Shakespeare's Ear

Another surprise is how much goes on behind the scenes—in fact, the skulduggery offstage has frequently been greater than that onstage.

But why? What could possibly be appealing about watching a dozen actors pretend to fight a huge war in a Shakespeare play, when you could see a CGI effects fest with a budget of $200 million exploding all over the gigantic movie screen in bloody 3-D? The thing is, countless people still prefer (or at least still go to see) the former on a regular basis. There is something highly appealing about any live performance, as music aficionados will readily tell you. You just can’t beat that live sound, and for many, the thrill of seeing living actors on a stage doing what they do best can’t be duplicated on a big or a small screen. There is an immediacy, a danger, and a sense of connection that only a play can provide.