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Post by Judy on Aug 22, 2006 17:19:31 GMT -5
www.armyarcherd.com/From Variety's Army Archerd blog: Monday, August 21, 2006 Spence And Me The final three weeks of Spencer Tracy with Katharine Hepburn at his side -- in the St. Ives Dr. Beverly Hills guest house of George Cukor -- is John Dayton’s two-act play, "Spence And Me." Dayton exec produced three of Hepburn’s last films, "The Man Upstairs," with Ryan O'Neal, "This Can't Be Love" with Anthony Quinn and Truman Capote's "One Christmas" in which Dayton wrote Hepburn's own philosophy of life. He was close to Hepburn in her final chapters. And had encouraged her to return to work. Just as she and director Stanley Kramer had encouraged Tracy to again work -- in "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner." It was Hepburn who invited me to visit the set to chronicle what she knew was to be the final film for Tracy. Then Dayton arranged a visit with Kate in her New York home shortly before she retired to the family’s country house. Dayton says the dialog between Tracy and Hepburn in those final three weeks is “rooted in fact” and based on Hepburn’s book, “Me,” plus his tapes with Hepburn and visits with Garson Kanin plus a few details Susie Tracy (Spence’s daughter) “kindly helped on.” Yes, Dayton says she has read his two-act play. He’s submitted it to Bay Street Theatre’s Emma and Steve Hamilton and Cybil Christopher. Dayton would also like to direct. His dream cast: Anthony Hopkins as Spencer Tracy and Susan Sarandon as Katharine Hepburn. Those of you who have the audio recording Katharine Hepburn: A Tribute by Geoffrey Giulano will recognize Dayton's name. He is interviewed at length on the recording and has now, apparently, come up with this play. I'm getting a bit punch drunk from all the stuff out there about her and them, so not sure what to think of this. But ya'll can digest it for yourselves. Judy
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Post by Shaun on Aug 22, 2006 17:34:12 GMT -5
It sounds kinda interesting. I wonder how it will compare to Tea at Five which you hate so much Judy. ;D
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Post by Judy on Aug 22, 2006 18:21:29 GMT -5
It sounds kinda interesting. I wonder how it will compare to Tea at Five which you hate so much Judy. ;D WELLLLL....IF this report is accurate and IF it is true that Susie Tracy has at least been permitted to look at it and IF it's passed her litmus test, and IF he can get his dream cast - which I doubt he'd get for a theatrical production but could very well put together for a film or even an HBO movie - then i would have to get a bit excited about it. On the other hand, he was involved with those mediocre last TV movies of Kate's, which - even as I relished every moment of her on screen - I felt were very poorly directed and even more poorly written. I suppose it COULD be worse than TEA AT FIVE...but that'd be going some ;-) JS
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Post by Shaun on Aug 22, 2006 18:28:03 GMT -5
I'd prefer an HBO movie. There aren't any theatre's around here for miles that would show a production of the play.
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Post by Judy on Aug 22, 2006 18:33:59 GMT -5
I'd prefer an HBO movie. There aren't any theatre's around here for miles that would show a production of the play. I think it'd be much more likely for it to be a film of some sort rather than a stage play - especially if he's fishing for stars like those.
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Post by Cate on Aug 22, 2006 23:35:22 GMT -5
I think it would be great either way (if everything he says about fact is true). It's so funny that he wants Susan Sarandon to play Kate because I was watching her in Alfie and thought, that's probably one of the only actresses today that could come close to portraying her. . . Awesomeness. Susan Sarandon might be up to playing the part (not that I know her) but she does like doing small films (i.e. Igby Goes Down which is one of my favorites). Anthony Hopkins. . . as Spence? Hmm. . . I don't know. Love Anthony though.
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Post by HollywoodHepcat on Aug 23, 2006 0:45:01 GMT -5
Eh...BOO/YEY!
We'll see.....you're right Judy...all those IFs----I'll make up my mind when things start to materialize. I'd be happier if people didn't feel the need to make Kate a character to "play", but if they have to keep doing it....well. *sigh*
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Post by isis on Aug 23, 2006 4:49:23 GMT -5
I love these actors, I wouldn't think to Susan Sarandon for Kate but why not she could be a good Kate perhaps.
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Post by martha on Feb 4, 2008 12:52:19 GMT -5
apparently there is some more recent action on this play .. a reading last summer (July 2007): www.armyarcherd.com/2007/07/act-one--spence.htmlAct One: "Spence and Me"Close_glenn_02It was 5 p.m. in New York today when I reached David Brown at his (and Helen Gurley Brown's) penthouse. Glenn Close and Brian Murray had just completed the first reading of John Dayton's play, "Spence and Me" directed by Jerry Zaks. "We just moved some furniture around in the dining room and made a little theater," said Brown. All of his previous shows (like the current hit "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") had started with a read through, but never before in their home. There were 22 in the Browns' dining room/theater for the event. The reading was not for financing, Brown reminded. This was for creative purposes and he claims it was "simply riveting." He credits his fellow producer Bill Self and Jerry Zaks with getting Glenn Close to read/perform the play. "And she has already sent it out to Robert Redford," Brown told me. Redford will be 71 next month; Tracy is 76 in the play's setting, 1967, the last month of the legendary actor's life. Both principals talk to the audience, as well as to each other in Dayton's play. As Close was about to do the reading, she revealed to Dayton that Hepburn was an inspiration to her. When she was in college, Glenn saw Kate on a Dick Cavett show and then changed her major. After the reading, Close went on for her chores on "Damage," which bows Tuesday on FX. Meanwhile, producers Brown and Self say the next step is to find a regional theater for "Spence and Me" and then move on to Off B'way, and then who knows? That, indeed, is showbiz."
