April 17, 2008

Surprisingly extended e-mail conversation with the director of Centre Stage, Greenville. I sent her Threnodies of Corinth, because the events of the play occurred in her back yard. She writes back that she "Generally" does not look at new plays except during a contest that they have, which is over for this year, but she could put it in the pile for next year. I answer that it’s very topical and particular to her situation, and list recent accomplishments to assure her that it’s worth her while to read. She sends back a quite detailed, and patronizing, plea about how hard and expensive it is to run a theater and they TRY to do new works, but they NEVER make money– the whole familiar, and partially correct, lamentation. She could have read the play in less time than it took to compose her reasons for not doing so. Crown of Shadows might stand as evidence that new works can stay afloat–that THREE new works at once can stay afloat–but I can’t get myself together to make the case, and I wish it weren’t MY plays I was pushing; it somehow weakens the argument. Anyway, I sit at my desk pitying her because her I’m-a-savvy-professional mind set causes her to pass up a good thing; she sits at hers pitying me for my naivete. Face-to-face I would enunciate through clenched teeth, "We would have a triumph." She would pat me on the head and say, "Poor dear."

Rising tide of end-of-year hysteria and neediness on the part of my students, which I must strive not to meet with hardness of heart and constant reference to the syllabus, whereby they might have foreseen and provided for all future exigencies.

Dinner and conversation last night with David Verga. I try to keep out of my mind the unprofitable longing to exchange lives with him.