It needs to be explained, how this letter appeared on the site. One of our visitors, Karine Bozzi (Kay), who lives in France, contacted Anny Duperey about some materials that she could possibly have kept about the French production of "When She Danced". Unfortunately, Ms. Duperey didn't keep anything that reminds her about that period, and with this letter she explains why…

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From Anny Duperey to Karine Bozzi

Hello!
Excuse me for answering late, but I was busy hurrying to finish writing a book!*
Actually I made an adaptation of "When She Danced", - an adaptation that Martin Sherman liked, I think, - and also the distribution, and the play was on.
But we could not foresee that our producer, at that time seized with a kind of a destructive madness (we were not her only victims), had decided - BEFORE the premiere itself! - that this play "would not be on 30 times…" I was told about it afterwards.
In effect, right on the second performance, she announced to me, just before the moment I was to go on stage that she wanted to stop. I don't know how I succeeded to play that evening! Probably thanks to the help of my wonderful partner, Catherine Rich.
On the second week the producer withdrew the announcements of the play from "Pariscope"** and from the agencies…, and also withdrew posters and bills.
We were "dead" before the 30 announced performances - at the 28th exactly.
She made use of this foretold catastrophe to sell the theatre and nearly give up her work as producer. Alcoholism? Unexplainable psychological dirty trick? I never knew it.
The thing was so outrageous; the actors were absolutely not to blame, that strangely I did not suffer from it too long, it was as it never happened. Actually she had her own way.
But why had she so much insisted on producing this play? I think that it is a question without an answer. Forever.
It is the biggest misadventure I knew in this profession (two years of work, all the same, chucked, despotically, because of the madness of one and only person!)
My instinct had put me on guard against her: I did not want to rely on her completely (she was the major shareholder)… I too thought it was not the ideal theatre…
Well intentioned persons (really!) reasoned and convinced me that I was turning my nose up, etc…
I let myself be persuaded. I have not listened to my instinct. That was a good lesson! It is better to consider it like this, is not it?
But it was a great delight for me to work with Oleg, a wonderful actor. At this juncture, I realized that the barrier of the languages did not matter in that case!
This letter is a bit long, but I had to explain to you this strange silence - like black hole - prevailing on this venture. One and only person is to blame!
We did not expect that, neither us nor the public.
Perversity won on this occasion. This is not important. The route is long…
Yours,
A. Duperey

P.S. Sorry, I realize that I have not answered your questions!
Because of disgust following this catastrophe, I got rid of all the materials about this plan that has nearly miscarried. (The shock was all the same rude…)
To see again the traces of this beautiful thing that has been murdered was hard for me. I don't even know if I still have a copy of the adaptation…
But it could give me great pleasure to be quoted by you - as rehabilitation - because we have EXISTED.

***
* Anny is also a writer and a good one! She is very fond of photographs: she made a book about cats and also an overwhelming album about her personal tragedy: she lost her parents when she was a little girl (car crash). She refused to talk about it during a long, long time. And once upon a time, she found in a trunk, in the attic an envelope with beautiful pictures of her parents. She decided to "face" the hard reality, and to "revive" her parents by art and to publish a book about them. Very moving, and without "sensational gossips". (translator's note)

** "Pariscope" is a very famous weekly magazine about all the cultural events in Paris. It is considered the "Bible" of the arts and entertainment. Very useful and full info about the performances. (translator's note)

Submitted by Kay