No definition or characterization of theatre and cinema can be taken for granted—not even the apparently self-evident observation that both cinema and theatre are temporal arts. In theatre and cinema, like music (and unlike painting), everything is not present all at once. But there are significant developments today pointing up the atemporal aspect of these forms. The allure of mixed-media forms in theatre suggests not only a more elongated and more complex “drama” (like Wagnerian opera) but also a more compact theatre experience which approaches the condition of painting.
