March 25, 2024

Note from Fishamble in Dublin: 

Dear David,

Thank you very much for sending your play to Fishamble. We appreciate the time and effort you put into your work.

The Beautiful Johanna takes place in the streets of post-apocalyptic Dublin, where violence and chaos are omnipresent. Johanna and Reiner discuss their romantic history with each other and wonder what went wrong. After tragedy strikes, Johanna runs into a group of teenagers, in need of help, who can’t remember a world without violence and chaos.

The play does a good job of portraying the enduring power of love during a time of chaos. The Mullaneys – because they are never seen by the audience, but only heard – are an ominous and unnerving presence throughout the play.

To fully bring the characters to life, it might be worth going further into the richness and the complexity of the world they inhabit. It would be great to anchor them still further in this world. This might allow the audience to feel more fully immersed in the story. Also, you may wish to consider working on the ending,  to give the story a fully satisfying resolution.

Fishamble will not be pursuing this project.

Yours sincerely, Gavin Kostick and the Fishamble Team

It’s good to hear something, anything from Ireland, through which I passed like a shadow.

Also, from AB, former student, who wrote to AVLGMC to get my address: Comments and questions:

Hello! I am a UNCA alumni and past student of David Hopes and would like to catch up with him and say "thank you." Please, if he is still affiliated with the Chorus, or someone there is still in contact, can you please pass my contact information on to him?

Thanks so much!

*

Without intending to when I rose, I drove out to Brevard Road and bought a new car, a white Corolla Cross. I chose it because it felt exactly the same to drive it as it did to drive the Prius. The bad part was the spasm of grief I felt at parting from the silver Prius, the best car I ever owned. I snuck into it one last time after the deal was done so whisper, “Thank you, thou good and faithful servant.” I anthropomorphize morbidly. In the night, I feel alone, as though I’ve lost another friend. 

Meeting here to nail down the repertoire for summer and GALA. Discussion on how “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” would have to be carefully introduced– ”contextualized”-- so it wouldn’t offend people with its references to God and battle. I have lived too long.