Monday, July 23, 2007
ooo, and a posting on playbill.com www.playbill.com/news/print.asp?id=109333judy .. what do you think? did you attend this reading? i'm itching to read the script, i must admit ..
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Post by Judy on Feb 4, 2008 20:54:07 GMT -5
apparently there is some more recent action on this play .. a reading last summer (July 2007): www.armyarcherd.com/2007/07/act-one--spence.htmlAct One: "Spence and Me"Close_glenn_02It was 5 p.m. in New York today when I reached David Brown at his (and Helen Gurley Brown's) penthouse. Glenn Close and Brian Murray had just completed the first reading of John Dayton's play, "Spence and Me" directed by Jerry Zaks. "We just moved some furniture around in the dining room and made a little theater," said Brown. All of his previous shows (like the current hit "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") had started with a read through, but never before in their home. There were 22 in the Browns' dining room/theater for the event. The reading was not for financing, Brown reminded. This was for creative purposes and he claims it was "simply riveting." He credits his fellow producer Bill Self and Jerry Zaks with getting Glenn Close to read/perform the play. "And she has already sent it out to Robert Redford," Brown told me. Redford will be 71 next month; Tracy is 76 in the play's setting, 1967, the last month of the legendary actor's life. Both principals talk to the audience, as well as to each other in Dayton's play. As Close was about to do the reading, she revealed to Dayton that Hepburn was an inspiration to her. When she was in college, Glenn saw Kate on a Dick Cavett show and then changed her major. After the reading, Close went on for her chores on "Damage," which bows Tuesday on FX. Meanwhile, producers Brown and Self say the next step is to find a regional theater for "Spence and Me" and then move on to Off B'way, and then who knows? That, indeed, is showbiz."
Monday, July 23, 2007
ooo, and a posting on playbill.com www.playbill.com/news/print.asp?id=109333judy .. what do you think? did you attend this reading? i'm itching to read the script, i must admit .. I didn't attend the reading. My personal opinion is that this play shouldn't be, if it ever comes to be. Having said that, I'm relieved that good people (as in actors) are involved - as well as someone like Bill Self, who actually knew both Spencer and Kate (although why he's involved in this I'm not sure) and the director Jerry Zaks, although, as far as I know, he is no longer involved with the project - because I think they will be crucial to putting it across. But it worries me. I don't base my opinion on much because I've not read the script. So it's just my instinct. John Dayton seems to have really liked Kate. There is plenty of evidence of that in his long interview on the Geoffrey Giuliano tape, Kate: A Tribute. But although he speaks with great affection for her, there's something about the way he says things that made me think he made himself out to be a closer friend than was actually true. I can't give you any reason; just a feeling. I think there were other people - writers mainly - who did that - Berg may even have been one. But I'm not sure why he has attempted this. Berg made a point of saying - I think it was Berg - that the period in the 60s was one he could never get Kate to talk about. Of COURSE, we're all curious. That's human nature, I guess. And I don't exclude myself. But if SHE chose not to talk about it - even in her own book, really - why would a "good" friend betray that. She clearly spoke to him privately about certain times. But based on the work he did with Kate - the not so stellar - or, shall we say, tepid - TV efforts, I'm not exactly jumping for joy over the prospect of a script from him. I don't mean to attack him. I've a feeling that he is trying to get this thing out there as an antidote to a certain book. When an excerpt from that book appeared in Vanity Fair, Dayton wrote a terrific letter to the editor that got published in a subsequent issue. And I'm all for anyone at least offering an alternative to that muck. It would be lovely to have something high profile out there to stand up to all the revisionist history, but I'm not sure a play about the two of them is the way to go. Getting their "voices" down is so damned difficult. And if you can't do that, you're doomed. I'm not sure Dayton has the talent to do that. He may have the affection for her, but that may not be enough. End of convoluted reply :-)
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Post by martha on Feb 4, 2008 22:18:53 GMT -5
convoluted reply? not to me. no .. this seems informed and reasoned ... and ... thanks for your musings. and important to put all these works in their context of other works.
there is room to muse too on the whole general enteprise ... as you suggest here ... as we have mused about with 'tea at five' and i've interjected ... on the idea of biographical one-person or small cast plays that feature personalities/stars from the past. very difficult to do.
heck .... i'd rather watch me some dvds of the works by the original artists.
we'll see what play this becomes.
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