Why is a writer? Beggar's opera
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Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational
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broadcasters.
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Today's program The Beggar's Opera.
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I am
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17 27 when Jon a gentleman wrote his Beggar's Opera.
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It was only the very fortunate writer who could earn enough to support himself.
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Yet this was understandable for a gentleman who was not supposed to have to earn his
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living.
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Oh Alexander poke her with it here. Don't you like
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music don't you. If it is music but that. Is not
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what music is imported from it.
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Why are you whispering if you take in too much snuff.
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Right.
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Now. Do you speak up I say yes I do what you say
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though about someone imported from Italy the Performa exactly
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as it sounds as if you had all the sea voyage Mrs. Howard Brown
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this is Howard indeed a woman of little taste. A woman of
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poor breeding. There is no reason for me to do it.
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Mrs Howard was the rare pleasure to see.
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Never mind that you really live.
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I'm looking for gay gay gay. Your friend that
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John will recognise the description but have you seen him.
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Not through I know that he came to you yesterday.
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Indeed he is here this evening.
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I shall give him a pass and never turn you
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on. I did you wrong he still upon me like a hawk. But she was with game haven't
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you.
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If I must give reasons I have been at work on my power is good and something to stir her
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anger.
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Very fine Sherry Alexander are you sure you want to have some my dear friend Gay as sure is the year
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is 1727 you know I don't drink it. Mrs Howard presented it to me.
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Very superior Mrs Howard.
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This is how it was seeking your last evening with fire in her eyes. Isn't she dreadful
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sometimes. Courtney's told me what you've done. Oh that. No my dear fellow not
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just that to begin with wonders not to make an enemy of Mrs. Howe are no
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such thing I merely refuse to be Chamberlain to the royal princes. An appointment which Mrs.
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Howard went to some trouble to get for you and it was issued in worth two hundred pounds per
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year I do not seek favor of course since when I'm quite tired of being someone's
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servant I want to be my own man may I remind you that one must have money
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to be one's own man I shall have money my stage plays
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and success. Why that all the producers refuse to produce. Rich will produce it. John
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Rich the same. He's completely taken with it. Does he understand it's a dangerous attire on
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the prime minister or the prime minister's political power has never been greater.
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Obvious not the idiot you think him to be the raves about the play. He would not change
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one word of it for all the gold in the Orient indeed. Yes sir.
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He raves about it.
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If you don't have me I am sure Mr. Rich and I know
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quite impossible then that the author changed them. Where did the author
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not hear you not here why not. He's probably not yet. It isn't
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not awake it's 10 o'clock in the morning already.
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There are actors on the stage no doubt who would be here any moment in an hour or
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two by Neptune daughter I wish I had never seen this play. Shall we rehearse the
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beginning again.
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Yes and make it act. Bring it to life.
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Whatever life we can give it.
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Why don't the stage right then find the rest of you now like I'm
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doing something.
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Yeah I do. Pete and I.
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Think you. Oh oh.
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Oh here is Mr. Gay unself they've got it
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all.
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Mr. Grey how good of you. Quite sorry I was kept. Mr.
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Rich was having difficulty while I was indeed. When did it
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end. Anything I can do. I wonder that it was not done in the beginning. The
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play has been going rather slowly.
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Even the written part all of it every live line out of the actors
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mouth.
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Indeed indeed. And they eat and they starve.
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So very good of you to take me where I'm going to show is this is
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how I. Yes quite out. And to suppose that I would ever have and that
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you are not I assure you with forgiven although of course I was pro-gun.
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A room full of homecomings very nice joking
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aren't you Alex. Call I'm joking but if John as you
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say he had no will make your fortune. Well then I wish you all the
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band of his genius hardly any luck.
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Alexander isn't it too early in the noon for thoughts for which
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we are here.
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I was you to the door. Thank you. No I shouldn't dream of taking you for
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Mr if I shall see my own way to the door.
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She is a woman of great humor again. But she helped me. I thought you'd throw it out
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for there to namby pamby court business I have but what's the matter. It's a big
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influence with the king. You know that is the prime minister
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gotten wind of the satire in the play. You heard what a fool it makes him I don't think so.
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Besides how could the rich steady actors want to be trusted trusted Actos.
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Well that's not it anyway. What he's doing. Unless of course you're only
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worried about money. You are extra shocked today Alexander triangle
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Yes no I'm not the cause of your trouble certainly writing plays for your bread and butter
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is always a risk it's quite better than being a stupid servant of course and
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overdressed bowing before royalty a flatterer to only women.
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She That's what I say.
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Anything is better than that even having to wonder if you have to play will succeed.
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I hear the actors don't even like you lack just want to think.
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Music that's what I said mystic to rehearsal before opening a new
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demand music. The play is dead. I yet need livening in the worst of the
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voice. But what music told me you've seen it.
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Tell him what a mad idea he's gotten where the truth is the
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truth. Even the Marquise of Queen agrees. She's
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seen it. Yesterday's rehearsal and its common opinion.
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You've nothing to lose Watan nothing. Oh musicians I'm fit is a
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drum and I have a musician to compose it.
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There you are John there is even a composer but it won't be the same as what
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you suppose the audience cares.
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The play is good or it is not music.
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When has walked out. He says he will not sing the porn is there no one else. Go on
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yourself Mr K.. You've been.
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Opening night why aren't you. Come on they won't wait for you Are you
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sure Quinn's replacement can come.
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Always and always like to hear.
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Thank you. PRIME MINISTER I mean the prime minister Mr. Walpole is there
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any other prime minister named of course not.
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Of course not of the audience seemed friendly.
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We shall see.
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They don't like it pope me perhaps dying to know what
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difference the reason to the failure.
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I like you John if only you were the entire audience. You two are like old women.
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I think I'm going to be coming.
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He didn't I tell you name not me. Then caught up to believe not me and want to
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walk home not applauding everywhere how do you know politics
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not to cheer when everyone else chair.
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Not yet.
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What I've done to him.
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Damn temple indeed who cares. He assures us of success. Seen
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everyone tends to watch him but if more Johnny smiles and his
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mind is made your point you may really end there.
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All of the flawed everyone knew the name of the player
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was a financial success.
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John Ford to his own.
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Heard in today's program or Mary Beth Rupert Don's dribbling Bob Marshall's old friend Owen Tom
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Taylor John by John Beauchamp Harold Swanson and Fred Moore as were our studio
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engineers. Why as a writer is written by Floyd Horowitz and directed by Larry Walcott.
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This has been another programme in the series why is a writer produced by WSU
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wise I was school of the air under a grant from the educational television and radio
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center and distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is
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Carter speaking.
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This is the end of the Radio Network.
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For.
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This program has been transcribed using automated software tools, made possible through a collaboration between the American Archive of Public Broadcasting and Pop Up Archive. Please note that no automated transcription is perfect nor is it intended to replace human transcription labor. If you would like to contribute corrections to this transcript, please contact MITH at mith@umd.edu.