Item 150 - Correspondence relating to Choate-Shields production of Paul Vincent Carroll's 'Kindred',

45 items

Correspondence relating to Choate-Shields production of Paul Vincent Carroll's 'Kindred'; the correspondence relates primarily to the casting of the play and also the rewriting of the script; in a letter dated 12 April 1939 in response to Choate's suggesting the casting of John Gielgud in the lead role in 'Kindred' Arthur Shields writes 'I quite understand what you say as to his value as far as appeal to an audience is concerned but I know -even from my slight knowledge of him that he is not right for Dermot. [Burgess] Meredith sounds much nearer the mark.' Also includes letter dated April 15 1939 from Edward Choate approaching Laurence Oliver for the lead role in 'Kindred'. Also includes letter dated 27 April 1939 from Hugh Hunt addressed to Edward Choate in which he writes 'I do not agree that Boss should play Dermot, unless you intend playing the play purely on its value as a script, which might be dangerous'. Also includes letter dated 28 April 1939 from Aideen O'Connor addressed to Edward Choate in which she writes 'I was staying at Yeats last week-end and read "Kindred" to Anne. She was very excited by it, but did not like it. She thinks the first two scenes terrific -with a few reservations about the Figures. She didn't like their pompous way of speaking and thought these was too much repetition of certain words and phrases -such as "brother in blood"'. Also includes correspondence between Edward Choate and Paul Vincent Carroll regarding revisions to the script of the play, in letter dated 11 May 1939 from Choate addressed to Carroll, Choate writes 'Of late I have become seriously troubled over the confusion, disappointment and dismay which arise in almost everyone who reads 'Kindred', and this condition has seriously handicapped and thwarted me in my efforts to interest actors and others in the play.' Also includes letter date 31 May 1939 addressed to Hugh Hunt informing him that he would not be engaged as director of the play. In a letter dated 9 June 1939 written in response to Choate's request for changes to the script Paul Vincent Carroll writes 'I need hardly tell you that I have cursed you into hell and out of hell again...but that's just because I like you so much.' and goes on to write 'I have been working very seriously on the play for the past month, and I think you will find drastic changes in it when the revised script arrives.' Also includes letter dated 21 June 1939 from Aideen O'Connor addressed to Edward Choate in which she writes 'When you get this Boss will have explained to you by which long and painful paths we arrived at the decision for him to go alone! I miss him very much as its not for long I don't mind so badly.'

Catalog

27/06/2013
22/07/2025