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[0:00] Marc-Eugene Garcia: Hello, and welcome to the Drama Book Show, where we bring you conversations with writers, artists, and theater professionals whose work helps shape the world of live performance. I'm Marc-Eugene Garcia, and this is our season finale of Season 4, which is crazy to me that we've done four seasons, 138 episodes. In this Season 4 finale, we explore hidden desire, forbidden intimacy, and the colonial repression through playwright Doug DeVita's adaptation of E.M. Forster's A Passage to India. Set in British-ruled India, the play follows Dr. Aziz, Cyril Fielding, and Adela Quested as their tangled attractions challenge the boundaries of culture, class, and empire. Using a storyteller theater style, DeVita brings unspoken passions to the forefront, examining the devastating consequences of silence and denial in a society governed by rigid moral codes.

Featuring performances by Nitin Madan, Marie Elena O'Brien, David Sabella, Joy Franz, Carole Monferdini, Anuj Parikh, David Carson, Patricia Randell, Mary Powelson, and David Mackler, this adaptation offers a new perspective on Forster's literary classic. Here's Doug DeVita's A Passage to India, live at the Drama Book Shop.

[1:41] Doug DeVita: Before we start talking about the play itself and your writing of which, there are a lot of people directly to my left.

[1:53] David Sabella: Yeah, this show's never going to be produced.

[1:56] Doug DeVita: Can you introduce who has joined you today?

[1:59] David Sabella: Sure. I will. Let me see. I've got to see everybody. I'll get up again.

[2:04] Doug DeVita: Why don't we start this way.

[2:06] David Sabella: No, I don't need to see everybody. We have Marie Elena O'Brien, who is reading Adela Quested, Carole Monferdini, and Joy Franz, who are sharing the role of Mrs. Moore. There's a story behind that. We have Patricia Randell and where is she, Mary Powelson, who are sharing the role of Mrs. Turton, because there's a story behind that. I'm going to start with Nitin Madan, who is reading Dr. Aziz, Anuj Parikh, who is reading Mahmood Ali, David Sabella, who is reading Cyril Fielding, David Carson, who is reading Mr. Turton, and David Mackler, who is reading Ronnie Heslop. I don't have a Professor Godbaldi. I cut him out of this. We'll talk about that later.

[2:58] David Sabella: Yes. It is just like back when I was in middle school and high school with four Davids in one room, and I'm David R. and you're David A. Let's start at the very beginning, because Julie Andrews told me that is a very good place to start. What prompted you to write this adaptation, and what is your history with the book beforehand?

[3:25] Doug DeVita: Okay. Here we go. Picture this, New York City, 1985. I had just graduated college the previous spring, and I was looking to get a job in advertising, and I had an interview at a really major New York City advertising agency with the head of HR. She will remain unnamed and the agency will remain unnamed, McCann Erickson. It was brutal. She had me in her office for three hours, three hours, while she ripped me to shreds. She just was relentless. You have no idea what advertising is about. You should not be in this industry. You do not have the talent for it. She just kept going on, and if I had been older, like now, I don't know, fuck you, bitch, and I would have left. I'm 24, 25 years old. I'm new.

I don't want to make, and I just took it all, and when I finally left the office, it was on the east side. I was in a daze, and I just didn't know what to do, and I'm walking up Third Avenue, and the movie is playing, A Passage to India. It's playing at one of those theaters near Bloomingdale's there, and I saw it was starting in 10, 15 minutes, and it was a cold, rainy day in February, and I thought, what the hell, so I knew I'd wanted to see it, so I went in. I bought a ticket. I sat down, and I watched the movie, and I was just drawn into it. I was just mesmerized. I stayed for every showing that day. I finally left the theater like it. How I got away with it, but back then, things were different.

I left the showing, it was like after midnight when I finally left the theater, and the next day, I went to Barnes & Noble, and I bought the book, and I read the book in one day. I read it most of that day, and then finished it the next morning, and it just stayed with me, and a few years later, I lost the book in a move, but when I was in London, and I had time to kill before my flight, so I go to Harrods to spend the day, because why not, and I bought the book in their bookshop, and I read it again on the flight home, and it just stayed with me, and the thing about it was, about the story, about the book, about the movie, what touched me was everybody's longing for something. It's not even that they have a want.

They are longing. They just are searching for a meaning to their life, and some of the things that woman said to me, could not get away with today, and while she didn't say anything that was overtly homophobic, but there was a lot of veiled references, and of course, in the movie, and the book, it's there, but it's not brought forward. It's all veiled. It's all, but that spoke to me, and I was quite surprised when I watched the movie. Some of the language is, oh, I'm so glad you're here. I want you. I want you here, and I went, that is quite brazen for 1984, waiting for Fielding and Aziz to get it on, and they didn't, and in the book, it's even more, and then they didn't, so that always bothered me.

It always bothered me, but it stayed with me, and I'd read it occasionally, a few more times over the years, and when I started writing, because I did not start out to be a playwright. I started out, actually, I wanted to be an actor, and of course, I went to school for graphic design, because that's what you do when your mother tells you over and over again, theater is an avocation. It's not a vocation. When you have parents who grew up in the Depression, this is what you hear, but when I started writing, I thought, I want to adapt this, so I talked to my attorney about seeing what it would cost to get the rights. She's brilliant. She said, Doug, it's going into the public domain in two years.

