Theatrical presentations

Theatre, in the larger sense of the word, is acted performances which may be presented to physically attending audiences, or which may be recorded in a variety of ways, or which may be broadcast by radio or television. Broadcasts may be live or they may be pre-recorded on audio or video-tapes. Broadcasts can be part live and part pre-recorded and each part may or may not have a live audience as well. Cinema or motion pictures are the form of theatre which reache most people either through first-runs or though television screening. Modern theatre includes non-scripted improvisations and the possibilities of multi-media, as for example on-stage actors combined with a motion picture screen. The theatrical play or acted story may be produced for phonograph, tape recorder, radio, television, video recorde, motion pictures or live theatre. In addition, there are street-plays or live plays in the midst of ordinary daily behaviour in which some people are acting, directing, or writing by creating plots, sets, 'lighting' and other conditions of theatre. According to some viewpoints, theatre and life are not easily distinguished one from another, and 'the play's the thing'.