Six Plays [antikvár]

Author s note on the production of The Police This play does not contain anything except what it actually contains. This means that it is not an allusion to anything, it is not a metaphor, and it should not be read as such. The most important thing is to present the naked text, as exactly as possible, with a firmly underlined sense of logic in the opinions and scenes. The play, provided it is in fact staged, will demand intense concentration on the part of the audience because of its structural compactness. So unless the production is clear and pure, the play will be a tiring one. The statement that this play is not a metaphor, but is simply what it is (within its own area and time of duration), entails the following consequences: No scenographic tricks must be added to the play, either for the sake of humour or for the sake of decoration (decorativeness). Nothing need be 'emphasized', and 'atmosphere' should be treated with great care. No over-contrived action should be added to the play. In a word, nothing should be done to detract from the transparency of the production, which must be stem and static, clean and 'snake in the grass'-like. Bitter experience shows that any attempt at exaggerated 'emphasizing', 'interpreting' or overacting this author's texts will be an artistic failure. Nor is the play (God forbid) a comedy, which means that the jokes in it must not be over-accentuated. "WTiatever jokes the play may contain, they are not the sort of jokes to be told in a voice which impHes, 'Pay attention! I am about to teU you a joke.' If my advice is ignored, the result will be a failure It will be inelegant, if not tasteless. Neither is this a 'modem' or an 'experimental' play. It is certainly neither of these. I do not think I need expand on this. I imagine that what I have just written will lay me open to the