Theatre; Stage or Film?

Which do you prefer or find more realistic?

I was thinking about this for a few weeks since I went to an acting camp and I was reminded of it last week when I went to see Les Miserables on stage. I felt I should ask here on what form of drama do you prefer.

Personally, I feel that seeing a stage performance seems to feel bigger than going to a movie. It seems like a special occasion. The audience most of the time seems to be a lot better as well. I also can't help but feel more appreciative towards the actors in a play rather than a movie. Maybe that's just because I like to perform in plays with my school.

Another thing is that plays still feel more realistic most of the time. You're watching the story with your own eyes, rather than viewing it being played back on a screen. CGI effetcs in movies don't seem to help either.

I like the actual liveliness of a stage production, but I've recently started to become frustrated with the distance and two-dimensionality (is that a word?) of conventional staging.

I've seen some more experimental, really intimate productions that cant be done the same in films, but I think film can often be more effective with really finely emotional scripts.

My step mom always says that plays are better because those actors only get one take. I agree, but that's because there's only so little going on. In movies and TV shows there can be upwards of a hundred different things going on, requiring more takes, etc. I'm sure actors who do stage can just as well do shows and movies and vice versa.

That aside, I don't like plays. I find them horribly overpriced (though I understand why), and I can just never get sucked into them.

But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate all the work that goes into the making of plays.