Tel. 91731.
2 Kenilworth Square
Rathgar,
Dublin.
Saturday 13th Jan 1945
Dear Austin Clarke,
I had Eveline Burchill and Christine Kane here all yesterday afternoon. We got at the play, Cain, and went meticulously through every line of it. I showed them my idea of the dancing while the criticised, suggested and discussed it from all points of view. Then Christine gave a rough demonstration while I read the play and Miss Burchill took notes both on the text of the play and in a note book. Next time Miss Burchill read the play, C. Kane gave a more detailed display of the various dancing parts and I mimed my idea of Cain’s part and, and the end, of Abel’s part. It was highly interesting, but somewhat exhausting work. Both young women have got a fine grip of what is needed, I think. Before they left in the evening we went through various records of music suitable for ballet, not with the idea of using any of them, but in order to find something that would suggest the character of the music which would suit both the words of the play and the type of dancing in it. We found little passages in Debussy’s “Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune,” which, if the orchestration were sloughed off, would seem to be the sort of thing you were thinking of. There was a long announcing note on a wood wind instrument followed by a little shower of delicate short notes. The long note when the dancer appears, the little shower when she stands and dances. I expect you know that piece of music. E. Burchill says 4/4 time would be best to have the music written in.
She asked me if I thought you could meet her and Christine here in this house on tomorrow fortnight, Sunday 28th in the afternoon 3.30 or so. Christine would demonstrate the first draft of the dancing which would be in the proper state to embody any criticisms or suggestions you would make. Miss Burchill says that Brian Boydel or whoever is to do the music should meet us here on that day also and see the first draft of the dancing. Otherwise, she says, dancing and music may be at variance and require a lot or recasting. I hope Mrs Clarke will come too. Her point of view would be helpful. We will have tea about 4 o’clock on that day, 28th Jan, tomorrow fortnight, if that day doesn’t suit you Miss Burchill will arrange another.
You pleased me greatly by taking some skin off his smugness, Desmond McCarthy. I’ve been hating him for years. Every good wish to both of you.
Yours sincerely,
M. Devenport O’Neill
Tel. 91731.
2 Kenilworth Square
Rathgar,
Dublin.
8th Feb. 1945
Dear Austin Clarke,
I was talking to Eveline Burchill yesterday, and she was asking if there was any news of the music for the ballet. She says there is really no hurry about it. Christine knows all the ballet turns, and it’s only a matter of selecting suitable turns, incorporating them with the miming and having Christine practise the combination. They will begin at once when they get the music. E. Burchill suggests that when you get hold of a composer you might ask him to compose a few 8 bar phrases in 4/4 time having something of the character of those outstanding passages of Debussy’s, but a different melody. She could then make a beginning and ask for more phrases if required. It is difficult to say exactly how many bars of music will be needed, but the type of music required, she says, can be added to. I could mark the passage in the Debussy record if the composer wishes.
I was swearing at myself last Sunday night week for not having thought of making more tea for you when Christine went, seeing that you really had no tea in the afternoon, you got me interested in what you were saying and my mind only reverted to food when my husband came in and started boiling a kettle.
I saw you at Ria Mooney’s performance last Sunday. I was over the other side a little higher up. My staying power gave of half was through and I sneaked out.
Every good wish to Mrs Clarke and yourself from both of us.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Devenport O’Neill.
P.S. It’s not necessary to answer this scrawl. I just wanted to let you know how things stood.
M.D.ON
Tel. 91731.
2 Kenilworth Square
Rathgar,
Dublin.
Tuesday 10th April [1945?]
Dear Austin Clarke,
It struck me a few times lately that it is quite probable that you or the producers or both of you may not be at all keen on my ideas for clothing the four evacuees from Eden, Cain etc. Or that you may have found something suitable, and that you may feel somewhat awkward about letting me know.
I, of course, wouldn’t mind in the least. I regarded those rough sketches I gave you and the dyed patterns of hessian which I sent you on Spy Wednesday merely as experiments or suggestions which might be useful. If approved of – so much accomplished, If not approved of – no harm done. The hessian I bought will not be wasted if not used for the play. Months ago I was trying to get hessian for some re furnishing jobs needed in the house, and finding it impossible to get – all snapped up. When I did get it I thought I just might for brilliant-coloured primitive smocks for first men and women, but of not used for these it will revert again to household uses.
My visit to Bray was not very successful. I came home a couple of days after Easter Sunday with a virulent flu. I’m in bed still and likely to stay there.
It’s not necessary to write in answer to this but if anytime within the next week Mrs Clarke happens to be passing a phone call-box and is not in a great hurry, she might give me a ring and tell me a few particulars. I suppose by the way that the idea for “Death’s” costume remains
I have no notion when the play is coming off – which end of May – whether there’s need for hurry or plenty of time.
Every good wish to you both.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Devenport O’Neill
This is a dreadfully messy, dirty looking letter but I’m very shaky.
Tel. 91731.
2 Kenilworth Square
Rathgar,
Dublin.
