The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 9.0916  Tuesday, 29 September 1998.

From:           Bradley Berens <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Monday, 28 Sep 1998 12:11:21 -0700
Subject:        Q: Citation for "Shakespeare as television writer?"

Dear Friends,

Help!  I'm frantically working on a discussion of how Shakespeare's
financial position in the Chamberlain-King's men (player, attached
dramatist, sharer, householder) helps to create a relationship with his
audience that mirrors certain aspects of how we watch television and
movies today-with the general argument being that Shakespeare
anticipated the invention of mass culture.

Here's why I'm in need: in my third chapter I talk about the old cliche
that if Shakespeare were working today he'd be a television writer-that
is, he'd be working in the ultimate mass medium.  Does anybody know
where this cliche comes from?  Where I can find a reference to it in
print?  Have any of y'all written it down in an essay that has then been
published?

If anybody can help me on this (including, please please, a full
citation), I'd be immensely grateful).

        Somewhat desperately yours,
        Brad Berens
        Dept. of English
        U.C. Berkeley