‘Cease And Desist Order Was Sent To Stop Her Meddling’: Staġun Teatru Malta Hits Back At Scriptwriter
Theatre producer Mario Philip Azzopardi’s Staġun Teatru Malti has hit back at claims made by a Maltese scriptwriter who has publicly criticised the misuse of her script for Iġri Neħles, a play that discusses abortion, years after it was written.
In a new statement, STM, which funds the development of scripts, praised scriptwriter Marta Vella as “extremely talented” and a “joy” to work with and the theatre company opened up about the slowly worsening relationship.
“One thing to make clear. I ‘invited’ her to collaborate, I was not obliged or expected to. The production of her script belongs to the company, not the author, or actors, or director. This is the business. The company paid for the performing rights and beyond that point Marta had no further say in the production,” it said.
After the COVID-19 pandemic ended up pushing the play back by years – just a week before it was about to be staged – Vella had moved on, even working on shows staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
When STM planned to go ahead with the show again, they said they offered her to direct it herself – however, “she refused”, leading to the company casting a male director, as opposed to the original wishes of Vella, who specifically wanted a female director in charge.
” Again, the company owned the rights to produce it, and it is going to.”
Soon, cast payments became an issue.
“Trouble started after the COVID-19 postponement, when Marta started meddling in company affairs, which she had no right to do. STM went through extensive talks with the Manoel regarding remunerating the actors and director for the work they had done,” they said.
“During these negotiations Marta took it upon herself to militate about fees, not knowing what was going on, and organising the cast to take whatever action was possible to force remuneration,” it continued
“Her insistence on approaching the theatre on her own was seriously damaging the ongoing negotiations. There was no breach of her contract. She was fully paid, and there was no need or call for her defend the actors’ interests. I begged her to stop as I was close to an agreement. She refused. That is where the cease-and-desist order was issued, to stop her from meddling in the company’s affairs with the theatre. Nothing else.”
STM went on to react to criticism over some of the marketing materials used to promote the play, including a poster featuring an ultrasound along with some typos.
“So Marta does not like the posters? Tough luck. Ooooops, yep there are a lot of spelling mistakes. My bad. My fault. I am sorry. That damn apostrophe and that ‘għ’ is my weakness. Should invest more in proofing. Will do.”
STM ended by saying the “show must go on”.
“I offered Marta to come and direct the play herself, but her response was ‘I don’t know in what world that could happen!’, or something to that effect. I erase angry emails. Good luck Marta.”
What do you make of this response?
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