Wait, and then you can write it, so I did, so it went into the public domain, I think, in 2018 or 19, and I started writing it toward the end of COVID, and then I brought it into, may I embarrass you? I brought it into Eric Webb. I take a workshop with him. He's a brilliant dramaturg and director, and I take a workshop with him, and I brought the script in, and we've been working on it now for two years.

[8:16] Doug DeVita: See, that's why my advice to people is always, if it comes into the public domain in two years, then right now is the perfect time to start working on it, because you'll have it finished by the time, and you'll be ready. You'll be on the ball with it. Now, caveat, what we did find out was we were doing our due diligence prior to publication. It's only available in the public domain in the United States and United States territories, and it's not in the public domain in the UK. That doesn't go into public domain until 2041, so when you read the frontispiece of the book, you will see, and it's my lawyer's language, very clear. It's only available. You can't do this. We're not even selling it in the UK. It's not available for digital downloads. Gene is not sending it to the UK, even if he gets a request for it. It's strictly in the United States, so in 2041, I will be 81. If I'm still alive, then I'm going to London.

[9:14] Marc-Eugene Garcia: Great, great, and that, of course, is Gene Cato, who is the-

[9:18] Doug DeVita: Gene Cato is the publisher.

[9:19] Marc-Eugene Garcia: Gene's Next Stage Press, so many people who have been on the podcast, so many of us who work at the Drama Bookshop are published through Gene and Next Stage Press, and we love him very much.

[9:31] Doug DeVita: Gene is wonderful. You really need to get more Next Stage Press scripts here, not just mine, although mine, but no, Gene and I had the same, actually, we had the same lawyer, and actually, he hired her after I praised her to the skies, and where was I going with that? Ask me another question, because I'm losing myself.

[9:50] Marc-Eugene Garcia: Sure, well, this leads right into my next question, is what are aspects of the novel that you felt you could either enhance or give a different perspective on in adapting it?

[10:00] Doug DeVita: I wanted to stay, it's impossible to stay completely away from it, but I wanted to stay away from the political overtones as much as possible. They're there. There's no getting around them, but I didn't want to hit over the head with them, because they're there, but I did want to really play up the gay aspect of it, that you write, this is very presumptuous of me, but I wanted to write what Forster couldn't, that he did write it in Morris, which is why I wasn't interested in adapting that, and it's going to come up anyway, so I might as well bring it up. The Inheritance paved the way for me with this, by taking Howard Zend and gaying it up. There's no other way to put it, but the difference is that they created a new story, new characters, with Howard Zend as its model.

I'm going right in and I'm adapting A Passage to India, and I think one of the best pieces of advice I got on this early on was from Eric, okay, this is great, but it's still too much Forster's Passage to India, it's not DeVita's A Passage to India, and that was like, okay, take a hammer and just knock me unconscious, but it was the best advice I could have gotten, because it really freed me up to just, okay, I am inspired by the book, I am adapting it, but I am making it my own story, and there are big differences in my play from both the book and the movie.

[11:35] Marc-Eugene Garcia: That seems like a really good segue to see some of DeVita's A Passage to India.

[11:41] Doug DeVita: Sure, why not?

[11:42] Marc-Eugene Garcia: So why don't we take a look at the first scene presentation that we have.

[11:47] Doug DeVita: We need Dr. Aziz and Cyril Fielding, followed by Mrs. Moore. We'll mention, we have two Mrs. Moores tonight, and we have two Mrs. Turtons, because both of these actresses have been integral in the development of this script, and I just, I couldn't choose one over the other, so they're both here, and they're being very collegial with each other. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there's some blood on the sidewalk later, but right now they are being very nice with each other.

[12:25] Doug DeVita: If you want to hold the mic, you can. Yeah, yeah, you can lift it up a little bit.

[12:40] Doug DeVita: But also, the gain's been turned up so you don't, you should be fine. Just like, theater voice is sure fine.

[12:48] Doug DeVita: Act One. And I'm going to speak up. My theater voice.

[12:54] Doug DeVita: Act One. Chandrapur, India. 1927. A Garden. Aziz and Fielding have their arms around each other under the starlit sky. Fielding leans in and gives Aziz a long, sensuous kiss.

[13:09] Dr. Aziz: What would your friends at the club say if they knew about us?

[13:16] Cyril Fielding: They are not my friends, Aziz. They are merely expats, like me. You and I do nothing they don't do.

[13:22] Dr. Aziz: Ah, but they do it with each other, not with Indians. And they're married. You're not. And therefore, sadly, you will not have children.

[13:30] Dr. Aziz: I do not care for children.

[13:32] Cyril Fielding: Do you not care that your name will die out?

[13:37] Dr. Aziz: They will be missing me at the club. I must get back before their amateur theatrical is over.

[13:43] Cyril Fielding: Listen, Aziz, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so churlish, but I'm quite content with the way things are between us.

[13:52] Doug DeVita: They kiss again. Fielding leaves the scene. Dr. Aziz begins to walk.

[14:00] Doug DeVita: Passing through the abandoned, overgrown garden with its crumbling statuary, statues which in daylight shock the staid English who have learned to look the other way on the odd occasions they venture beyond the safety of their club, but to him represent his sensuous, deep relationship with the British schoolmaster, Cyril Fielding. At the edge of the civil station, he turns into a mosque to rest.

[14:25] Doug DeVita: In the stillness, the poorly played music, wafting over from the club, hangs in the air, presaging the heavy heat and humidity to come. But the wildflowers smell deliciously. As he breathes the delicate aroma of the night air in his post-coital bliss, one of the pillars in the mosque seems to quiver. Belief in ghosts runs deep in his blood, but he sits firm. Another pillar moves, and then a third. Then, an elderly Englishwoman steps out into the moonlight.

