"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."


Dear Wei:

Why was my play, SIXTEEN WORDS FOR WATER, not produced in Melbourne? The
short answer is I dunno. The answer I sometimes speculate over is fear. The
then-artistic-director of the company (Melbourne Theatre Company) and his
actress-wife (who played the role of the Justice Department psychiatrist in
the ABC Radio National production, are both Jewish. I suspect that word got
out that they were planning a play on Pound and were discreetly informed
that this might prove unnecessarily provocative to many of their subscribers
sensibilities... this despite the fact that the Jewish Cronicle in London
had called it "a play worth seeing", and it's success with audiences and
critics in Sydney... mind you, I am only guessing. What I have always found
curious is that theatre companies of this stature, subsidised by govt grants
are not in the habit of paying playwrights thousands of dollars NOT to
produce their plays. I am still somewhat dumbfounded ... and recently
offered the company the opporunity to retrieve their option (which expired
in 1995) at no extra cost. Their answer: a deafening silence.

Stoneking