A.Boal

622W114st.,apt.62

New York 25, N.Y.

Mr. Langston Hughes

20 East 127 Street
New York 35,

New York

8

511 West 113 St.,apt.73
New York 25, New York

New York, December 5, 54

Dear Mr. Hughes,

It was a pity I couldn't attend your lecture at the Public Library, last November 17, but I only received the program letting me know about it a few days ago, for I am no longer living at my former address where the letter was forwarded to. I hope I shall have a better chance next time.

I have seen Raoul Abdul and he gave me the names and addresses of some American Negro Playwrights (Xerox Louis Peterson, William Branch and Herbert Greggs). I have written them and hope they will have some scripts for me to send to Brazil. We also have been talking about that charming little play of yours, SOUL GONE HOME. Do you have a spare copy of it? In case you can't spare a copy I would appreciate your sending it to me anyway and I would type a copy for myself and return yours.

About MULLATO, the last time I heard from Abdias do Nascimento, he said it was not produced yet due to difficulties in casting, namely, Colonel Norwood's part.

About my own play, the one that I told you
that had a good chance of being produced by
Columbia University this Fall, was selected
from the twenty-five one-actors that were
submitted to the Committee. However, the day
I sent letters to all my friends in Brazil
breaking in the good news, I was informed
that the play had been vetoed by Dr. Milton
Smith. I am still receiving letters of
congratulations from my friends...

Anyhow, I intend to stay in New York until
next February.

Hoping to hear from you, I am

511 West 113 Street, apt.73
New York 25, New York

New York, June 2nd, 1955

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Finally I'll have to leave the U.S. by June the 24th.

I have corresponded with Abdias do Nascimento, Director of the Brazilian Experimental Theatre of the Negro, and I understand that he was trying to put on a full-length play this season. However, he wasn't able to do so because the Exp. T. of the Negro is now on a very limited budget. He is doing some radio and television work, at present. Many times he has invited me to work with him when I return, and I intend to do so. I shall ask him to produce a program of three one-actors. I thought of your play, A SOUL GONE HOME, and Sean O'Casey's THE END OF THE BEGINNING. Since last time I wrote you, I saw Raoul Abdoul and asked him for a copy of SOUL GONE HOME which he read with the DRAMA TRIO, a year ago, at the Public Library. He hasn't got any, though. So the only thing I can do now is to write you again asking for a copy of your play. Furthermore, if you could spare a copy of JOY TO MY SOUL, or any other of your full-length plays (if possible, one with an all-Negro cast), and send it to me, I would sincerely appreciate it.

I have heard that you are working now on a dramatization of SIMPLE SPEAKS HIS MIND, to be produced on Broadway soon. I hope it will be a success.

Hoping to hear from you again, I am

3

June 21, 1955

Dear Augusto,

So sorry I missed your calls
today, but was downtown looking up photos for
my new book on Negro musicians and didn't get
back until after 8 P. M.

How about coming up tonight
about nine? George Lamming, the West Indian
writer, will be coming by, too. Would love
to see you. If you can't come, phone and
we'll set another time before you leave.

August 7, 1955

Dear Mr. Hughes,

When I came to Rio I saw a play called THE PRODIGAL SON, done by the Experimental Theatre of the Negro. Abdias do Nascimento told me that was a show he did for the Eucharistic Congress which took place here not too long ago. We had a long talk and finally decided we should do three one-act plays as I had told you we would. One of course will be SOUL GONE HOME and Tennessee Williams xxx one-actors can't be done because someone else has the rights of translation for his plays.

Anyway, this show is tentatively scheduled for late October. Abdias also asked me to do a new translation of MULATTO since the available one is not so good. He thinks that the best date to open MULATTO would be next May 13, which is the date when the slaves were freed in Brazil. Besides, it roughly coincides with the beginning of the drama season in Rio. We are planning on doing it once weekly, and we hope we'll start operating regularly from then on.

I am sending you a copy of the program for the play I saw and for an exhibition sponsored by the E.T. of the Negro called "Colored Christ". All the paintings depicted Jesus as a Negro young man. A good many priests came to see the exhibition. They were kind of frightened and didn't know how they should react to it. Everybody was confused and Abdias delighted. Some of the paintings were really very good.