[14:57] Mrs. Moore: Madam? Madam, this is a holy place for Muslims. You should have taken off your shoes.

[15:04] Mrs. Moore: I have taken them off. I was right, was I not? If I remove my shoes, I'm allowed in.

[15:13] Dr. Aziz: Of course. But so few English ladies take the trouble, especially if they think no one is here to see.

[15:20] Mrs. Moore: That makes no difference. God is here.

[15:25] Dr. Aziz: God is here. Very good. Very fine indeed. May I know your name?

[15:31] Mrs. Moore: Mrs. Moore. And you?

[15:34] Dr. Aziz: Dr. Kabir Aziz. I'm afraid I startled you, Mrs. Moore. I think you are newly arrived in India.

[15:42] Mrs. Moore: Yes. How did you know?

[15:45] Dr. Aziz: By the way you address me. May I call you a carriage? I have only come from the club. They're doing a tiresome musical play that I've seen in London, and it was hot.

[15:58] Dr. Aziz: I think you ought not to walk at night alone, Mrs. Moore. There are bad characters about, and leopards may come from the Marabar Hills. Snakes also.

[16:07] Mrs. Moore: But you walk alone by yourself.

[16:09] Dr. Aziz: I'm used to it.

[16:11] Mrs. Moore: Used to snakes?

[16:13] Dr. Aziz: Snakes do not dare bite me.

[16:15] Mrs. Moore: Ah. Doctors have a special dispensation from snake bites.

[16:20] Dr. Aziz: No. But I will tell you something, Mrs. Moore. The snakes will only bite if they sense danger to themselves or their nests. If one is just passing by, they merely hiss. I know where the nests are, so I'm in no danger.

[16:34] Mrs. Moore: I see. Please, may I ask you a question now? Why did you come to India this time of year, just as the cooler weather is ending?

[16:42] Mrs. Moore: I have come to visit my son. He is the magistrate here.

[16:47] Dr. Aziz: Oh, no. That is quite impossible. Our city magistrate's name is Heslip.

[16:51] Mrs. Moore: He's my son, nevertheless.

[16:54] Dr. Aziz: But, Mrs. Moore, how can that be?

[16:57] Mrs. Moore: I was married twice.

[16:58] Dr. Aziz: Oh, yes. Now I see. And your first husband died?

[17:02] Mrs. Moore: He did. And so did my second husband.

[17:06] Dr. Aziz: Then we're in the same box. In giving me your daughter, my wife has also unfortunately died.

[17:12] Dr. Aziz: And is Mr. Heslip the entire of your family now?

[17:16] Mrs. Moore: No. I have another son and a daughter. Ralph and Stella, from my second husband. They remain in England.

[17:25] Dr. Aziz: Mrs. Moore, this is all extremely strange. Because, like yourself, I have also two sons and a daughter. Three children are enough, don't you? Do you not agree with me?

[17:33] Mrs. Moore: Oh, I should have liked to have had one or two more. But I married my second husband a bit too late.

[17:41] Dr. Aziz: Mrs. Moore, may I admit something to you? When I first saw you, I thought you might be a ghost.

[17:48] Mrs. Moore: Oh, do you believe in ghosts, Dr. Aziz?

[17:52] Dr. Aziz: Oh, yes, I do. Do you?

[17:55] Mrs. Moore: I do.

[17:57] Dr. Aziz: It's just not the same box with the vengeance.

[18:00] Mrs. Moore: Oh, but I do not believe all ghosts are vengeful. I believe most are benefic souls.

[18:08] Dr. Aziz: Beneficent souls with unfinished business here on earth.

[18:12] Mrs. Moore: Beneficent souls? I think you may be a little bit Indian, Mrs. Moore.

[18:16] Dr. Aziz: In a former life, perhaps. I now also believe that you are also a very old soul.

[18:23] Doug DeVita: They are both silent for a little. Then Mrs. Moore sighed and rose to go, accepting his escort back to the club.

[18:34] Mrs. Moore: I wish I could. I wish I were a member so that I could ask you in.

[18:41] Dr. Aziz: Indians are not allowed into the Chandrapur club, even as guests.

[18:45] Mrs. Moore: Oh, then I shall leave you here. Thank you, Dr. Aziz. I do hope we meet again.

[18:54] Dr. Aziz: Thank you, Mrs. Moore. I do hope we will. And as he leaves her at the gate to the club, he strolls downhill beneath the lovely moon. He is happy. He has his friend and deep love, Cyril Fielding. He has his good friend since childhood, Mahmood Ali. And now he has Mrs. Moore, whom he instinctively knows understands him, who feels what others feel. They will be friends. He is indeed happy.

[19:29] Doug DeVita: I do have some more questions here, but now that you've heard a bit from Doug and that you've seen one of the scenes, does anybody here have any questions for our playwright or for any of the actors?

[19:44] Doug DeVita: Again, if you don't yet, don't worry. I can keep going. But you can start to think of things. And as we're discussing, if anything pops into your head, feel free to raise your hand.

[19:55] Doug DeVita: So you've talked a little bit specifically about making sure that this is not Forster's passage to India just transliterated onto the page. How is the process of adapting a novel different from, say, fictionalizing someone's real life or creating an entirely new piece that references others like the last two pieces that you had brought to us, which if you haven't read, you must. They're on our shelves as well.

