apple company:

1972-1975: Steve Jobs meets Hewlett Packard employee Steve Wozniak, who invites him to join the ‘Homebrew Computer Club,’ where electronic-enthusiasts met, shared knowledge, and helped each other with their self-made computers. Jobs persuades Wozniak to build a personal computer with him, and they begin working on the Apple I.

1976: Jobs and Wozniak finish the Apple I and offer their low-cost PC to Hewlett Packard and then Atari, but neither company is interested. After being turned down, Jobs insists on producing the computer on their own so he sells his old Volkswagen and Wozniak sells his HP calculator. They gather around $1,250 and begin producing the first Apple I computers. On April 1^st, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Jobs’ former colleague Ronald Wayne found Apple Computer. Apple I computers are first sold to a local computer store for $666.66 each.

1977-1979: The Apple II is released, selling for $1,295. Jef Raskin begins working on a computer concept, and the project is code-named ‘Macintosh’ after Raskin’s favorite type of apples: McIntosh.

1980: Apple sales skyrocket to $1 million per year and the company goes public at $22 a share. Within a year, the stocks’ value increases by 1700%. The Apple III is released and is sold for $4,340-$7,800 depending on the configuration.

1981-1983: Apple Computer, Inc. and Apple Corps, the recording company of the Beatles enter a secret agreement, allowing Apple Computer to use the name Apple for computer-related products. Apple hits $1 billion in annual sales.

1984: The ‘1984’ Apple ad is aired at the Super Bowl XVIII, which introduces the Macintosh computer. The Macintosh is an easy to use, all-in-one desktop computer with graphical user interface (Macintosh system software), retailing for $2,495.

1985: Steve Wozniak decides to leave Apple Computer, Inc. Tension between Jobs and CEO Sculley escalates: Sculley strips Jobs off all operational responsibilities- he remains chairman of Apple but has no influence on company decisions. Jobs eventually resigns from Apple and reveals his plans to found a new company to the Apple executives, and informs them that five Apple employees will follow him to the new company.

1985: Sculley signs a contract with Microsoft that grants Microsoft permission to use some Mac GUI (Graphical User Interface) technologies if Microsoft continues producing software for the Mac (Word, Excel). Based on this contract, Apple loses all lawsuits over copyright infringements against Microsoft in the following years.

1986-1988: Jobs agrees not to hire Apple employees for six months and not to build computers that were competitive with Apple’s. Steve Jobs founds his new company, called NeXT, Inc. Apple sues Microsoft and Hewlett Packard accusing them of violating copyrights of Apple on the Macintosh System Software. (Windows 2.0.3 features Mac-like icons).

1989-1991: Apple Corps sues Apple Computer accusing it of violating the terms of the agreement of 1981 by building computers with the capability of producing synthesized music. Apple Computer, Inc. pays Apple Corps $26.5 million. The lawsuit is settled.

1993: Apple releases the first PDA (Newton MessagePad). Although highly anticipated by the press, the Newton’s handwriting recognition fails to deliver the announced reliabilty, and Apple drops the Newton division only four years after the introduction of the first Newton MessagePad.

1993: The court decides that Windows 2.0.3 was covered by the 1985 deal between Apple and Microsoft. Sculley resigns from Apple and becomes chairman and CEO of Spectrum.

1996-1997: Apple Computer Inc. takes over NeXT Computer, Inc. for $430 million. Jobs returns to Apple due to the NeXT deal. Apple announces a $740 million loss in their second quarter. Gil Amelio resigns from his post as president and CEO of Apple, and Steve Jobs becomes the interim CEO of Apple.

1998-2000: Apple officially returns to profitability with Steve Jobs’ announcement of $47 million profit in the first quarter. The iMac is released and becomes the fastest selling PC in history. Steve Jobs officially becomes CEO of Apple again.

2001: Apple offers an application called iTunes for free download at www.apple.com. Apple opens its first retail store in McLean, VA, and eventually opens another 25 stores across the US. Steve Jobs introduces the iPod, a portable hard-disk MP3 player with 5 GB capacity (holding up to 1,000 MP3 songs). Additionally, Apple releases iTunes 2 which is required for transferring MP3 files from Mac to iPod.

2003: Apple Corps/Records sues Apple Computer (again) over the use of the name Apple in conjunction with the iTunes Music Store, which allows the user to download music from the internet. Apple introduces iTunes 4.1 for Mac and Windows, making Apple’s hugely successful iTunes Music Store available for the PC.

