At the Shakespeare Association of American Conference, held April 1-4, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada, Michael Friedman presented a paper entitled “Cinemacast as Film: Coriolanus.” Here is an abstract for the paper:
I am interested in the question of the degree to which one might consider broadcasts such as National Theatre Live, which transmits stage productions from various British theatres via satellite to cinemas and art centers all over the world, to be films. Although these performances are undeniably theatrical, an audience that experiences them in two dimensions on a cinematic screen, complete with some of the techniques of camera work, editing, and sound associated with the “filmic mode,” undergoes an experience that combines elements associated with both theatre and cinema. I plan to examine this issue with reference to the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus (2013) directed by Josie Rourke and featuring Tom Hiddleston in the title role, which I will compare to the more standard “film” version of Coriolanus (2011) directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes. The rising popularity of such “cinemacasts” suggests that an increasing number of spectators will experience Shakespearean performances through this mode, which is, at present under-theorized. I hope to explore the implications of this trend on the study of Shakespeare on film.