The Memorandum

The Memorandum
The Memorandum
Written by	Václav Havel
Characters	Josef Gross (Andrew Gross); Jan Ballas (Max Balas); Pillar (Victor Kubs); Maria (Alice); Hana ; Helena (Talaura); Stroll (Ken Masat); Savant (Sid Maher); George (Josh); Thumb (Ms. Kalous); Lear (J. V. Brown); Column
Date premiered	1965
Genre	black comedy

The Memorandum is the common name in English for the 1965 play Vyrozumění, by Czech playwright Václav Havel. The first English translation, by Vera Blackwell in 1967, used this title. In 2006, Canadian translator Paul Wilson published a new translation, titled The Memo at Havel's request.

The play is a black comedy that parodies bureaucracy and conformity. Havel wrote it prior to the Prague Spring of 1968 as an ironic satire dissenting against communist rule. Despite its veiled themes, the play was approved by government censors and published. The Memorandum centers on the introduction of a new language, "Ptydepe", that is meant to make work more efficient despite having the opposite effect. Sam Walters considers The Memorandum to be Havel’s masterpiece.

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