2004: Apple’s iTunes Music Store becomes available in Germany, France and the UK. It is the only commercially successful legal online music download service on the market with over 70% market share and over 70 million songs sold within one year.

2006: Jobs announced Apple would begin producing Intel-based computers: the Mac Pro, MacBook and MacBook Pro replace the PowerBook, PowerMac and iBook. Apple’s market cap surpassed that of Dell.

2007-2008: Jobs announces that Apple Computer, Inc. would now be known as Apple, Inc. because computers are no longer the single focus of the company (with its new ventures into the mobile electronic devices business). The first iPhone is released and 6.1 million were sold over five quarters. Apple’s share prices passed the $100 mark. Apple became the third largest mobile handset supplier in the world due to the popularity of the iPhone

2009: Jobs took a six-month leave of absence due to illness. Despite his absence, Apple had its best non-holiday quarter during the recession with a revenue of $8.16 billion and a profit of $1.21 billion.

2010: The iPad is released and sold more than 500,000 in its first week. 14.8 million were sold wordwide in 2010, representing 75% of the tablet PC sales at the end of 2010. Apple’s market cap exceeded that of its competitor Microsoft for the first time since 1989. Apple shares hit an all time high of $300.

2011: Steve Jobs once again announces a leave of absence due to illness, and the iPad 2 is released.

Sources:

http://www.theapplemuseum.com/

http://news.cnet.com/2009-1041-6054524.html

http://news.cnet.com/Dell-Apple-should-close-shop/2100-1001_3-203937.html

http://www.betanews.com/article/Apple-reports-the-best-nonholiday-quarter-in-its-history/1240433273

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/04/05ipad.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10168684

~ Brooke Miller, Press and Digital Content Manager

Oedipus Connectivity Wrap Up

While not as widely broadcast as it once was, remember the saying “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach?” The implication of course is that teachers can’t cut it in the real world or workforce. I recently read an article that flipped this: “Those who can, teach. Those who can’t, do.” This implication was that applying knowledge, skills, and experience in practice is easy—what’s truly challenging is educating and empowering others to be able to do so.

Why bring this up? The tension residing in the dated piece of conventional wisdom resonated with me, and its remix captures the way Oedipus el Rey and the sweep of programming my fellow Mammoths and I shaped around it.

Connectivity programming around Oedipus el Rey intended to interrogate the personal and local resonance of the social issues embedded in the play by highlighting the work of organizations and individuals in our city. Essentially we expanded the Woolly community to include on-the-ground experts in fields of, among others: recidivism, re-entry, prison reform, juvenile justice, literacy, job readiness, mentoring, and homelessness in order to generate meaningful conversation inspired by the production. In the end the theatre made new friends, the dialogue created was rich and evocative, and audience members developed their understanding of the play within the context of themselves and their city.

Ok, but what about me and this “do vs. teach” tension?

For 11 years I worked through various theatres and arts organizations in the metro area in education and community programming: designing, administering, and facilitating or teaching. I also spent a year as a classroom teacher in the PG County school system. I worked to varying degrees of closeness with a significant number of DC and Maryland youth ensnared in a tangle of negative societal and social cycles. These young people seemed, like Oedipus, to be cursed; their fates driven by outside forces constantly thwarting their desire for self-determination and change. Among a handful of reasons I no longer work in education was the recognition that while I was good at direct delivery (teaching, mentoring) I was better at being an “enabler.” To enable – to provide resources, authority or opportunity to do something; to make something possible or feasible. My realization started within the arts-education context and my first step was to leave classroom teaching and become Director of Education & Outreach at Round House Theatre. There I was predominantly a theatre-arts-educator enabler. But eventually I realized I wanted to become a theatre-audience enabler, working directly with and between the people in the seats and the people on the stage. Working with Woolly last season on the early stages of what has become the Connectivity pillar of the organization and my position, I realized I wanted to be a theatre-community enabler in which the relationship was two-way: giving and receiving from one another. In other words, the relationship would be a constant dialogue or possess a high rate of connectivity.

However: as I met with Woolly’s various community collaborators for Oedipus el Rey, I questioned the value of my newfound enabler position. You can witness, assess, and measure the impact of direct service to youth and community. You know you are doing “the good work” and serving humanity on a very real, very immediate, and tangible level. You can metaphorically hack your way against the negative cycles that drive people’s fates.

