Sunday, May 22, 2011

Letter: Pam Gems obituary

Nancy Meckler writes: I had the good fortune to work with Pam Gems (obituary, 17 May) many times, which meant many entertaining hours spent warmed by her fascinating company and dazzled by her original mind. Whether we were poring over her versions of Chekhov or engaged in casting sessions, conversation with Pam would roam widely. She was passionate about science, loved gossip and was full of astonishing stories about her childhood and her wartime exploits. Her grasp of history and psychology gave fresh perspective to the text in hand.

After its Edinburgh run, I directed a revised version of Pam's play Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi for Hampstead theatre. Its insightful glimpse into four young women's lives in 70s Britain captured a key moment in the history of the women's movement. She had expressed something very poignant and profound about what was happening to women, to the way they envisioned their futures and to the way they were perceived. Surprisingly, Pam at this time was in her 50s.

I was heavily pregnant when Pam approached me to direct her one-act play The Project at the Soho Poly. Although she was keen for the show to be produced, she was ever aware of what it meant to work creatively while juggling the demands of breastfeeding. I suggested they move on to another director, but Pam was resolute that we would wait until the baby was five months old.

Pam and I occasionally chatted on the phone. It was hard to find the right moment to ring her, because I knew that once we had begun talking, I would never want the conversation to end.


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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/may/22/letter-pam-gems-obituary

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