Theater Bigwigs Write Letter In Support of David Adjmi’s 3C

An open letter from leading members of the New York theater community has been sent out in support in playwright David Adjmi over his recently produced play 3C, according to reports.

The play, which recently closed at the Rattlestick Theatre Company, was a take-off on the ABC series Three’s Company, with different names and situations.

However, Adjmi received a cease-and-desist letter from Kenyon & Kenyon, the representatives of DLT, the owner of Three’s Company, saying the play had infringed on their copyright by lifting key elements from the series. Adjmi was also told that they were potentially developing their own stage version of Three’s Company.

According to reports, Adjmi agreed not to have the play’s run extended, have it published, or allow any future productions in order to avoid any further legal confrotation,

In the letter, which was signed by such playwrights as Tony Kushner, Bruce Norris, and Stephen Sondheim, the signatories maintain that the play is a satirical work, and should therefore be recognized as protected speech under the First Amendment.

Other signatories of the letter include Martha Plimpton, Terry Kinney, Kenneth Lonergan, Joe Mantello, John Patrick Shanley, Jon Robin Baitz, John Guare, Chritopher Shinn, Terrence McNally, Jose Rivera, Craig Lucas, Stephen Karam, Stephen Adly Guirgis, as well as representatves of such leading theater companies as Lincoln Center Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.