Since yesterday a Brazilian fakir is the world champion of hunger. He didn't eat for 100 days. They say that the Government is going to offer him a job to teach the Brazilian people to live without eating. That's why I said Simple is "Brazilian". This is, I believe, the kind of remark he would make if he lived in Rio.

As soon as the rehearsals of SOUL GONE HOME get under way I'll write you again.

Sincerely yours,

Rio de Janeiro, December 28, 1955

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Thank you so much for having sent me your book, THE SWEET FLYPAPER OF LIFE. It was certainly the best gift I could hope for this Christmas. I also enjoyed very much Mr. DeCarava's pictures. Aren't they wonderful?

I finally have some good news for you concerning the production of your plays in Rio. SOUL GONE HOME is scheduled to open next January the 16th for a Monday-only run. In the same bill there will be two other one-actors: Cocteau's THE INDIFFERENT ONE and my own MARTIM-FISHERMAN. Next May the 13th when we commemorate the Abolition of Slavery, we will put on MULATTO.

I am directing SOUL GONE HOME myself. In fact I started working on it about two months ago and we were doing fairly well when we had to interrupt rehearsals on account of the political situation in Brazil. Maybe you have heard about that, The late Vargas' party stroke two putsches; both of them were called preventive because the Party claimed that if they didn't strike first somebody else would. Now they say that there is another coup d'état scheduled for late January before the new President takes office. We don't know exactly what's going on here because all papers and radio stations are under censure. But we do know what's going on in Paraguay (they're also having a revolution down there and their Press is also under censure concerning politics in Paraguay but not in Brazil) and I wish I had a friend in Paraguay so that I could correspond with him and we could tell each other what's going on in our countries -

Abdias Nascimento asked me to write you and ask you to send him permission to translate and produce SOUL GONE HOME. He's writing you himself. It seems that he must have your letter a few days before the play opens.

I'll write you again soon giving you more details about the actual production of your play. Thank you again for your book,

Rua Lobo Júnior 1130-A
Penha - Circular
Rio de Janeiro -D.F.,
BRAZIL

Rio, January 24, 1956

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I'm very sorry I have to inform you we had to postpone
the production of your play until next March. The
play was coming off pretty well, but the manager of
the theatre where we were planning to do the show
charged too high a price. Next March we'll have a chance
to play at another theatre, this one located downtown.
It is much bigger and the manager won't charge a flat
rent but a percentage on the receipt.

I'm sending you an article I wrote about your work.
I published it as propaganda for the opening of SOUL
GONE HOME. Sorry your name was misspelled in the title.
Their mistake, Everybody I know read it. The paper,
DIARIO DE NOTÍCIAS, is one of the best in Rio, kind of
NY Times. They all liked Simple's definition of be-
bop, the story of the little Negro boy lost who enters
a moviehouse and meets a white Santa Claus, and the Merry-
Go- Round poem, which I quote in this article. I have
translated some of your poems (MERRY-GO-ROUND, MOTHER
TO SON, CABARET, SUICIDE'S NOTE, I TOO SING AMERICA,
TO A LITTLE LOVER-LASS, DEAD) and hope to get them published.
Wish send you a clipping. Some of your poems were published
in different translations in an anthology of American
poetry, while I was in the States. It is a limited edition.
I was told about that yesterday. I will get a copy of the
book and mail it to you soon.

Sorry again for the postponement of your play.

TEATRO DE

R. Theodoro Bayma, 04-1ct 35-1973

arena

São Paulo, July 18th, 1956

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I am awfully glad I can finally report some good
news to you. Your play, MULATTO, was produced last night and was very
much applauded. It was presented as the Experimental Theatre of the
Negro's entry to the III Festival of Amateur Theatre of São Paulo.
It was going to be done just once but the audience enjoyed it so much
that several people contributed for the payment of the rental of the
theatre for another day and so MULATTO is going to be done again
next August the 18th, a month from now, after the closing of the Festi-
val at the same theatre, TEATRO SÃO PAULO.