[20:33] Doug DeVita: In some ways, there's no difference at all. Give me a martini and I write. In others, particularly with this, there was a lot more research, there was a lot more reading, a lot more reading. And going through the book, there's nothing from the movie that is not already from the book because the movie is not in the public domain. But in picking and choosing and what am I going to use and what am I not going to use and how am I going to change it to fit my narrative? So I think I've worked longer on the final first draft of this than I have on any other script. And it was just a lot of writing and also deciding who I was going to keep and not.

[21:27] Doug DeVita: And one of the things that I always, in the movie and in the book, I just found purists, I hope there are no Forster purists here. I always found Professor Godbole... I think this is a room of Davida purists, so I don't think you have to worry about that. I always found Professor Godbole to be annoying as hell. And let's not even get into the Mickey, Rooney, Alec Guinness casting. But Godbole is usually described as the moral center of the book and therefore the movie. And I just thought that was bullshit. The moral center of the story, the book, the movie, for me, is Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore is the moral truth of this. She's the one who pretty much... It's not that she puts things in motion, but she keeps all of the balls in the air with as much grace as she can. And like I said, to me, she's the moral center of the story, so she's become the moral center of my work.

[22:34] Doug DeVita: It's very interesting that you... Because certainly I... My research has been reading the play and watching the movie, and that's it. Certainly you've read more on. I was not aware. And I told you beforehand, I watched the movie and I kept going, they said Alec Guinness was in this. They said, where's Alec Guinness? I haven't seen him yet. And I finally looked him up and I went, oh, you're kidding me. Like I said... But I never would have...

[23:00] Doug DeVita: Yeah, he seems... I mean, the funny thing is, he is a kind of Obi-Wan knockoff. But yes, it feels to me that Mrs. Moore, her loyalties lie not with country, not with race. Her loyalties lie to her own interpersonal experiences with people. And not necessarily to her own son.

[23:24] Doug DeVita: Yeah. So like that, she very much felt like the moral center. And I think that you have translated that really nicely.

[23:34] Doug DeVita: Thank you. What was some of... Outside of the book itself, what was some of the other research that you did for this adaptation?

[23:43] Doug DeVita: I did a lot of research into homosexuality in India through the centuries. And I discovered that up until the early 16th century, maybe late 15th century, it actually just was a part of daily life. It's when the Europeans began to come into the country and then the... Nitin, help me. Was it the Muslims or the Hindus? It was the British actually where... Give me a second. I'm not exactly certain, but it was mostly the British, I think, who... But there was also a religious sect that also put the kibosh on. Yes. From the turn of the centuries, maybe around the 10th century or a little bit before that, through the 16th century, maybe before the British came, India was most exclusively, or Northern India was almost exclusively ruled by Islamic migrants who came and became rulers for the most part and then decided to stay. So they didn't come and invade and then leave.

[24:51] Doug DeVita: Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here and talk about my adaptation of E.M. Forster's "A Passage to India."

[25:21] Mark-Eugene Garcia: It's a pleasure to have you, Doug. This is such a rich text to adapt. What drew you to this particular story?

[25:28] Doug DeVita: Well, I think the themes of hidden desire and forbidden intimacy really resonate today, even though the story is set in a very different time and place. The colonial context adds layers of complexity that I wanted to explore.

[25:52] Dylan Glick: Absolutely. The relationships between the characters are so intricate. Can you tell us a bit about how you approached the character of Dr. Aziz?

[26:14] Doug DeVita: Dr. Aziz is a fascinating character. He embodies the struggles of identity and belonging in a colonial society. I wanted to bring out his vulnerabilities and desires, which often get overshadowed by the societal expectations placed upon him.

[26:44] Mark-Eugene Garcia: And what about Cyril Fielding? How does he fit into this dynamic?

[26:51] Doug DeVita: Cyril Fielding represents a different perspective. He’s an Englishman who tries to bridge the cultural divide, but he also grapples with his own biases and limitations. Their interactions are pivotal in highlighting the tensions of the time.

[26:56] Dylan Glick: It sounds like you’ve really delved into the emotional undercurrents of the story. How did you decide on the storytelling style for the play?

[27:03] Doug DeVita: I chose a storyteller-theatre style to emphasize the narrative aspect and allow the audience to engage with the characters' inner thoughts and feelings. It creates a more intimate experience, drawing the audience into the emotional landscape of the play.

[27:11] Mark-Eugene Garcia: That sounds intriguing. The play also features a diverse cast. How did you go about casting the roles?

[27:23] Doug DeVita: I wanted to ensure that the cast reflected the cultural backgrounds of the characters authentically. It was important to me that the actors could bring their own experiences to the roles, enriching the storytelling.

[27:29] Dylan Glick: That’s a great approach. Can you share a bit about the rehearsal process and how the cast has responded to the material?

[27:32] Doug DeVita: The cast has been incredibly open and willing to explore the complexities of their characters. We've had some deep discussions about the themes of the play, and it’s been rewarding to see them connect with the material on such a personal level.

[27:37] Mark-Eugene Garcia: It sounds like a transformative experience for everyone involved. What do you hope audiences take away from this adaptation?

[27:40] Doug DeVita: I hope they leave with a deeper understanding of the human experience, especially in the context of love and desire amidst societal constraints. It's a story that challenges us to confront our own biases and assumptions.

[27:41] Dylan Glick: That’s a powerful message. Thank you for sharing your insights with us today, Doug.

