Jane Fonda on The View

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I wrote to Jane Fonda on her blog page. This is her reply received today.

ONCE WE OPEN THERE WILL BE MORE CHANCE TO OPENLY TALK ABOUT ALS. RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT FOCUSING ON THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE AS PART OF OUR PLAY.

Sharonca
 
that's an awful thing to say. maybe they're worried no one will buy tickets.

if you want to write a play about Beethoven, write a play about Beethoven and leave ALS out of it --unless you're going to be sensitive to the fact that there are people out there dying with this disease and acknowledge them.

classical music enthusiasts aside, i bet more people are intrigued by a play that involves
a dying woman trying to put right her relationship with her daughter than they are about Beethoven.
 
I contacted my friend Moises Kaufman, the writer, director of 33 Variations and expressed our concerns. He sent me this email to post here.

Hi Al

Thank you so much for letting me know about the postings in the forum.

I guess the thing I'd like to say is that we are in previews. We haven't yet opened. Jane's appearance on the VIEW was meant to get people curious about the show, not spell out everything in it.
When the show opens every single review will talk about ALS. Every single article. The work of publicity BEFORE a show opens is difficult and delicate. Kind of not trying to give away too much of what it's about.

In addition, you know that although our leading character in the play has ALS, that is only a subplot in it. It's NOT a play ABOUT ALS. And yet, we witness the lead character from months after her diagnosis to months before her death. I've conducted dozens of interviews and talked to many people with ALS in order to make sure our portrayal is correct. You and I have ha dozens of conversations (by phone and email) to make sure we got it right. We hope we'll do it correctly.

This is a horrible illness and we're glad to be bringing some visibility to it.

Moises Kaufman
Writer Director
33 VARIATIONS

I as he said have been talking to him on numerous occasions about ALS and believe he will portray a PAL in a good light and help bring awareness when the time is right.

AL.
 
Jane Fonda

I saw both the interviews and feel the same way. ALS got mentioned so quickly. The focus was on Jane returning to Broadway. That is ok with me but I sure would like to have the ALS as a disease focused some. Passing our thoughts along will be good. I live in northern NY but hope to get to the city to see it .
July 4th at Yankee Stadium they are celebrating the 70th annes. of Lou Gerighs speech.
I hope to be able to make that as well.; Any oppeertunity we can talk it up is good for us and for the future.
 
I will sign petition as well. Jane Fonda,SHAME ON YOU !:mad:
 
Al,
Thank you so much for contacting Mr. Kaufman. I did realize the main plot of the play was about Beethoven's work, and did not expect Miss Fonda to go on and on about
ALS, but when the main character has this disease, I thought it deserved a mention by name. I'm happy to hear this will change once the preview is over. Just so Mr. Kaufman knows, this is a tough group and we will not give up ;)
 
Review of play

Just read a review of the play in this week's New Yorker, and the closest the reviewer got to the subject of ALS was to say Fonda's character was struggling with "a motor neuron disease."

At least, the people who buy tickets and actually see the play will be made aware that what Fonda's character has is ALS. (I hope !)
 
Count me in too. Jane Fonda is assertive and aggressive enough tht if she really cared and wanted to talk about ALS and help eductae others on the View or elsewhere, , she could have.

Remember Hanoi Jane? I think she has her own agenda.

It is a gift to be able to be in our forum. You are all such wonderful people and help my husband and me so much.

Thank you so much,

Connie
 
Count me in too. Jane Fonda is assertive and aggressive enough tht if she really cared and wanted to talk about ALS and help educate others on the View or elsewhere, , she could have.

Remember Hanoi Jane? I think she has her own agenda.

It is a gift to be able to be in our forum. You are all such wonderful people and help my husband and me so much.

Thank you so much,

Connie
 
I'm sorry, any maybe this anger is misdirected, but WTF. Has there been any mention of ALS anywhere? There was a line of people outside there the other night. I want to see it and boycott it in equal measures. But I fear my capability to be unbiased has long since gone.
 
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