From Stage to Live Broadcasts and Streaming: O'Neill's Theatre Guild Model in the Digital Age

In 1929 Eugene O'Neill expressed the hope that something like the Theatre Guild would emerge for the new "talkies." This article traces the history of efforts to realize that dream, that is, to present film adaptations of stage plays in curated series for discerning audiences. First, the Theatre Guild's own efforts to present adaptations of stage plays for radio and television audiences are chronicled, next the ambitious but short-lived American Film Theatre subscription series, and finally plays filmed for broadcasting by National Theatre Live and streaming by BroadwayHD. In particular, the article focuses on artistic and commercial challenges the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles faced when in 2017 it partnered with BroadwayHD to film and livestream its production of O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. The common aesthetic objections to filmed plays are considered as is the concern that they may undercut the audience for live theatre.