about this project
project origins
This project started very simply. I heard a friend with a very different opinion than I have about our president tell me why he believed the way he did on one specific issue. It was something I had never thought of before. It didn't necessarily change my mind, but was very much an eye-opener and it made me wonder about how other people arrived at their opinions.
I thought it would be fascinating to hear people's stories and feelings - people I've not met and may never meet - expressed in the immediate and intimate form of a letter to the President.
I've never written a letter to the President before. I always assumed that with the volume of mail the President receives every day, my letter would never be read by the President himself.
An open letter is different. There is a long tradition of open letters to the President. The larger public impact of an open letter can be powerful, and in creating this project, I'd like to provide a forum for as diverse a field of opinions as possible.
-MW
introduction
Following are excerpts from our introduction letter to President Bush. The full letter is available here.
May 29, 2004
Dear Mr. President:
In the spirit of a long tradition of open letters to our elected leaders, I am creating a theater project entitled, "Dear George: Letters to the President."
It is no secret that the nation is divided in its opinion of your presidency. However, I feel that viewing this division in a simple, binary manner, does not do justice to you and your office, or to the spirit and intelligence of the American Public.
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Because of this, I am actively soliciting open letters from Americans from all walks of life, and all political and personal viewpoints to read from in a staged performance this October.
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It is my aim to have actors read directly from these letters, in whole or in part, with no alterations to their content or intent.
We are welcoming Americans' open letters to your office on all subjects, and from all perspectives. It is my great hope that the ultimate work serves as a snapshot of our nation at this point in our history.
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Some contributors may choose to remain anonymous, and some may choose to lie, but each letter will be considered without prejudice.
I would, of course, welcome any input or contribution that you may have to this project. I would be honored if you would share an open letter to America in return.
Sincerely,
Marcus Woollen
West 50th Street Productions
New York City
West 50th Street Productions
West 50th Street Productions was founded in New York in 2002 by Marcus Woollen and Robert Driemeyer to develop and produce new American theater.
West 50th Street Productions' other projects include Slap&Tickle, a new play by David Parr, and Route 66: an American Musical Journey.