After our final Mammoth Forum, which was particularly focused on youth development and programs in the juvenile justice system, I shared this tension with one of Woolly’s Claque members. She too holds an enabler position in her workplace (immigration and human rights law) and wrestles with the value this role. She told me she had been recently reminded that working for and in service to those on the ground and in the field was just as valuable. To support and enable made the direct-service possible and so was integral to its success. (And, yes, she gave me the word “enable.”) She looped the message back to me: in order for Woolly’s shows to land with its audiences, in order for Woolly to grow its community and stay connected to its city, the theatre needs you. Oh yeah, right.

I looked back through the connectivity work of the theatre (dialogues, blogs, playbills, podcasts, videos). I began processing data collected through our participation in the Intrinsic Impact Study, and I realized Oedipus el Rey was a turning point for me and Woolly Mammoth.

What drives my fate? The desire to change the world through art, through theatre.

Because: Those who can, do. Those who can also connect, encourage, and hopefully inspire change.

~ Rachel Grossman, Connectivity Director

Woolly Apple Fanatics: Zac Boatright

On Friday, March 11th Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is launching a one-day-only campaign called “Show Us Your iCrazy” in conjunction with the launch of the iPad2 and upcoming production of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Blogs will be posted throughout the day. You can also follow Woolly staff as they report live from three DC-area Apple store locations. They will be live-tweeting using the hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy and photos will be posted on the Woolly Facebook Page throughout the day. Want to share YOUR story of Apple obsession? Click here, and we’ll post some of your answers to our blog.

Do you remember the first time you touched an Apple product? If so, what was it and how old were you?

My father bought an Apple II while my mother was in her first trimester with me. When I was born my father was writing software for the Apple II that ran on cassettes because the computers from that era did not yet have floppy drives. That computer later became mine when my Dad upgraded to the “Next Best Thing” – a Zenith computer running one of the first versions of DOS.

How many Apple products have you owned in your lifetime (and list them if you can):

Eight.

Apple II, Apple G4, 5^th Gen Ipod, 1^st Gen Iphone, iPhone 3G, Iphone 3GS, Macbook Pro, Mac Mini

Do you remember when you first became an “Apple person?” When was it and why?

Apple released the iPod, and it was game over. I owned a Microsoft Zune for a year and I never fell in love with the software. iTunes was so intuitive and having a device that used that platform completely sold me on Apple products. I stilled used Windows computers for work, but I slowly developed a love affair with the OS X platform, and eventually made the switch.

Do you have a story about a time when your Apple product crashed/almost crashed? Please tell it in as much detail as you can:

Being an uber-technical person I’ve never trouble myself with having serious hardware or software failures. I make back-ups so often that when my equipment fails I simply get it fixed then reload. I was trained at a young age to treat computers like they’re small children. Eventually they’re going to break something, and you just have to be prepared for it.  I can reload literally any Version of Windows, or Mac OSX blind folded with an auto-loading boot disk that restores an image of both operating systems on my MacBook Pro in less than 2 hours. I run Parellels with OSX Snow Leopard and  Windows 7 Ultimate at the same time.  I’m a techno-pimp.

What is your favorite Apple product and why?

The iPhone is easily the best device ever invented on this planet. It was sent down from heaven to save mankind from flip phones, and forever change the landscape of mobile computing and technology forever. All should bow down before iPhone.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line to buy an Apple product?

I don’t wait in lines. I wait for the product to be vetted by the community, then invest my money when I’m comfortable with the product.

What product do you think will be next for Apple?

iBrain. A computer you can plant in the back of your skull and load information into which can be instantly transmitted to your neural pathways.

 

How many Apple stores have you been to, and which Apple store location is your favorite?

I’ve traveled the world for business. I’ve used apple computers in a business capacity for so long that I couldn’t possibly fathom the number of Apple Stores I’ve been to, but I personally really like the one here in Washington, DC at Pentagon City. The people there are nice.  I also am a big fan of the store in Edina, MN at a mall near where I used to work.

 

~Zac Boatright, Sales Manager

Woolly Apple Fanatics: Timmy Metzner

On Friday, March 11th Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is launching a one-day-only campaign called “Show Us Your iCrazy” in conjunction with the launch of the iPad2 and upcoming production of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Blogs will be posted throughout the day. You can also follow Woolly staff as they report live from three DC-area Apple store locations. They will be live-tweeting using the hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy and photos will be posted on the Woolly Facebook Page throughout the day. Want to share YOUR story of Apple obsession? Click here, and we’ll post some of your answers to our blog.

