With a little help from Google, the Bard could be the next Internet sensation -- or at least the next social media sensation.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has put together its 40th rendition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, only this time the company is calling it Midsummer Night’s Dreaming and it's playing almost exclusively on a social network near you.
The RSC is playing out the piece in real time live and on social media. That means it will run for three days and will be updated through Google+ -- as if the dramatic action were a major current event -- that's how the audience will hear the story.
So while there are actors, you won't see them. The production can be viewed through posts on the website, which is run by Google+, with the audience members becoming part of the production as they leave comments. Each character has a Google+ profile and, on the play's page, you can interact with Shakespeare's lovers and losers.
The live performances will include public rehearsals, pop-up performances and workshops, ending with the final wedding scene. And while that isn't viewable online, it isn't exactly on stage either. The RSC is throwing a wedding party in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, where the company is located.
The company has been pushing to integrate digital technology into its art for a while now. It also attempted a Twitter recreation of Romeo and Juliet called Such Tweet Sorrow in 2010.
To be fair, Shakespeare did write, "All the world's a stage." The Internet certainly counts.
Do you think this is a good way to make Shakespeare relevant today? Will you be following along online? Let us know what you think.