The 20th century saw theater faced by increasing competition—first from movies, then TV, and most recently the Internet. In this program, renowned theater director Sir Richard Eyre explains how plays have succeeded in holding their own while speculating on the genre’s future. Directors Peter Brook, Julie Taymor, Deborah Warner, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Robert Lepage share their thoughts on the popularity of musicals, the primal essence of communication, intimate and unusual performance spaces, and other topics. Clips are drawn from Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Marat/Sade, and Angels in America. Original BBC broadcast title: The Law of Gravity. (50 minutes)