Technology
Is theater the best medium to explore the impact of technology on the human condition? We chat with playwright, actor, and fellow podcaster (S.H.I.P.S.) Pat McAndrew on the power of the stage to explore all of the weird, wild, and confusing ways that social media has upended how we connect (or don't). On Funny as Tech, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo bring on a wide range of experts to unpack are confusing present and uncertain future. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss! FunnyAsTech.com TechEthicist.com JoeLeonardo.com @FunnyAsTech @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo Pat McAndrew is an actor, writer, international speaker, podcast host, and musician based in New York City. He performs and develops evocative performances and shows, often about technology's impact on human relationships. Pat is particularly interested in using theatre, film, and media as a gateway to learning about the Internet and social media's influence on our decisions, habits, and lifestyles. Pat has taken the stage, not only as a performer, but as a speaker as well, sharing his take on how we can be more human in the age of technology. He has spoken at international conferences, on college campuses, and at community events on topics related to enhancing our relationships in the technological revolution. His methods are rooted in his extensive background as an actor, as he believes the skillsets learned through actor training are vital in helping to fight tech addiction, isolation, anxiety, and depression and in improving the social well-being of individuals and communities. Pat has performed in various locations throughout New York City, including Carnegie Hall and Theatre Row, as well as other locations throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Pat's one-man show, REEL, which deals with the impact that excessive technology use has on human relationships, was performed in the 2017 United Solo Theatre Festival, the largest solo theatre festival in the world. His other one-man show, The Other Scottish Play, was performed in the 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival. Pat is a member of Village Playback Theatre, Endless River Arts, and Svaha Theatre Collective. In 2019, Pat launched the podcast, SHIPS: The Vessels for a Meaningful Life. In the show, he speaks with top experts in the fields of digital wellness, entertainment, and business to discover how to cultivate more genuine, meaningful relationships in an age where technology is king, anxiety and isolation are at an all time high, and the only possible cure for our loneliness is through building relationships and community while collaborating and connecting with others. https://www.patmcandrew.com/about