January 28, 2020 Elys go to the Theater

The Liberty Gazette

January 28, 2020

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: A notorious medieval Scottish ancestor of mine left tremendous material for a dramatic tale to be told. In fact, about halfway back in time between him and me, another ancestor wrote a couple of lengthy novels about the trouble the old baron had gotten into. The stories are full of intrigue, no matter whose side you believe.

When I first heard of the baron’s reputation and activities, I planned on writing a novel. But life happens, and I put my notes away for a couple of decades. When I took them out again, I thought, hey, this is so dramatic, it should be a play!

After returning from my research trip to Scotland last year, I enrolled in a playwright course in Houston. I’m now taking my second course and learning lots. We had been frequenting Main Street Theater in Houston. They do a lot of Shakespeare, as well as smart, new plays. That’s how I discovered Guy Roberts.

Guy is originally from Houston, but he now lives in Prague, Czech Republic. He is the founder and CEO of the Prague Shakespeare Company and one of the foremost living experts on Shakespeare. He’s given TedTalks on Shakespeare and can recite any of the bard’s plays backward and forward, in his sleep. We’ve seen a few of his productions when he’s brought them back to Main Street Theater. So as I began converting my partially-written novel into a play, I thought of Guy. That’s when I started dreaming what I thought was the impossible dream.  If there was one person in the world who I would want to read my play and give me feedback, it would be Guy Roberts.

During my first playwright course, I asked the instructor, Elizabeth Keel, an accomplished playwright and director in her own right, if she knew Mr. Roberts. I was elated to find out that of course she does! About the time the playwright masterclass began, a promotional post card arrived in our mailbox from Main Street Theater. “See Guy Roberts as Hamlet, in January!”

Elizabeth introduced us by email, we bought tickets to Hamlet, and after the show, we joined Guy and his assistant director at an English pub down the street.

“Yes!” he said. “Send it, I’ll read it.” Then he asked all kinds of questions about the play, and when he seemed satisfied with my answers, and provided a few tips, he leaned forward and said, “But you two are pilots, right?” Yep.

“Why don’t you write a play about what it’s like flying up there, in the front of the airplane? We don’t know anything about what it’s like. I’d really like to see a play like that. In fact, I might produce it. That’s your next project, after this one is finished!” He looked and Mike and me, and he was serious. So, it looks like there may be a stage in the future of Ely Air Lines.

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