It certainly was not a flawless production and many
flaws it had but they were not essential ones. For instance: the scene
which opens the third act seemed just a little bit too long, and also
the scenes which involved white actors: they were not very good actors.
But the play was really a very moving experience and some performances
were exceptional, like Raul Martins' as Bert, Aurea Campos as Cora, Gau-
tilo de Oliveira as Sam and Samuel dos Santos as William. That one scene
in the second act when Bert kills his father was terrific. His walking
out through the front door was gripping and frightening. Raul and Aurea
are awfully good actors. The translation was done by Geraldo Campos de
Oliveira (the Director of the branch of the Experimental Thea. of the
Negro) and the play was directed by Francisco Giaccheri a young man
who showed a lot of talent.

I contacted the American Cultural Attache in São
Paulo and IXX he is going to send his photographer to take some pictu-
res of MULATTO so that we can do some propaganda for the next show. This
time the play was not reviewed for it was part of the Festival but next
time we certainly will have some critics over who will write about the
show. I'll be glad to send you the clippings.

Geraldo de Oliveira seems willing to produce SOUL
GONE HOME shortly, along with two other one-actors. I'll probably di-
rect it. I am in São Paulo now and will be here for about two months.
I'm directing Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN, professionally, for South
America's only Arena Stage Theatre. Should you want to write me please
do so in care of TEATRO DE ARENA, Rua Theodoro Bayma 94, São Paulo,
São Paulo. As soon as I return to Rio I'll go back to my translation of
SIMPLE SPEAKS HIS MIND. I hope I'll get it published some day. As for
your adaptation, why don't you send a copy to us. If it is not MAXEX
difficult to produce you can now be sure we will produce it.

I will write you again soon. Wishing you all the
best, I am,

Yours Sincerely,

TEATRO DE ARENA
Rua Theodoro Bayma 84
São Paulo - S-P.

August 19, 1956

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Your play MULATTO was done again last night. The house was not so packed as it was a month ago but even so they cheered and liked the play very much. The last act was much better this time, and it was gripping. Even Cora's soliloquy over the place where Norwood had been lying dead didn't seem so long this time. Geraldo de Oliveira had some pictures taken and I'll be happy to send them to you as soon as they're ready. I hope you'll enjoy them. I'm also sending you a few clippings which advertise last night's performance. I'm happy to let you know that Aurea Campos won a "Harlequin", which is the Oscar for the Amazones Festival of Amateur Theatre, for her performance in MULATTO and Francisco Giacchieri won a second place for his directing of your play.

Geraldo de Oliveira invited me to direct SOUL GONE HOME here in São Paulo and I accepted his invitation. The only trouble is that I am under a contract to direct Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN in arena and won't be able to direct your play before September or early October. Anyway I will do it and let you know about.

You told me about your new play SIMPLY HEAVENLY based on SIMPLE SPEAKS HIS MIND. Do you have a spare copy of it by any chance? I'd love to read and translate it. I know the Greenwich Mews Theatre well. As a matter of fact I saw a wonderful production of JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK there and also a production of William Branch play. I published an interview with somebody there, its director maybe, but can't recall his name. Mr. Gassner had advised me to send them my last three-act play and I intend to do it soon.

I hope to hear from you soon and wish you the best of luck with your new play and with everything.

P.S.- Dizzy Gillespie was here last week; he gave four concerts. Everybody liked him.

A.

September
Eighteenth

1
9
5
6

Dear Augusto;

I am deeply grateful to you for keeping me informed about the
performance of MULATTO. And I am very glad that Aurea Campos
and Francisco Giacchieri received recognition from it. I am
delighted that the play has been performed at last in Brazil.

I am also pleased to hear that you may direct my little one
actor SOUL GONE HOME. Be sure to send me two or three programs
whenever it is done.

SIMPLY HEAVENLY is now scheduled for the Greenwich Mews in January.
I think it would be wise for me to wait until I have revised the
script during rehearsals (as a playwright usually has to do) and
then I will send you a copy of the final acting version. The
Mews now has a new director, Miriam Goldina, wife of the late
Zimach who founded the famous Hobena Theatre in Europe and of
which Madame Godina was the leading actress.

