One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, "Shakespeare in Love". To set the scene:
The plague has closed down London's theaters and Shakespeare’s producer, Philip Henslowe (played by Geoffrey Rush) is being threatened by Fennyman, the investor he has found to bankroll his productions.
HENSLOWE (Sputtering - as one of Fennyman’s goons holds 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: (Tightening his grip on Henslowe.) Shall I kill him Mr. Fennyman?
As Henslowe readies himself for imminent 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....
Henslowe is visibly relieved as the goon relaxes his grip.
I offer this scene as the closest parallel 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, however, the schedule was so tight I was beginning to consider the option of simply extending the current show 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
Do tell me, 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. Photographs by Rudy Burckhardt.” Opening April 12.