[27:42] Doug DeVita: Thank you for having me. I'm looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to the play.

[37:17] Doug DeVita: I went to the mosque, but I did not catch the moon. Let me think. We don't see the other side of the moon out here, do we? We aren't even seeing the other side of the world out here. Cucumber sandwiches. It's always cucumber, isn't it? We'll be tired of lamb curry soon enough. Mrs. Moore is not sure Adela Quested fully understands what she will be facing. She recognizes Adela sees this as an escape from a genteel upper-middle-class spinsterhood, a chance for a kind of marital bliss with her son Ronnie. Mrs. Moore has concerns. Charter of Poole. Such an interesting name. I'd hoped it would be beautiful and mysterious and exciting. Might as well be having tea at the Georgian and Harrod. You are a romantic, Adela.

Yes, I suppose I am. I'm not sure that's such a good thing to be in India, my dear. Why ever not? Adela, you've come halfway around the world to a country where we English are both suspicious and suspect. India. It has a way of forcing you to see things about yourself you'd never expect or possible. Meanwhile, the performance comes to an end and the national anthem is played. Conversations and billiards stop. It is the anthem of the army of occupation. It reminds every member of the club they are British and in exile. It ends and they pour out, offering each other drinks. Turton and Mrs. Turton enter the scene. Mrs. Moore, Miss Quested, I have sent our Ronnie off on a personal errand for me.

Would you care to join my wife and me for a drink? Mr. Turton, Mrs. Moore and I would like to see something of the real India. Fielding, how is one to see the real India? Try seeing real Indians. Who was that? Cyril Fielding, Fielding, our schoolmaster, Government College. As if one could avoid seeing Indians of any kind. I've avoided, excepting Ronnie's servant. I've scarcely spoken to an Indian since we arrived in India two weeks ago. Lucky you. But I want to see them. Fancy that. I beg your pardon, Mrs. Turton. If you really want to meet the Indo-Aryan brother, Miss Quested, that can easily be fixed. You can see practically any type you like. In my position as the collector of the district, a tax collector for the district, I know the government people, the landowners, your fiancée, Heslip.

He's not my fiancée yet, Mr. Turton. That is why we have come here, to see if Miss Quested and my Ronnie are a match. Yes. As I was saying, Miss Quested, Heslip can get hold of the barrister crew, while if you want to specialise in education, we can come down on Fielding. Oh, yes. Mr. Fielding is quite invested in befriending the Indo-Aryan brother. That is his job, Mary. I'm tired of seeing picturesque figures presented before me as a frieze. We had one experience in Bombay, on our way to the train from the boat, when our tonga is stopped by an accident ahead of us just outside the entrance to the dock. A beautiful woman in an incredibly vivid purple sari suddenly appears. Give me money, sister, give me money.

And I'd already been warned not to engage with anyone, to not even look at them, but I do look at her, and I say no, I'm sorry, and she becomes relentless. Give me money, sister. The driver looks straight ahead and says nothing. I'm horrified, but fascinated. There is something so dignified about that purple sari. It's so richly coloured, so flowing, so clean despite the filthy hands pressing against the side of our tonga. The accident clears, we begin moving, and she just keeps running along with us. Give me money, sister, please, sister, give me money. The driver makes a sharp turn, and she falls, rolling into the crowds of Indians leaving the ship on foot. And I watch as she gets up, carefully brushes the dust from the road out of her sari, scanning the other tongas driving away from the dock as if nothing had happened.

I'm so shaken, but at the same time I marvel at her relentless drive, her sheer will to get what she wants, and yes, her sari, so beautiful, so bright, so clean. But how? These are things I want to know. This is why I want to meet real Indians, particularly those Indians you come across socially, as friends. We do not come across them socially, Miss Quested, let alone as friends. I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why not? Miss Quested, if you plan to stay with us in Chandrapur... If you are so intent on meeting the natives, Miss Quested, I dare say we can throw a bridge party. A bridge party? Oh, not the game. A garden party to bridge the gap, so to speak. Oh, that would be lovely, Mr. Turton, thank you.

Yes, if there's not too much trouble. Oh, no trouble at all. Come, Mary, it's late. Good evening, ladies. No trouble at all, Harry. Come, Mary. I'd be very much surprised if even one of them shows up. They hate these things as much as we do. Remember, it's our duty. Mary, it is everyone's best interest to see Ronnie Hazlip married. You, of all people, should understand that. But Adela Quested... She might not be completely first class yet, but she will adjust. She will become Pooka, and her very presence will quell the gossip. Everyone knew about Mr. Turton and Ronnie Hazlip. Indeed, Mrs. Turton is not the only wife in the Civil Station looking the other way. No one says anything about private peccadilloes as long as the public status quo remains undisturbed.

But Mr. Turton is correct. It will be far better for all concerned when the City Magistrate is married. Even if it must be to someone as ill-suited as the unfortunate Miss Adela Quested. Mr. Turton keeps his word. The next day, he issues invitations to numerous Indian gentlemen in the neighborhood, stating that he will be receiving in the Garden of the Club between the hours of 5 and 7 on the following Tuesday, all so that Mrs. Turton will be most glad to entertain any ladies of the families who are out of Purdah. The bridge party is not a success. At least, it is not what Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Quested accepted as considering a successful party. East stays east. And west stays west. And despite the Turton's clearly strenuous efforts to mingle, the twain do not meet.