Friday 13th April ‘45
Dear Austin Clarke,
I was terribly sorry to have missed Miss McNiece in Bray. It would have been extremely interesting and enlightening to have got her point of view on all the various problems lurking in this play. It was most unfortunate to have missed her.
About Christine’s ballet dress – she, E. Burchill and I, have discussed it a great deal and our combined suggestion is this. There should be a little ballet dress of very plae blue – ballet length, just covering the knees. Over that she would wear the cloud dress – colour of light cloud or pale smoke, almost transparent, weightless, always floating and swirling as she dances. E.B. says it should be somewhat longer than the blue dress to give it scope to float. Then there would be the veil – covering the face, hanging down her back, but only coming into play when she spreads it out during the fight. This costume, we think, would give an effect of a woman materialised out of cloud with the pale blue light shimmering through her. However, E.B. or Christine will accept any dress at all that doesn’t impede the dancing. My rough sketches certainly gave a “poor view” of the costumes. Six weeks ago I had as much intention of making drawings as I had of making pre-fabricated houses, then one evening I was chatting to Mrs le Brocuqy and she asked me if I had any idea of what Cain, Abel etc should wear, or look like. I said I’d a sort of picture in my head. She said “why not make some drawings, I said I hadn’t drawn for 25 years and had no materials.
Next day E.B. talked of the costumes – said it was important to have no obvious dress making or tailoring – no put-in sleeves, no shaped collars or hems. I mentioned the smoke and she said “Why not make a few drawings.” I though then that they might be enlightening. They were only confusing, but the poor things haven’t done any real harm. I don’t know when this cut-throat microb [?] is going to let go of me – the worst flu I’ve ever had. I feel like one of the balleting [?] on Lloyd George a month ago.
All good wishes to you both,
Yours sincerely,
Mary Devenport O’Neill
Tel. 91731.
2 Kenilworth Square
Rathgar,
Dublin.
Monday morning 29th October [1945/6?].
Dear Austin Clarke,
I was very glad to get your letter but very sorry to hear that you had been ill. I know what gastric flu is and I think there are few things worse. I think it was very good of you in the middle of all your work to write me such an interesting and complete criticism and analysis of my play. I agree with everything you say. First of all I did feel that, for an ordinary audience, the monster needed to be explained and given a pedigree, and I actually scribbled roughly a sort of prologue – what the old writers called an “argument” – to be spoken before the curtain went up, but in the end I didn’t send it to be typed. It stated that the monster WAR, was a symbol of the greed in living creatures from the beginning of time, causing them to fight each other and kill, and which later extended to nations causing them to make war, that the crying of the monster symbolized the growing needs and dissatisfactions among the nations, the feeding a gorging of the monster symbolized the satisfaction of the common people let loose on their enemies and the final sleep of the monster symbolized peace and hate and exhaustion. The harassed leaders of men are in spite of their better judgement carried on by the fury of the populace. Patriotism is arrogant and bombastic as well as paternal and Bravery with his peacock feathers, vainglorious. The individual represents those who think, and who are either immune from this universal greed, or can hold it within bounds.
Something like this I scribbled down – it could be put into better form. About the individuals costume I felt that being more or less an outsider a note on the text, as it were, he should be discreetly dressed and grave looking, so I made him a tall figure in sombre black — the common people would be very motley, so a black cloak with hood or cape to it might look effective
You are quite right about the need for a dramatic turning point or fulcrum in the play. All I can do at the moment is to plant that idea in the back of my mind and hope that it may germinate and turn into something worthwhile. I did mean to make the play longer. I tried to bring it on into the peace but it seemed then to break through the symbolism into reality and become wrong.
The battle would require I think about a dozen people on each side moving continuously out at right, in again at left out at left, in again at right, or down around the orchestra and up the other side – plenty of movement. Some of the army could be girls as the battle is symbolic not realistic. As to costumes – I think coloured shirts or blouses would do. I thought of lime yellow on one side and lilac on the other side, colours never so far used politically or nationally. Old white or light coloured shirts or blouses dipped the right colour would do.
I half suspected that my lighting scheme would have practical difficulties. Another way of getting the effect would be to have a dim red top light and powerful foot lights throwing up giant shadows. When the armies rush from each side the shadows would appear to close in the background. Perhaps that wouldn’t work either. I have no practical knowledge of lighting.
Bravery, by the way, should be on the stage the whole time running with each army in turn – doubling and turning his great feather catching the light. I really am icily objective towards any work of mine once it gets outside me, and is written down, and I see that getting a dramatic crisis into this play will be difficult. In my other plays that crisis was the very root of the subject. I used the bones of an old legend to materialize the idea. In this play the crises would need to be grafted in. Still more difficult, in fact the hard know of the whole thing would be the bringing WAR within the orbit of a not-so-pacifist audience. However I’ll plant the idea in the back of my mind and if it doesn’t manage to reform this play it may produce the germ of a new play. We hope you will both be able to spend an evening with us before long. At the moment my maid, Nancy, is not very well. She will have to have several teeth out, but when she’s herself again we must arrange an evening.
Every good wish to you both.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Devenport O’Neill
