ABSTRACT
At the close of Michael D. Friedman’s article in Shakespeare Quarterly, “The Shakespeare Cinemacast: Coriolanus,” Friedman predicts that with “the continuing advancement and proliferation of digital technology in the twenty-first century, audiences outside major theatrical centers are likely to expect more frequent and convenient access to landmark Shakespeare productions through various media”. In the last decade, technological innovations have allowed for increased collective consumption of live theatre performances, not just Shakespeare. This is largely attributed to the increased availability and access to “livecast” recordings of on-stage productions. The National Theatre (NT) Live, an initiative of the Royal National Theatre Great Britain in London, provides an example of what this other experience might be, acknowledging both the ephemerality associated with live performance and the ritual which accompanies its viewing and participation. While NT Live acknowledges the efficacy of ritual in these inclusionary statements, there are some inherent problems regarding both its proposed reach and the “liveness” of its products.