Very few Indians, far too many cucumber sandwiches. The only positive to the party, at least for Adela, is her introduction to Cyril Fielding and their subsequent conversation. Oh, yes, I know Dr. Aziz. Vaguely. I was rather hoping to meet him here today. Mrs. Moore says he's quite charming. Oh, I've heard he can be. But he's not fond of the Turtons. Oh, then I like him already. This whole affair is unnatural. Of course it's unnatural. And now you understand the problems we are facing out here. Have some tea, Mother. I do not want tea, Ronnie. I do not understand. I will never understand how anyone can issue an invitation and then treat their guests so rudely. Bridge party. It is nothing more than an excuse in British power and presumed superiority.

Look at Mr. and Mrs. Turton, condescending to everyone who is not a member of their club. They might as well take a torch and burn the sham bridge to ash. If you like, I can invite you to meet Dr. Aziz for tea at my bungalow. Oh, that would be charming. Mrs. Moore, too? Yes, of course. Oh, thank you, Mr. Fielding. May I make one small request? Yes. Please, do not serve cucumber sandwiches. Never fear, Miss Quested. I can't stand them either. Aziz has been told by Major Callender, his superior at the Minter Hospital, that he is expected to attend the bridge party. But seized with revulsion at the thought of being forced to socialize with Mr. and Mrs. Turton, he determines not to go. The following day, he receives an envelope bearing the government stamp.

It lays on his table like a high explosive, which at a touch might blow his flimsy bungalow to bits. He knows he is going to be cashiered for not turning up at the party. When he opens the note, however, it proves to be something quite different. It is an invitation from Cyril Fielding. Aziz, dear chap, I'm holding a tea for Mrs. Moore, whom I believe you have met, and her future daughter-in-law, Miss Adela Quested, on Friday next at 5 p.m. Miss Quested would like to meet you, having heard Mrs. Moore speak very highly of you. Yours, Cyril Fielding. P.S. Come at 4. This invitation gives him particular joy, for not once has he been invited into Fielding's home. Snatching up his pen, he writes an affectionate reply.

My dearest friend, I am overjoyed by your invitation, and I most happily accept. I will be there at 4. Yours, Aziz. Aziz sincerely believes that one serious gap in his life is now going to be made complete. Fielding's bungalow. Aziz is getting dressed. Fielding is wearing only a towel and carrying his shirt. Their hair is still wet, as if they'd both just taken a shower. Fielding drops something, on which he inadvertently steps. Ouch! Damn! Is there anything wrong? Oh, I've stamped on my last collar stud. Take mine. Have you a spare one? Yes, one minute. Not if you're wearing it yourself! No, no, I have another one in my pocket. Aziz, you're lying. No matter. I will not turn my back to them, so they will not notice.

Here. Aziz holds out the collar stud. Fielding starts to take it, and takes Aziz's hand, pulling him in close. They share a brief but intimate moment, interrupted by a hubbub indicating Mrs. Moore and Adela have arrived. Blast! They're early! Fielding quickly finishes dressing. Aziz attaches his back collar stud to Fielding's shirt. One more quick kiss before they go to meet Adela and Mrs. Moore. How fortunate it is to be an unconventional party, where formalities are ruled out. On this basis, Aziz finds the English ladies easy to talk to. He treats them like men. Beauty would have troubled him, for it entails rules of its own. But Mrs. Moore is so old and Miss Quested, so plain. But he's spared this anxiety. Adela and Mrs. Moore enter the scene. Adela is brimming with skill.

[49:43] Narrator: Mrs. Moore observes Fielding and Aziz. Both have wet hair. Smiling to herself, she says nothing.

[49:51] Narrator: Miss Quested, for her part, is immediately taken with Dr. Aziz.

[49:56] Narrator: She doesn't think she's ever seen a man as charming or as beautiful as the Indian doctor before her.

[50:03] Narrator: She instantly feels a stronger attraction than she's ever felt for any man.

[50:08] Narrator: Including, unfortunately, her intended.

[50:13] Adela Quested: I want to ask you something, Dr. Aziz. Can you explain a disappointment we had this morning?

[50:19] Adela Quested: It must be some point of etiquette we have unwittingly broken.

[50:23] Adela Quested: I'm afraid we have somehow must have given offense.

[50:28] Dr. Aziz: I'm sure that's impossible. But may I know the facts?

[50:32] Adela Quested: An Indian lady and gentleman we met at the bridge party was to send a carriage for us at nine this morning.

[50:39] Adela Quested: We waited and waited, but we can't think what had happened.

[50:42] Dr. Aziz: A misunderstanding, no doubt.

[50:43] Adela Quested: No, it wasn't that, I feel sure. We must have made some stupid blunder.

[50:48] Dr. Aziz: I wouldn't worry about it.

[50:49] Adela Quested: Exactly what Ronnie tells me. But if one doesn't worry, how is one to understand?

[50:54] Dr. Aziz: I think they grew ashamed of their house. And that is why they did not send for you.

[51:01] Dr. Aziz: That will not happen when you come to see me.

[51:04] Dr. Aziz: Mrs. Moore, everyone, I invite you all.

[51:08] Adela Quested: Misquested, accepted immediately. Her sense of adventure was piqued.

[51:14] Narrator: She also likes Aziz. Attracted to both his mind and his form, she is genuinely, if perhaps naively, she believes that when she knows him better, he will unlock his country's mysteries for her.

[51:28] Adela Quested: Thank you, Dr. Aziz. May I have your address?

[51:31] Narrator: Aziz thinks of his bungalow with horror.

[51:35] Narrator: There is only one room, and that is infested with small black flies.

