The Producers

One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, "Shakespeare in Love":

The plague has closed down the theaters and Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare’s producer, is being threatened (as he repeatedly is) by the investor he has found to bankroll his productions.

HENSLOWE (with one of Fennyman’s goons holding a knife to his throat): Allow me to explain about the theater business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

FENNYMAN: So what do we do?

HENSLOWE: Nothing. Strangely enough it all turns out well.

FENNYMAN: How?

HENSLOWE: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

GOON: Shall I kill him Mr. Fennyman?

As Henslowe readies himself for the next torture, the town crier appears.

TOWN CRIER: The theaters are re-opened by order of the master of the revels. The theaters are re-opened.


I offer this scene as the closest parallel I have found to the gallery business. Strangely enough it always seems to turn out well!

I recently had to postpone a show in order to accommodate the publication of a book. This left me with a hole in my schedule and nothing I liked to fill it with. I knew, however, that something always happens.

In this case things were about as tight as they could be and I was beginning to consider the option of simply extending the show I have up now when walking along Madison Avenue last week I ran into the dealer Keith de Lellis.

DE LELLIS
I was just thinking about calling you.

DANZIGER
Why?

DE LELLIS
I have some photographs I thought might interest you for a show. They’re a group of vintage prints by Rudy Burckhardt of pictures he took for Leo Castelli of Jasper Johns paintings.

DANZIGER
How many are there?

DE LELLIS
About 30.

DANZIGER
When can I see them?

And this is the story behind my next show “Jasper Johns – Black and White. Photograhs by Rudy Burckhardt.” Opening April 12.