Act 1 Scene 4 : The Globe, Hollywood, or Bollywood?

 Shakespeare is back, the stage is set..... but where is it?

Short Recap

As was discussed in our first post (Prologue: Shakespeare the Strategist) Shakespeare was a strong strategist. In his life he was forced to deal countless challenges such as plagues in London resulting in the shutting down of theatres, leasing issues at theatres that resulted in him establishing his own theatre called the Globe (which later burned down), difficult audiences, having to create characters specifically for an actor given their skills and experience, having to rely on natural lighting, and using handmade sound effects and props in his plays. There was also no copyright law in his time, meaning plays, writings and related activities were not sustainable forms of income. This resulted in ticket sales at plays being the only meaningful income from his writing (Reckard, 2013). None of this stopped Shakespeare from accumulating great wealth and renown. 

Shakespeare's Soliloquy

I has't woken up in w'rld drastically diff'rent to the one i knoweth, i has't hath taken about a dozen jabs and did complete a months quarantine (see Act 1 Scene 2) , and am anon getting to grips with this new w'rld. I gaveth myself a slapeth on the backeth f'r the alikeness of prominent charact'rs yond i has't writ and real life politicians (see Act 1 Scene 3).  I've taken a wond'rous trippeth to the cinema and has't been hath left in awe at the technology and resources available to the mod'rn day directeth'r (see Shakespeare's Diaries: The Cinematic Experience).

Aside 

As will be discussed further in Act 2 Scene 2 Shakespeare will now be able to avail of copyright laws and so ticket sales to plays is not the only cash cow available to modern day writers, it is now possible to make a lot of money off publishing, this raises the question of whether he would go back to directing plays at all. As was touched on in the Daily Gazette News Bulletin: Shakespeare's Website Shakespeare quickly became aware of GoFundMe and was able to raise a substantial sum of money with the majority of it being spent on his own personal website. He realizes however that this is not a sustainable form of income. 

Back to Reality 

Shakespeare 20 pound note
(https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4bJz2FZhfXkxp9Rps6Cx526/on-the-money-how-shakespeare-became-legal-tender) 

"If money go before, all ways do lie open."

Now time for a reality check. Shakespeare has just woken up in world where all his friends and family are long dead. He has no sustainable source of income and no home. While he likely will be entitled to a great deal in royalties it may take a long time before he actually sees any of it. He can expect long drawn out court proceedings and he currently has too little money to afford a good legal team. 

There is only one answer. He must go back to his roots and pick up his quill pen. The Bard is back. 

Where to Next?

West End or Broadway?
 (https://www.whatsonstage.com/ballymena-theatre/news/quiz-west-end-broadway-more-performances_51345.html) 

Everyone knows the meccas of the theatre world; the West End and Broadway. These are havens for playwrights and there would definitely be a place for someone of Shakespeare's renown. Production companies would be racing to sign up Shakespeare as any play with Shakespeare's name on it will market itself. 

Shakespeare will need to significantly upskill if his play is going to be able to compete with rival plays at venues on either of these world famous streets. He will need to learn how to best utilize new technologies, and learn how to best write for the modern audience as he did with his audiences in the past. The best resource for this is the internet, something he has never used. 

If all this is too much for Shakespeare, he can go back to what he is most familiar with, the Globe theatre. There he can use methods he would of back in his day, when there was no stage lighting or technology. The uniqueness of this would be sure to draw a big audience.  

Alternatively Shakespeare could become a movie script writer and/or director. If he were to do this what better place to start than Hollywood (or maybe even Bollywood!). Perhaps this is a step too far even for an innovative man like Shakespeare. There is simply too much new to him in this world for him to immediately make such a giant leap from writing plays and directing them to writing and directing movies. Although it should be noted that some movie adaptions of Shakespeare's plays worked quite well such as Romeo and Juliet which made $147.5 million at the box office (Romeo+Juliet (1996) - Financial Information, n.d.). 

Lets get back to Strategy

Strategy
(https://medium.com/nick-tune-tech-strategy-blog/tech-strategy-you-need-it-but-what-is-it-af292421e422)

Shakespeare often demonstrated in the past that he was a shrewd business man. He secured shares in the production companies he worked with and was a convicted tax evader (Reckard, 2013) It is to be expected that the financial strategies he utilized in the past would be similar to the ones he would utilize in the present. Therefore it is likely he would negotiate with production companies to secure shares and maximize his own personal gain, but this time around it might be a good idea to hire a tax adviser!

