8 January 1896
Dear Sir,
The act which we have already discussed will be delivered to you by the agreed date, that is, about the 20th. But I am writing beforehand to ask you to give some thought to a project which I would like to submit to you and which I hope may in-terest you. Since Ubu Roi, which you liked, is a complete story in itself, I could, if you liked, simplify it somewhat, and then we would have something which could not fail to be funny: you yourself found it funny when you read it without bias one way or the other.
It would be interesting, I think, to produce this (at no cost, incidentally) in the following manner:
1) Mask for the principal character, Ubu; I could get this for you, if necessary. And, in any case, I believe that you yourself have been studying the whole question of masks in the theater.
2) A cardboard horse's head which he would hang round his neck, as they did on the medieval English stage, for the only two equestrian scenes; all these details fit in with the mood of the play, since my intention was, in any case, to write a puppet play.
3) One single stage-set or, better still, a plain backdrop, thus avoiding the raising and dropping of the curtain during the single act. A formally dressed individual would walk on stage, just as he does in puppet shows, and hang up a placard indicating where the next scene takes place. (By the way, I am absolutely convinced that a descriptive placard has far more "suggestive" power than any stage scenery. No scenery, no array of walkers-on could really evoke "the Polish Army marching across the Ukraine.")
4) The abolition of crowds which usually put on a terrible collective performance and are an insult to the intelligence. So, just a single soldier in the army parade scene, and just one in the scuffle when Ubu says "What a slaughter, what a mob, etc...."
5) Choice of a special "accent," or, better still, a special "voice for the principal character.
6) Costumes as divorced as far as possible from local color or chronology (which will thus help to give the impression of something eternal): modern costumes, preferably, since the sa-tire is modern, and shoddy ones, too, to make the play even more wretched and horrible.
There are only three important characters who do much talk-ing, Ubu, Ma Ubu and Bordure. You have an actor whose appearance is exactly right for Bordure and would make a splen-did contrast with Ubu's bulk--I mean the tall fellow who declaimed: "It is my right."
Finally, I have not forgotten that this is no more than a sug-gestion for you to ponder at your leisure, and I have only dis-cussed Ubu Roi with you because it has the advantage of being the sort of play that most of the public will appreciate. Anyway, the other thing I am working on will soon be ready, and you will see how much better it is. But if the project I have just out-lined does not seem completely absurd to you, then I would appreciate your letting me know, so that I will not be working unnecessarily on the second scheme. As we planned, neither of them will take more than three-quarters of an hour's playing time.
With best wishes for all your good work, which gave me the chance of enjoying yet another highly interesting evening yesterday.
ALFRED JARRY,
162, boulevard St.-Germain.
* This is one of a series of letters written by the author of Ubu Roi to the Director of the Theatre de l'Oeuvre concerning the theatrical project upon which they were collaborating while Jarry worked for him as a secretary, scene-shifter and small-part actor. [Translator's note.]