About us
This is an online movie and play discussion group. While participants usually watch the film before attending the discussion, you are welcome to come if you haven't yet.
READING THE PLAY IS OPTIONAL, although doing so will increase your appreciation for the film and knowledge of theater history.
From its inception, cinema has relied on theater as a primary source of material. So why is the relationship between live theater and film so vexed? Calling a film “stagy” is always a criticism. But what are the various techniques of adaptation? Which films radically rework a play to make it more “cinematic”? Which films commit to theater’s spatial boundaries and emphasis on the spoken word? These are some of the questions we ask.
We look at every style of theater and film, from the most accessible to the most challenging, as well as musicals and opera. We sometimes watch recordings of live performances too.
Fans of theater, film, literature, history—as well as actors, directors, playwrights, screenwriters and filmmakers—will find there’s a lot to learn by looking at the theater to film transformation.
Featured event
Kenneth Branagh’s A MIDWINTER’S TALE (1995)
Welcome to our SUMMER OF STORIES FROM THE STAGE, in which watch and discuss films about life in the theater.
“Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help save his sister's local church by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet. The inexperienced actors with nowhere else to go bring their anxieties and eccentricities with them. Chaos reigns, but gradually something powerful emerges.”
This is an online movie and play discussion group. While participants usually arrive having watched the film beforehand, you are invited to come and listen if you haven't seen the film yet.
A MIDWINTER’S TALE (1995)
Also released as IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER
Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh
With Richard Briers, Julia Sawalha, John Sessions, Celia Imrie, Jennifer Saunders and Joan Collins
1 hour 39 mins.
Available to stream and rent in a variety of places; check https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-midwinters-tale for details.
Upcoming events
1
Kenneth Branagh’s A MIDWINTER’S TALE (1995)
·OnlineOnlineWelcome to our SUMMER OF STORIES FROM THE STAGE, in which watch and discuss films about life in the theater.
“Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help save his sister's local church by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet. The inexperienced actors with nowhere else to go bring their anxieties and eccentricities with them. Chaos reigns, but gradually something powerful emerges.”
This is an online movie and play discussion group. While participants usually arrive having watched the film beforehand, you are invited to come and listen if you haven't seen the film yet.
A MIDWINTER’S TALE (1995)
Also released as IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER
Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh
With Richard Briers, Julia Sawalha, John Sessions, Celia Imrie, Jennifer Saunders and Joan Collins
1 hour 39 mins.
Available to stream and rent in a variety of places; check https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-midwinters-tale for details.9 attendees
Past events
130