One of the members of Dizzie Gillespie's band, a trumpet player and
arranger, Quincy Jones is a friend of mine and tells me they all
enjoyed their South American tour very much. He is going to set
some of my poems to music in modern jazz style.

Under separate cover I am sending you today's New York Herald
Tribune's supplement on Brazil which has a beautiful picture of
Rio on the front page, a city that I very much hope to see some day.

My continued good wishes to you.

LH/g

July 30, 1957

Dear Augusto!

It was most kind of you to send me that beautiful anthology, Videntes e Sonambulos, containing three of my poems. I probably never would have seen it had it not been for your thoughtfulness. I am happy indeed to have it occupy a prominent place on my bookshelf.

What is happening theatrically where you are? I have just received word that MULATTO is to be presented in Buenos Aires soon. A few months ago it was done on the Paris radio and an adaptation is now being prepared for the French stage. Here in New York, my comedy with music, SIMPLY HEAVENLY, based on my book, SIMPLE TAKES A WIFE, opened very successfully off Broadway a few weeks ago and will be moving to the Broadway Playhouse on August 20th. I wish you were here to see it.

This has been the hottest summer in many years in New York, but I have had so much work to do that I have not even been able to get to the beach. One of the things I have been doing is translating the poetry of Gabriela Mistral for the Indiana University Press, but mainly it has been SIMPLY HEAVENLY and the many things I have had to do in connection with its production. I know you will forgive me for being so long in acknowledging receipt of the book.

I send you all my good wishes, as ever,

Sr. Augusto Boal
Rua Robo Junior 1130-A
Penha-Circular
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

São Paulo, 10 November 57

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I am very much ashamed for not having written you
im such a long time. Lots of things have happened to me lately and
left me no time to do the things I really want.

As I believe I told you, MULATTO was quite a success
last year. It is again to be presented this year, within two months,
by the same cast. I am sending you some clippings and will send the
playbill as soon as I can.

The theatrical season here in São Paulo is drawing
to an end. Since I am working for the Arena Theatre, I directed three
plays: Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN, a comedy of mime, entitled SKINNY
MAN AND DUMB WIFE, and, finally, Sean O'Casey's JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK.
The first two were the biggest hits the Arena ever had, and the last
one its worst flop, perhaps. I just did not understand how it happened.
I'm quite sure it was the best thin I've ever done in my whole life.
My work with the actors and on the play was much better than anything
I had done before. But it failed. I got kind reviews; jaxx im talking
about JUNO the critics praised my earlier work. They made me nervous.

Now I am preparing my next play, which is going to be
Sidney Howard's THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED. When I read the play for the
first time, I thought it was a bad melodrama, and
reactionary too, which's worse. Then I read it again as a light com-
dy, and thought it was good. I'm not quite sure Sidney Howard would
agree with a comical interpretation of his play... I am also working
on TV, writing and directing a series of stories about the central chara-
cters of my comedy, SKINNY MAN, DUMB WIFE. Itx is supposed to last through
the next three months.

I was very happy to hear of your success on Broadway.
I certainly hope your play stays on the boards long enough for me to see
it, next 1959. I have worked on the translation of your book, SIMPLE SPEAKS
HIS MIND, and I believe I'll be able to get it published, even though it
can take some time.

Louis Armstrong will be on town next week for a three
day engagement. He is much loved here in Brazil. I reviewed his auto-
biography for a Brazillian newspaper and was amazed at his frankness in
talking about his relatives, especially his mother. I enjoyed the book
throughout and liked his descriptions of fightings and quarrels among
his friends and relatives. One is reminded of Williams' STREETCAR.
I think you told me he is your friend: if I was sure xxxxxxxx you said
that I'd love to look him up and tell his I'm your friend too and have
a chat with him.