Do you remember the first time you touched an Apple product? If so, what was it and how old were you?

I was in 2^nd grade and it was an old Mac computer in our classroom. I remember the floppy disks and playing a monochromatic game where you stack layers of a cake on top of each other.

How many Apple products have you owned in your lifetime (and list them if you can):

The only apple product I’ve ever owned is the iphone I just got a week ago. We were strictly a pc family. Even out mp3 players weren’t apple. F*&kin’ zunes.

Do you remember when you first became an “Apple person?” When was it and why?

I never have been, but I’ve always had apple jealousy. All the “hip” kids had macbooks in college and the unspoken conceit was that they were clearly superior.

What is your favorite Apple product and why?

It would have to be my iphone, I’m quickly falling in love with it.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line to buy an Apple product?

Never have. I don’t think I will.

What product do you think will be next for Apple?

I’ll probably lust over the iphone5 for a few months and finally breakdown and buy it a year from now.

How many Apple stores have you been to, and which Apple store location is your favorite?

I have never been inside an Apple store. This is all new territory for me.

~Timmy Metzner, Woolly Mammoth Box Office Manager

Woolly Apple Fanatics: Maura Krause

On Friday, March 11th Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is launching a one-day-only campaign called “Show Us Your iCrazy” in conjunction with the launch of the iPad2 and upcoming production of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Blogs will be posted throughout the day. You can also follow Woolly staff as they report live from three DC-area Apple store locations. They will be live-tweeting using the hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy and photos will be posted on the Woolly Facebook Page throughout the day. Want to share YOUR story of Apple obsession? Click here, and we’ll post some of your answers to our blog.

Do you remember the first time you touched an Apple product? If so, what was it and how old were you?

Nope, my family was a PC family and random Asian MP3 player family  until recently.

How many Apple products have you owned in your lifetime (and list them if you can):

iPod Nano second generation

iTouch first generation

Macbook Pro

iPhone 4

So, four.

Do you remember when you first became an “Apple person?” When was it and why?

Um… probably when one of my good friends got an iPhone 3 and was obsessed with it for about a month… I got Apple envy. But all of my Apple products before my iPhone were gifts, so maybe it’s my parents that are Apple people. My favorite Apple story though is this one time I saw a three or four year old girl playing on an iPad with her grandfather. The platform has a lot of issues but usage is that instinctive – impressive.

Do you have a story about a time when your Apple product crashed/almost crashed? Please tell it in as much detail as you can:

My Mac has always been awesome except one time when it wouldn’t turn on. But as long as I turn it off/restart it regularly it’s fine.

BUT this one time I came back to my desk and my iPhone was dead, as in dead dead dead even pressing restart wouldn’t make it work. Which was ridiculous because who remembers phone numbers anymore?! So I had to email all the people I was supposed to see that day/the next day. And then I took my phone to get repaired and they said it was a battery problem after 30 minutes of stupid questions.

What is your favorite Apple product and why?

My Macbook Pro. It is beautiful and has a green cover and has really never failed me. It also doesn’t get viruses.

What product do you think will be next for Apple?

The Apple Explosion – it will take over the earth via stored music and video blasts.

How many Apple stores have you been to, and which Apple store location is your favorite?

Three – in Philadelphia, Phoenix AZ and Washington DC Georgetown. They are all white and shiny so I don’t really have a favorite.

~Maura Krause, Literary Assistant

Woolly Apple Fanatics: Cristina Alicea

On Friday, March 11th Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is launching a one-day-only campaign called “Show Us Your iCrazy” in conjunction with the launch of the iPad2 and upcoming production of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Blogs will be posted throughout the day. You can also follow Woolly staff as they report live from three DC-area Apple store locations. They will be live-tweeting using the hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy and photos will be posted on the Woolly Facebook Page throughout the day. Want to share YOUR story of Apple obsession? Click here, and we’ll post some of your answers to our blog.

Do you remember the first time you touched an Apple product? If so, what was it and how old were you?

I think I was 11 or 12 years old and it was a Macintosh 1 – the first version of Mac. Black and White Screen, yellow boxy comupter.  Hi tech for the time but basically equivalent to a word processor now.  It was awesome.

How many Apple products have you owned in your lifetime (and list them if you can):

Macintosh 1

E-Mac desktop

iphone

Do you remember when you first became an “Apple person?” When was it and why?

