Tony Kushne
Letters to Sala by Arlene Hutton will open at Rollins College on February 11, 2011…and Tony Kushner will be there a few months later. OK, so we’re not exactly on the same page, but we’re close! Either way, I’d love to see you in Winter Park Florida.
I will be there as Scholar in Residence (thanks, Rollins!) and giving a couple of talks and attending the performances. Playwright Arlene Hutton (the Nibroc trilogy) and director Eric Nightengale — a mighty pair — will be there too.
The play is sort of based on my book, Sala’s Gift.
Sort of, because Letters to Sala was first conceptualized by the distinguished director Larry Sacharow, before my book was even published. Larry introduced me to Arlene Hutton, and the first expression of their collaboration was performed at the opening of the Sala Garncarz Kirschner Collection at the New York Public Library. Marion Seldes, Wendy Vanden Heuvel, and Nina Sacharow were the first actors. Sadly, we lost our friend Larry soon afterwards, much much too young.
The first production was at Suz Classen’s wonderful Invisible Theatre in Tucson, and since then, it has been performed in about a dozen different places…Rollins College will be very special, because it is Arlene Hutton’s alma mater, because she and Eric will be introducing some wonderful new ideas for this production, and because my parents, Sala and Sidney Kirschner, will be joining us on February 14 for the matinee performance.
It occurs to me that I should take Tony Kushner’s picture off this post. Nah, he looks so appealing! I’ll have to post some others of the play and its actors.