December
The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 25.465 Monday, 1 December 2014
[1] From: Hardy Cook <
Date: November 14, 2014 at 10:08:29 AM EST
Subject: Globe Online
[2] From: Kirk McElhearn <
Date: November 4, 2014 at 10:21:00 AM EST
Subject: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Launches Web Site to Stream and Sell Films of Their Performances
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hardy Cook <
Date: November 14, 2014 at 10:08:29 AM EST
Subject: Globe Online
This month Shakespeare’s Globe launched Globe Player
globeplayer.tv features over 50 full-length Shakespeare productions filmed at the Globe in HD, including many foreign language productions from the 2012 Globe to Globe festival. The Globe is the first theatre in the world to offer its own video on demand platform.
Globe productions on offer include Twelfth Night featuring Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry, Henry V with Jamie Parker and The Taming of the Shrew with Samantha Spiro. A resource from Muse of Fire the Film features free interviews about Shakespeare with actors including Ewan McGregor, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench.
Prices start from £2.99 to rent and £4.99 to buy.
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kirk McElhearn <
Date: November 4, 2014 at 10:21:00 AM EST
Subject: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Launches Web Site to Stream and Sell Films of Their Performances
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Launches Web Site to Stream and Sell Films of Their Performances
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, which is a reproduction of the original Globe Theatre in London, has been performing plays by Shakespeare and other playwrights of his time since 1997. In recent year, they began filming the plays, and have released a number of DVDs and Blu-Rays of their productions. (I reviewed their Twelfth Night.)
Today, Shakespeare’s Globe has launched the Globe Player website which brings these films closer to users around the world, offering streaming and sales of many of their productions. At a cost of £4 for rentals (which let you watch the play for 7 days) and £8 for purchases (also available for download for 7 days; make sure to back up your files), this is a fairly-priced offering, but in terms of content, there’s not a lot available, as of yet. Only 15 Shakespeare plays are available on the site, along with one play by Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus.
In addition, the theater offers content from their Globe to Globe series, in which Shakespeare’s plays are performed in languages other than English, by companies from around the world. These films are available for rental for £3, and for sale for only £5. This will certainly attract a global audience, but there are no more than one or two plays in any language.
I have several of these films on DVD already, and, when I went to the site to buy one to try it out, I was disappointed. There are a number of comedies and history plays, but only one tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. There is no Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Julius Caesar or any of the other well-known titles. It’s not so much that they’re reserving these titles for sale on DVD and Blu-Ray, but they simply haven’t filmed any of them yet, with the exception of Macbeth, in the 2013 season. The other recently filmed plays that are not on the site, also from last year’s season, are The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I assume they’ll offer those titles online after they’ve exhausted hard-copy sales.
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