Let Me Hear You Whisper (play)

Let Me Hear You Whisper is a play written by Paul Zindel.

Let Me Hear You Whisper
Written byPaul Zindel
CharactersHelen
Dan
Fridge
Miss Moray
Dr. Crocus
Date premiered1969
Place premieredUnited States
Original languageEnglish
GenreDrama
SettingAmerican Biological Association Development for the Advancement of Brain Analysis
"Let Me Hear You Whisper"
NET Playhouse episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 25
Directed byGlenn Jordan
Written byPaul Zindel
Original air dateMay 23, 1969 (1969-05-23)
Running time75 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

Bil Baird as The Dolphin
Philip Bruns as Dan
Anthony Holland as Fridge
Ruth White as Helen
Elizabeth Wilson as Miss Moray
Iggie Wolfington as Dr. Crocus

Plot

The play revolves around Helen, a recently hired scrub-woman, at the American Biological Association Development for the Advancement of Brain Analysis. During the course of her work, Helen learns the plight of an imprisoned intelligent dolphin that is being harshly studied by scientists. Helen begins to interact with the dolphin by feeding it and playing it music. Soon the dolphin begins to talk, but to no one but her. After overhearing of a final experiment that would leave the dolphin dead, Helen attempts to rescue the dolphin in a laundry hamper, but is unable to and the dolphin is vivisected and euthanized.

The Shape of Water controversy

In February 2018, David Zindel, the son of Paul Zindel, brought a plagiarism lawsuit against the makers of the film The Shape of Water, alleging that its plot about a romance between a cleaning woman and a mysterious river creature was lifted directly from Let Me Hear You Whisper. The film contains numerous plot elements that "include the play and the movie's basic story of the lonely janitor who works at a scientific laboratory during the Cold War, forms a loving bond with a captive aquatic creature and hatches a plan to liberate it."[1]

Fox Searchlight Pictures studio as well as the makers of the film have denied that the work was at all derived from the play. Guillermo del Toro, the film's director, has claimed in an interview that the story came from a conversation with the novelist Daniel Kraus who is an associate producer of the film.[2]

References
  1. Serjeant, Jill (2018). "Oscar Contender 'Shape of Water' Accused of Ripping Off 1969 Play". The New York Times.
  2. Levin, Sam (2018). "Exclusive: playwright's estate says The Shape of Water used his work without credit". The Guardian.
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