Here we go.

This morning I signed a contract with the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency for the rights to perform my William Blake’s Inn, based on the Newbery–Award-winning A Visit to William Blake’s Inn by Nancy Willard.

The painting done by Nancy willard in one of my copies of “A Visit to William Blake’s Inn”

It’s been twenty years since Nancy so generously gave me permission to set her poems to music, and now, finally, we may see a world premiere production. At the Naggar Agency, the agents in charge of Nancy’s estate have been supportive and accommodating; as I said in my email to them this morning, any snafus that develop from the contract as written can probably be attributed to my lack of experience in these things.

So what’s the plan?

Start beating the drum for organizations to enlist in the effort. Start raising funds for the sets and costumes. Find a place to work on the show, to workshop how we will turn a song cycle into a dazzling stage show.

(To see what I mean about workshopping, see the chapter on SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION in Lichtenbergianism: procrastination as a creative strategy: We did this in 2007 for two of the songs and were able to give Nancy one of the sunflower puppets we created.)

Workshop/fundraise/organize during 2024.

Audition/rehearse/build/perform in the spring of 2025.

Take a deep breath.

Begin.