Same As It Ever Was 

Amy Wright

There has long been talk about the "test of time". Though with the recent increase in web-based platforms, it would also be a good idea to think in terms of the "test of technology". Which of the "old media" are unique and vital enough to survive in their original form? Which get decentralized if not obliterated by the rolling, digital juggernaut?

A traditional form which has not only survived the transition to digitization but, arguably, thrived in the new media epoch is live theatre. Counted among the oldest forms of human artistic endeavour, the theatre dates back to Classical Greece and is as well regarded in the now as it has been, at least since the invention of television. 

This is partly due to its uniqueness. The experience of live theatre simply cannot be replicated, let alone surpassed, in any other form. So, far from being subsumed by the Internet, dramatists and actors still exist as they always have. More than this they have begun to harness and utilize the massive reach of digital distribution for their own ends. 

In addition to the posting of live recordings of both professional and amateur theatre productions on streaming sites as a means to get wider attention, theatre groups have utilized the popularity of flash-mobs to promote upcoming productions. There are also independent productions such as the internet based Steampunk musical The Dolls of New Albion.

Despite being released in an audio-only format, it is next to impossible to distinguish between New Albion and a recording of a traditional stage musical. To the point that it has had stage adaptations produced, which have been, in their turn, recorded and posted on streaming sites, thereby bringing everything full-circle.