Have you ever heard the theory that home-viewing curbs audience engagement, because we’re in control of the remote?

If we’re granted the power of the pause button, then we can momentarily check out of the art at our own discretion (even if we choose not to, the option alone may change how we engage).

But I’d argue that the lack of pausing power in a theater also curbs contemplation, at least while watching; a rare upside to boob-toobing is the ability to pause a movie simply to think more about a particular component, a reprieve that makes space for mulling without fear of losing the plot.

As much as I rail against the overproducing of Shakespeare, its induced familiarity allows for a similar sort of reprieve. If you’re seeing one of his signature plays, then chances are, you know the general framework of the story, if not specific excerpts from the text, because they’re so ingrained in our membranes.

This knowledge frees us to to analyze the nature of a revival’s interpretation without impeding our basic comprehension of the play. My mind can wander off down various trains of thought, without hindering future evaluation based on something I may have missed during my cognitive journeys.