[51:41] Narrator: Aside from Mahmood Ali, whose own bungalow is only nominally better, only Cyril Fielding has been invited.

[51:48] Narrator: And then only in the dead of night, in the darkest darkness, I have a much better idea.

[51:55] Dr. Aziz: I invite you all to see the Marabar Caves.

[51:58] Adela Quested: The Marabar Caves?

[52:00] Dr. Aziz: Have you not heard of them?

[52:01] Cyril Fielding: We hear nothing of interest at the club. Only tennis, billiards, ridiculous gossip, and those incessantly boring cucumber sandwiches.

[52:10] Dr. Aziz: But you have surely seen them, reaching into the southern sky like beckoning fingers.

[52:14] Adela Quested: How poetic! Are they large caves?

[52:17] Dr. Aziz: No, not large. But there are many of them. And they are decorated provocatively.

[52:22] Adela Quested: Oh, Ronnie, isn't it exciting? Dr. Aziz here has proposed to take us to the Marabar Caves.

[52:28] Narrator: In her excitement, she tries to give him a kiss on the cheek, which he rebuffs.

[52:33] Cyril Fielding: Of course. You must join us, Mr. Hessler.

[52:36] Ronnie: Come, bad mother, we must leave now. There is to be polo.

[52:42] Cyril Fielding: I don't suppose you'd care to join us, Fielding? I'm sure we all would be delighted.

[52:50] Cyril Fielding: I'm afraid I can't. Thanks all the same.

[52:53] Adela Quested: Ronnie, don't be bored. Ask Dr. Aziz if he'd care to join.

[52:56] Ronnie: Adela, you know he's not welcome on the polo ground.

[53:00] Adela Quested: Isn't there anywhere here where people are welcome in their own country?

[53:04] Ronnie: Adela, I'm quite busy this evening. Thank you all the same.

[53:08] Narrator: Everyone is suddenly cross, as if irritation exuded from the very soil.

[53:13] Narrator: Could one have been so pecky on a Scottish moor or Italian alp, Fielding wonders?

[53:19] Cyril Fielding: Come, Aziz, we have some unfinished business.

[53:23] Narrator: Fielding takes Aziz's hand. The club. Adela and Mrs. Moore. Adela is staring at a cucumber sandwich.

[53:32] Dr. Aziz: Cucumber. See India as you like, he says, but not without a guide, he means.

[53:40] Dr. Aziz: And here we are, stuck in this club, day after day, with no one even remotely interesting to escort us anywhere we'd like to go.

[53:49] Adela Quested: And still no invitation for Dr. Aziz. I'm so bored I could scream.

[53:53] Cyril Fielding: I have learned life never gives us what we want at the moment we consider appropriate.

[53:59] Cyril Fielding: Adventures do occur, but not punctually. Be patient, Adela dear.

[54:06] Adela Quested: That mosque where you met Dr. Aziz, it's not far, is it? I should so love to see it.

[54:12] Dr. Aziz: You don't have to go with me. Just point me in the right direction and I will go by myself.

[54:16] Cyril Fielding: I'm quite sure you would. Very well.

[54:20] Mrs. Turton: And where are you two off to?

[54:22] Cyril Fielding: I thought we could have a nice conversation and get to know each other a bit over a proper English tea.

[54:33] Adela Quested: Oh, that sounds quite lovely, Mrs. Turton. I was remarking to Mrs. Moore how delicious these cucumber sandwiches are.

[54:44] Mrs. Turton: Even better than those one finds at the Georgian at Harrods.

[54:48] Mrs. Turton: We do our best to make things feel like home here.

[54:52] Adela Quested: And how well you succeed, Mrs. Turton.

[54:55] Adela Quested: Why are we all being so formal? We're all practically family here at Chandrapur.

[55:03] Adela Quested: You may call me Mary and I may call you Angela.

[55:08] Mrs. Moore: You may call me Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Turton.

[55:13] Mrs. Turton: Oh. Yes. Mrs. Moore. Well.

[55:21] Mrs. Turton: We are on our way to visit that charming little mosque just down the road.

[55:27] Mrs. Turton: Leave the confines of the club. It isn't safe.

[55:31] Mrs. Moore: I have been before, Mrs. Turton. I'm sure we will be quite all right together.

[55:37] Mrs. Moore: It is still daylight and we'll be back before the sun sets.

[55:41] Mrs. Turton: Would you care to join us, dearest Mrs. Turton?

[55:44] Mrs. Turton: I should think not.

[55:46] Mrs. Turton: Yes. Enjoy your tea. Perhaps we will all meet again later for cocktails.

[55:57] Adela Quested: Really, Adela, dearest Mrs. Turton.

[56:01] Adela Quested: Ronnie told me to be deferential to her.

[56:04] Adela Quested: But I'm not entirely certain he meant for you to curtsy.

[56:07] Mrs. Moore: I'm not entirely certain he didn't.

[56:09] Mrs. Moore: A word of advice, Adela, about dearest Mrs. Turton.

[56:15] Mrs. Moore: I've known many like her, here and in England.

[56:18] Mrs. Moore: She's deeply unhappy.

[56:21] Mrs. Moore: The most unhappy people don't like it when anyone else is happy and can, in the name of good manners, cause a great deal of unhappiness for those in her orbit.

[56:35] Adela Quested: And yet you just antagonized her.

[56:40] Mrs. Moore: You may call me Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Turton.

[56:43] Adela Quested: Really? What would Ronnie just say to that?

