Separating Church and Stage
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Hanson admits the play quotes two sentences from Dianetics, which advocates a form of psychotherapy that aims to help people dispel the unpleasant past. But he believes the attributed quotes are protected speech. “The piece is a satire that really picks more on Catholicism than Scientology,” says Hanson, who was raised a Lutheran and educated by Jesuits. “It’s funny they would even care because it’s not really about Scientology.”
Recently Hanson went to the Church of Scientology offices on Lincoln Avenue with posters for his show. He met with Ahmad, and she asked to see a copy of his script and also inquired whether he was a Scientologist. Hanson has declined to hand over the script, and Ahmad says she forwarded what little information she gathered about Hanson and his play to the church’s headquarters in Los Angeles. As of early this week, Ahmad was still awaiting a response.
Zollo says he may be able to take advantage of a new agreement formulated among the Broadway Alliance, a coalition of unions, producers, and theaters on the Great White Way. The agreement allows plays–not musicals–to be produced at a lower price than typical Broadway fare. It offers concessions on theater rentals and labor costs, as well as discounts on newspaper ads. Zollo says the show will probably be capitalized at around $750,000, the maximum allowed under the terms of the Alliance agreement, and no Steppenwolf funds would be involved in the Broadway presentation. He also says Buried Child’s top ticket price would probably be $45; the current top ticket price for most nonmusicals is $55.
In decisions apparently reached separately, Illinois Film Office director Suzy Kellett and Chicago Film Office director Charles Geocaris announced last month that they will be stepping down from their posts. Kellett’s leaving to become director of Washington State’s film office, while Geocaris wants to pursue other opportunities in the film industry. Both executives had clearly been under pressure over the past year. Filming in Chicago and around Illinois has slowed considerably in the face of intense competition from other states and Canada, and well-publicized reports last summer of mob ties to the local film business didn’t make their jobs any easier.
