Why was the play not performed in Melbourne, do you think?  I can
understand, given what you have said, why it might not be performed in New
York.  Not knowing much about he cultural and political atmosphere in
Melbourne I am curious what factors have kept the play from being produced
there.

Regards,

Wei

>Subject: Re: Pound banned?
>
>
> > "In fact, I don't know of a single country in which Pound has actually
>been
> > banned.  Does anyone?"
> >
> > I don't know of any countries which have banned Pound, but I do know my
>own
> > experience with my play about Pound - SIXTEEN WORDS FOR WATER - has met
>with
> > powerful opposition from some quarters in the US and elsewhere. For
>example,
> > I was paid a hefty advance by the Melbourne Theatre Company in 1993 so
>that
> > it could produce the play in 1994. To this day, the play has NEVER been
> > produced by that company, despite an advance payment to me in the
>thousands
> > of dollars. I must be the only Australian playwright in that country's
> > history that has been paid NOT to have my play produced, And this from a
> > major, government subsidised company.
> >
> > A similar thing happened in 1991, when a NYC producer was extremely keen
>to
> > produce the play in NYC, then at the behest of five friends (not all of
>them
> > Jewish) pulled the plug on the project owing largely to his fears
>(fueled
>by
> > these same friends) that the play would be boycotted and that
>prospective
> > audience members wouldn't be able to penetrate the picket lines, etc.
>So
>is
> > Pound banned? You tell me.
> >
> > Billy Marshall Stoneking
> > http://ezrapound.cjb.net

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