[56:46] Mrs. Moore: You may be staying here. I most certainly will not.

[56:55] Narrator: As the story about his invitation to the English ladies travels through both British and Indian society, Aziz pushes the matter through.

[57:02] Narrator: It is to be a stupendous replica of Fielding's tea party.

[57:08] Narrator: Mahmood Ali believes Aziz most unwise to mix himself up with the English ladies.

[57:13] Narrator: And while he has no quarrel with Fielding personally, he's quite alright as far as the English go.

[57:19] Narrator: It is the size and scope of the party that Aziz is planning, which is worrying.

[57:23] Narrator: To say nothing of the expense.

[57:25] Mahmood Ali: The English are hard to eaters.

[57:27] Mahmood Ali: Tea and sweets will not be sufficient for a full day's expedition.

[57:31] Mahmood Ali: You cannot serve them beef.

[57:33] Mahmood Ali: You must supply them with mutton and vegetables and rice and tea and sweets.

[57:40] Aziz: Then I must borrow cutlery from you.

[57:42] Mahmood Ali: You will borrow my cutlery but not invite me to go along. I see how it is.

[57:49] Mahmood Ali: And then there is the question of alcohol.

[57:51] Mahmood Ali: I hear Mr. Fielding is a heavy drinker.

[57:55] Narrator: Aziz knows this to be true but will not confirm it.

[57:58] Narrator: Ali would want to know how he knows.

[58:00] Narrator: Mahmood Ali has recently begun to imagine Aziz is far more than a friend to Mr. Fielding than he admits.

[58:06] Narrator: But he does not wish to stir up a nest of trouble.

[58:10] Narrator: He decides to stay silent.

[58:13] Mahmood Ali: And we do not know if the English ladies are drinkers.

[58:16] Aziz: I'm sure they like their gin.

[58:18] Mahmood Ali: Gin for the ladies then and whiskey sodas for Mr. Fielding and port for after.

[58:26] Mahmood Ali: You'd be better off to pretend you never offered to do this and forget about the whole thing.

[58:30] Aziz: I cannot do that, Ali. They have been disappointed once already.

[58:34] Mahmood Ali: That is not your concern.

[58:36] Narrator: And so it goes back and forth and back again until Ali finally agrees to lend Aziz his cutlery along with blankets and pillows for sitting on the hard rocky ground of the Malabar Hills.

[58:47] Narrator: Although Mahmood Ali does not pretend to approve.

[58:50] Narrator: He has a fierce presentiment this will not end well for his friend.

[58:54] Mahmood Ali: You tell me this English girl wants to see the real India.

[58:58] Aziz: I should like to see that too.

[59:00] Mahmood Ali: Oh, Tosh. You know I do not trust the English.

[59:04] Mahmood Ali: I do not like them being in our country. And I do not like you being so friendly with those who have taken the real India from us.

[59:12] Aziz: You worry too much, my friend.

[59:14] Mahmood Ali: Yes. I do, Kabir.

[59:20] Narrator: And that is the second excerpt.

[59:37] David Rigano: So we are going to wrap up shortly. But I do have one very important question for you.

[59:45] David Rigano: What do you think of cucumber sandwiches?

[59:51] Doug DeVita: I like them at the Georgian at Harrods.

[59:53] Doug DeVita: Oh, I... I do not eat them in the United States.

[59:57] David Rigano: See, that must be my problem. I have only eaten them in the United States.

[1:00:01] Doug DeVita: I must the next time I am at Harrods.

[1:00:03] Doug DeVita: Or Fortnum and Mason.

[1:00:05] David Rigano: Oh, true.

[1:00:07] David Rigano: Doug, thank you so much for being here.

[1:00:09] Doug DeVita: Thank you.

[1:00:11] David Rigano: Thank you for bringing these wonderful actors.

[1:00:13] David Rigano: Round of applause.

[1:00:19] David Rigano: And we are back.

[1:00:21] David Rigano: Thanks for listening to the season four finale of the Drama Book Show.

[1:00:25] David Rigano: Our thanks to playwright Doug DeVita and the performers of A Passage to India for bringing this adaptation of E.M. Forster's classic novel to life and exploring the hidden desires, social boundaries, and consequences of silence at the heart of the story.

[1:00:37] David Rigano: Coming up next on the Drama Book Show, we'll talk with Spencer Weber Waller, an internationally recognized antitrust and consumer protection law expert, professor, and Broadway producer, about his book Power and Greed, Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels of the American Stage.

[1:00:53] David Rigano: Tracing the history of monopolies and powerful business cartels from the Gilded Age to today, Waller examines how industry titans like the Schubert's and the syndicate shaped what audiences saw on stage, who could produce it, and how much tickets cost.

[1:01:07] David Rigano: Joining the conversation is moderator Mark Hirschberg, an entertainment lawyer, an entertainment attorney, producer, and Forbes columnist covering the business of Broadway.

[1:01:15] David Rigano: Together, they explore the intersection of theater, business, and the power struggles that have shaped American live entertainment.

[1:01:24] David Rigano: If you've enjoyed season four, or any of our seasons, leave a review and share the Drama Book Show with the theater lovers, artists, and readers in your life.

[1:01:33] David Rigano: And remember, follow us on Instagram at Drama Book Show Podcast, subscribe to our Eventbrite at Drama Book Shop, and remember that all the books we talk about can be found here at the Book Shop, and so can we, and we will.

[1:01:47] David Rigano: See you at the Book Shop!