Drama

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
Numerous weird and a few SF plays have been noted or reviewed in fanzines. Tony Boucher once compiled a list (in Peon) of over 60 operas with at least elements of fantasy. Among the more famous of those with considerable fantasy content are Gluck's Orfeo et Euridice, Gounod's Faust, Menotti's The Medium, Mozart's The Magic Flute, Weber's Die Freischutz, Rimsky-Korsakov's Golden Cockerel, the whole of Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen, and of course Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman, which Boucher describes as "unquestionably the most magnificently fantastic of all operas" (and, now it's been filmed, movies). Some fans at the Norwescon sent Giancarlo Menotti a copy of Heinlein's "Green Hills of Earth" with the suggestion that he make it into an opera, but without result. Dramas written by fans themselves have usually been of the "closet drama" type; i.e., intended for reading, not acting. Up till the end of the war only one fan drama had actually been performed (Widner's adaptation of Chauvenet's "Legion of Legions", at the Boskone II) but thereafter a number of others appeared at conventions -- even, fergawdsake, a stf ballet ("Asteroid", at the ChiCon II). And the tapera appeared as an art form, especially in the hands of Walt Willis and the Liverpool Group.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
Numerous weird and a few s-f plays have been noted or reviewed in fanzines. Dramas written by fans themselves have usually been of the "closet drama" type, that is, intended for reading, not for acting. The only play to be performed by fans was the Widner adaptation of Chauvenet's "Legion of Legions" burlesque, at Boskone II. On the sonodisc a few radio plays have been recorded by fans. Mention should not also be made of Rothman's marionette show at the 38 Philcon.

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