I was an Apple person since I was a kid… And I never really understood how to work a PC.  It was always counterintuitive to me. Mac’s understand how my brain works.

Do you have a story about a time when your Apple product crashed/almost crashed? Please tell it in as much detail as you can:

Nope.  My Mac 1 still works. LOL.  Crazy, right?

What is your favorite Apple product and why?

I am obsessed with my iPhone.  It does everything I need.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line to buy an Apple product?

I don’t wait in lines.

What product do you think will be next for Apple?

Probably just more incarnations of the same stuff for a while, until the sales drop a lot and then Mac will have to think of something new.

How many Apple stores have you been to, and which Apple store location is your favorite?

I think I’ve just been to two in NYC. My favorite is on the Upper West Side.

~Cristina Alicea, Assistant to the Managing Director

Woolly Apple Fanatics: Alli Houseworth

On Friday, March 11th Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is launching a one-day-only campaign called “Show Us Your iCrazy” in conjunction with the launch of the iPad2 and upcoming production of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Blogs will be posted throughout the day. You can also follow Woolly staff as they report live from three DC-area Apple store locations. They will be live-tweeting using the hashtag #ShowUsYouriCrazy and photos will be posted on the Woolly Facebook Page throughout the day. Want to share YOUR story of Apple obsession? Click here, and we’ll post some of your answers to our blog.

Do you remember the first time you touched an Apple product? If so, what was it and how old were you?

Elementary school. Two very vivid memories:

One: playing two games on an Apple 2e in elementary school: Oregon Trail and that one with the fish. What was that one called? The one where everyone ate the plankton.

Two: my parents had an Apple 2e in their bedroom. (pre-dated “computer rooms,” I suppose). My mom was at the hospital giving birth to my brother and I made a “Welcome Home Mike” banner on print shop and had to print it out on a dot matrix printer.

How many Apple products have you owned in your lifetime (and list them if you can):

Eight. (3 iPods, 1 iBook, 2 MacBooks, 1 Apple TV, 1 iPhone) If you follow me on Twitter you’ll see if we get to nine today with the addition of an iPad. Wooohoo!!!  @AlliHouseworth

Do you remember when you first became an “Apple person?” When was it and why?

Surprisingly not. Though, I do remember standing in an Apple store once very early on in my obsession and having a total “holy shit” moment. The customer service was flawless and everything was so… shiny! Love.

Do you have a story about a time when your Apple product crashed/almost crashed? Please tell it in as much detail as you can:

Sadly I have more than one. The most recent (and most traumatic) was this past April. I was living in NYC and was editing the final draft of my Master’s thesis, and had gotten up to get a snack. When I sat back down I knocked over a pint of water with my elbow. The entire pint spilled all over my laptop. I immediately screamed, pick the laptop up, turned it upside down, and started to cry (which is not usually how I handle stress). I saw the screen start to fade from the bottom up, and had just enough time to back the thesis up to my Mobile Me account before the screen went black. I threw on a sweatshirt and went to the Apple store on 66^th and Broadway. It was totally pouring rain that day too and when I walked in my face was all puffy from crying. They took me down to the genius bar and I was seen right away. They told me it would cost over $700 for the check-up and some data recovery, and to fix whatever it was that had to be fixed. I decided instead to just get a whole new computer since I was still a student and could get one of those sweet education discounts. Then, the genius walked me upstairs and introduced me to one of the retail guys. I’ll never forget the look on that kid’s face when he saw me. As soon as the genius walked away the kid said, “I’m sorry… it’s never a good sign when a genius walks someone upstairs to see us. Are you ok?”

I have also killed two iPods in the rain, and dropped my iPhone in the toilet. I really need to have a strict “no water” policy. (But, just for the record, that rice trick totally works.)

What is your favorite Apple product and why?

My iPhone. I literally do not remember life before it, and I’ve started picking certain Metro stops over others because I can get AT&T service there. Seriously.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line to buy an Apple product?

Hardly ever! They have those cool scanning things so that they can check you out while you wait in line so you don’t ever really have to get up to the front of the line.

What product do you think will be next for Apple?

Probably something lame like the iPhone 5, which will probably answer your emails and do your laundry.

How many Apple stores have you been to, and which Apple store location is your favorite?

Six, I think. The one at 59^th and 5^th in Manhattan is my favorite. That’s the one that looks like a glass box and you walk down the spiral staircase to get down in it. Delicious.

~Alli Houseworth, Director of Marketing and Communications