 

We believe Shakespeare's strategy will revolve around his awareness of the need to cater for his audience. He did so in the past and he will do so in the present. For this reason we think it unlikely that Shakespeare will go back to the Globe theatre, where although people will flock to see him it will be because of the name he built in the past and not particularly for the experience he can offer there.

We instead envision him at a theatre in the West End where he can avail of more space and the technological advancements since his time which have greatly impacted on the audiences experience for the better. 3D printing has made set design quicker, easier and more visually appealing (McFadden, 2018). Sound and lighting have greatly improved since Shakespeare's time thanks to Technological advancements. Long gone are the days when the show has to stop due to problems with natural lighting and weather conditions. Theatres typically have complex sound and lighting systems aimed at maximizing the audiences experience. It is also now possible to blend live action performances with CGI, 3D backdrops and videos (McFadden, 2018; Muppet Vision 3D, 2021). The possibilities for improving the audiences experience is endless. Think of the potential greatness of a 5D experience of the storm scene in King Lear; seats shaking, water spraying, debris flying at you, blinding lightning, thunder and rain booming. What technological systems and tools he will use and how he would use them will be analyzed in a later blog post. 

Ok ok ok, calm down. Shakespeare is back and he has set up shop in the West End where he believes he can maximize his earnings and boost his reputation further by catering to the modern audiences experience which since his time has been greatly benefitted by advancement in technology. He has negotiated strongly with production companies to secure shares and a hefty percentage of ticket receipts. It is only a matter of time before he turns his eye to other financial ventures, so stay tuned for upcoming blogs that will focus on this!

Job adverts
(https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/newspaper-clipping-jobs-vacancies-under-magnifying-162580229)

He will have many assistants to take care of his technology needs and they will be there to help him in using technology to its full potential. Casting adverts will be posted on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and the old fashioned adverts board. Information systems, like Workdays HR talent management product, will be used to attract, track, retain and develop actors (Strategic HR Talent Management and Software, Workday, n.d.). This makes it far easier to have a bigger and more skilled cast than Shakespeare would have been able to back in his heyday. 

Ticketing systems like Ticketmaster will be used to sell tickets to his plays. These systems will be able to cope with the high demand better than an old fashioned ticket booth outside the theatre. Stock tracking systems will be used to monitor, track and manage stock of props, costumes, food and other miscellaneous items. Social media or directly contacting customers by email or phone makes it far easier to contact customers and inform them about any changes or important information regarding their visit. Unlike in Shakespeare's day if a performance is cancelled due to plague, disease or a pesky spike of Covid-19, there won't be an angry mob outside demanding refunds or entry as everyone will be informed well in advance.  

Security systems, such as a CCTV network, are now commonly in place at theatres and these are able to identify rowdy members of the crowd, so Shakespeare's actors will no longer be pelted with objects by unknown members of the crowd. 

By Michael Haskins

Up Next:

Aside: Shakespeare Visits Starbucks (Strategic Information Systems and Social Media)

Bibliography

McFadden, C., 2018. How Does Technology Transform Stage Performances?. [online] Interestingengineering.com. Available at: <https://interestingengineering.com/how-does-technology-transform-stage-performances> [Accessed 10 November 2021].

Disneyworld.co.uk. 2021. Muppet Vision 3D. [online] Available at: <https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/attractions/hollywood-studios/muppet-vision-3d/> [Accessed 10 November 2021].

Reckard, E., 2013. Shakespeare was ruthless profiteer and tax dodger, study says. Los Angeles Times, [online] Available at: <https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2013-apr-01-la-fi-mo-shakespeare-profiteer-20130401-story.html> [Accessed 9 November 2021].

The Numbers. n.d. Romeo+Juliet (1996) - Financial Information. [online] Available at: <https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Romeo-and-Juliet-(1996)> [Accessed 10 November 2021].

Workday.com. n.d. Strategic HR Talent Management and Software | Workday. [online] Available at: <https://www.workday.com/en-us/products/talent-management/overview.html> [Accessed 12 November 2021].