ALS signed “Sean,” one page both sides, 7 x 9, personal letterhead, January 27, 1958. Letter to Lewis Funke, drama editor at the New York Times. In part: "Developments have exploded around the new play, about which you have probably heard: the Archbishop of Dublin has declared he will allow no Votive Mass to be offered for the Tostal (a usual event), if a play by Joyce and O'Casey be performed. The Council, however, have said they will go on with their Program; but their may be more bombs of blather exploded as the days go one: at present, there seems to be just a dead silence. 'Sparks & Ashes' is but roughly written…At present, I'm trying to write a chapter called 'Emmanuel,' an O'Casey entry into something like commonfaced theology." O'Casey pens an additional lengthy unsigned note on both sides of a 5.5 x 7 sheet of his stationery, in part: "Since writing enclosed, a double-column in the Irish Press says: 'Dublin Union Council protests on Plays.' This is the Dublin Council of the Irish Trades Union. This Council's secretary wrote to the Tostal Council asking if the Tostal Council had the intention as part of their Program to 'stage plays of an objectioned nature, as reported in the English & Irish papers.' They also wrote to the Archbishop, who sent a reply saying among other things, 'The A. Bishop having learned that the Tostal Council had sanctioned the production in Dublin of a dramatization of Joyce's Ulysses & of a play by Sean O'Casey…withdrew permission for any religious ceremony in connection with the Dublin Tostal of 1958'…So my play obviously was under 'strict examination,' & it was cute of them to ask me to sign a letter giving them authority to make changes before they let me know that the play was being searched. But I was cuter, & told them implicitly they could go to hell." In fine condition. O'Casey's play was The Drums of Father Ned, which he withdrew from the 1958 Dublin Theatre Festival after demands for changes were made. The Ulysses adaptation was also withdrawn, and Samuel Beckett withdrew his play in dissent—the festival had to be canceled. In his own protest, O'Casey decided to ban all professional productions of his plays in Ireland. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
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