Work Text:
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: News
Dear Anna,
I have been following the news from Bolivia anxiously since your departure. Imagine my surprise to see the face of our band leader next to the new vice-president in yesterday's news!
Geoffrey and Ellen have returned from their honeymoon in Stratford and are reviving his theatre troupe in Montreal with a production of Antony and Cleopatra. They are a small group and in a small setting, but they seem very hopeful. New Burbage seems to be descending into madness as Darren and Richard dream up bigger and bigger experimental musical productions without your levelling influence.
Best wishes,
Nahum
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: News
Dear Nahum,
After so many years working with actors and directors, working with a folk band turned revolutionaries is a dream. They are idealistic but much more open to suggestions. A few nudges, a little bit of email organization and they were ready to run the bureaucracy of a small country as soon as the dictator was out of power.
There is a line in the charter for the Festival that there must be at least one play that's more than 25 years old in each cycle of plays. There are lots of hoops that Richard will have to go through to change the theatre's charter: he'll need a strong majority of the board, and the motion needs to be made a year before it is voted on. This won't help if Darren decides to do Titus Andronicus as a Punch and Judy type pantomime, but it should keep Richard from doing only new musicals about heroin addicted prostitutes.
Best,
Anna
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Throwing Down the Gauntlet
Dear Anna,
I have left a copy of the festival's charter, open to the place you have mentioned, on Richard's desk. I have tried to read the document. That you can understand everything it says and remember the details assures me that your talents are much better served to keeping Bolivia running smoothly than keeping the New Burbage festival running smoothly.
Darren has been working with another "upcoming" playwright trying to adapt Equus into a musical. They have, predictably, managed to sap all the subtlety out of the play and seem to be entirely focusing on the sex and violence of Martin’s revelations.
Best,
Nahum
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: My Good News
Anna!
It is totally unexpected, but this afternoon Richard stormed out of his office waving the charter and ranting about "these damn classics no one can understand" and threw a copy of Richard III at me and snorted "Someone has to direct one of these, it might as well be you."
I have been given the smallest theatre and the dregs of the cast.
-Nahum
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: My Good News
Nahum,
This is such fantastic news! I'm sure you will do a wonderful job.
Do you remember when Geoffrey worked with those business executives and helped them understand what Shakespeare was saying? Once they understod their characters, they were good for executives. I remember watching you in the wings at every performance, you will be able to coax even the worst actors into putting on a good performance.
-Anna
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: The Plays, Generally
Dear Anna,
On the main stage, Darren's production continues to skyrocket in expense, and for the first time together, they are butting heads, as Richard doesn't think they can get away with nudity on stage.
Geoffrey and Ellen's production of Antony and Cleopatra has opened to rave reviews, and they are looking into larger space and longer run time. Geoffrey has given me some suggestions on how to work past Jerry's stage fright.
The news has been largely silent about Bolivia. I hope I can take this as a sign that things are going peacefully.
-Nahum
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Emergency Update
A- A further quick update. Richard and Darren had a huge screaming fight in rehearsal today, starting off about the nudity and moving into the cost and descending into personal insults. Richard wound up backing off the stage and broken his leg. -N
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Emergency Update
Dear Nahum,
I'm sorry about the delay in writing back to you. I was in charge of coordinating a large state function which would put any opening night gala New Burbage to shame.
You saw Jerry as Macbeth; he will be marvelous when pushed, he just has to push himself past his stage fright.
I imagine Richard is hobbling around tyranically demanding that everyone baby him constantly with his broken leg.
-Anna
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Richard and the Horses
Dear Anna,
Richard and Darren have reached a compromise that Martin and Jill will both strip no further than their underwear in the Second Act if he can have real horses on stage in the First Act. They have started auditioning horses, and they all seem to be terrified of the Toreador jacket Darren has taken to wearing. Richard has started to offer “my festival for a well behaved horse.”
We have brought in Jerry’s two oldest boys to play the Princes in the Tower, and having his children around seems to have settled his nerves. He will be a wonderful Richard.
-Nahum
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: FWD: FWD: Cease and Desist
A- Read the following message. -N
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Cease and Desist
Dear Sirs:
It has been brought to our attention that your theatre company is working on an unauthorized adaptation of our client, Mr. Peter Shaffer’s, work Equus.
Your adaptation of is in direct violation of his copyright and must be stopped immediately.
Sincerely,
Lex
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: My Return to Canada
Dear Nahum,
Totally unexpectedly, the president of Bolivia has decided that I should work with and at the Bolivian Embassy in Ottawa.
I will be back in Canada in two weeks. I am looking forward to seeing your Richard III.
Best,
Anna
P.s. I am shocked that the Mr. Shaffer reads every press release about every production of Equus, even when they are forwarded to him from anonymous email addresses in South America.
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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Welcome Home!
Dear Anna,
While I would never suggest that you leave your diplomatic position to return to our festival, it is wonderful to have you in our audience again. I was honoured that you made it to my opening the night after you returned to Canada and then came back the following weekend to see the opening of Geoffrey’s Antony and Cleopatra.
Of course you are correct, the Board was very concerned by the letter from the law firm, have sacked Richard and Darren, and decided that Geoffrey fulfilling the request of a dying man wasn’t nearly as horrific offense as they had previously thought and begged him to return.
It is going to be a glorious summer.
Best,
Nahum