Theatrical, there is not much to be talked about
in Brazil, at this time. In Rio <u>thxxx</u> Amouilh has a play on the boards:
ARDÈLE OU LA MARGERITÉ. In São Paulo he has another: THE LARK. Tennessee
Williams had his THE ROSE TATTOO back at the same theatre which presented
it last year. At the Arena, a double bill: FEU LA MERE DE MADAME, a
little masterpiece by George Feydeau, and a poor drama called THE OLD
COUPLE, by Mirbeau. Next openings are: Coward's NUDE WITH VIOLIN,
Benavente's LOS INTERESSES CREADOS and Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE. All
this tempered with eight or ten national vaudevilles.

I hope you will not be angry at me for my delay and
will write me back soon.

With my best wishes,

33

TEATRO DE

R. Theodoro Bayma, 94 - Tel. 35-1913

arena

São Paulo, Dec. the 19th, 1959

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I am sure you will forgive my long delay in replying to your last two letters. In fact, I have been away from Rio for quite a long time now, and am working in São Paulo, at the Arena Theatre, for over three years. From time to time I go back to Rio to see my folk, and am always glad to find a letter from you.

I read SIMPLY HEAVENLY and liked it very much. I am writing a play about a character who is somehow related to Simple. The environment is different, his problems are different, but I felt some kind of influence from much liking him. I hope it will turn out to be good, too. The play is called REVOLUTION IN SOUTH AMERICA, but, of course, no shot is fired.

The translation of SIMPLY HEAVENLY is under way. The TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DO NEGRO is going to do the play next April. Could you send me a copy of the musical score? I will not be able to direct it myself, but I have been asked to send you help in the production, and I certainly will.

Sébato Magaldi, whom I am sending you, is our best drama critic. He works for O ESTADO, writing essays and reviews, and is connected with the new theatrical movement in Brazil. He was awarded a scholarship from the Department of State, and has also been in France, Italy and England. His wife, Nellie, is an author herself, and has just finished her last play. Both of them are very fine people.

I thank you again for having send me the script of SIMPLY HEAVENLY and promise to keep you informed about its production. I also hope you will like my friends and am sending you a record of Brazilian music. Joãozinho da Gomea sings in Portuguese and in some African dialect. The music is taken from "mocima", a kind of voodoo seance. Will you enjoy it?

Hope to hear from you soon.

As ever,

36

February 1, 1960

Dear Augusto:

It was certainly very nice to hear
from you and I am glad to have your
new address and to learn of your
interesting work with the Arena Theatre.
I have been out of New York a great deal
during the past two months. Inciden-
tally I went to Trinidad in November
on a Varig plane and enjoyed the trip
very much. Then I went to California
and have just recently returned.
During my absence Mr. Magaldi phoned
me twice but unfortunately I have been
unable to contact him and I am afraid
I will not get to chance to see him
since I am leaving town again tomorrow
on a three weeks lecture tour. I am
sending him a note and asking him to
leave the record for my secretary to
pick up.

I am sending you the music for SIMPLY
HEAVENLY as you requested and I am de-
lighted to learn that it is going to be
done in Brazil. I have forgotten which
version of the play I sent you, but
there is one which may be done without
songs if desirable since I imagine the
lyrics will be hard to translate into
another language. If the theatre would
prefer this version, I could mail it to
you. Certainly all of the songs need
not be included in any case.

Best of luck and warm regards, as ever
Sincerely,

37

July 18, 1961

Dear Augusto:

I don't believe I have written to you
since having some delightful visits with
your friends, Nelli and Sabas, a year or
so ago. They told me about your success-
ful place in Rio which delights me and
they sent me on their return to Argentina
a copy of Manuel Bandeiros, APRESENTACIO
A POESIA BRASILEIRA. Apparently I have
mislaided their address and have therefore
been unable to write and thank them.
Will you send it to me? Also tell them
I am most grateful to them for sending
me the book.

Herbert Machiz who directed the summer
tryout of my play, TAMBOURINES TO GLORY,
at Westport, Conn. last year is now in
Brazil. He is traveling, I believe, on
a Ford Foundation Theatre Fellowship.
I gave him your address and hope that he
might be able to contact you.

When are you coming again to New York?
It would be wonderful to see you.

Warm regards, as ever

Mr. Augusto Boel
Rua Bobo Junior 1130A
Pena-Circular
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil