The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club will put on a stage version of The Wire on January 13 and 14, according to an announcement on its site.
The description says that the play will begin “where the critically-acclaimed HBO series” left off. The hit show, which chronicles the lives of drug dealers and members of law enforcement in West Baltimore, ran for five seasons, and ended in 2008. But it doesn’t appear that The Wire’s creator, David Simon, was briefed about the stage play that’s in the works.
Have just been informed that a Bethesda dinner club is staging a play that it claims as a stage version of "The Wire." News to me. And to HBO, which has copyright and possession of that sucker. We need a word for whatever comes after chutzpah.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) December 12, 2017
Norris Davis, one of the writers of the stage-play that will be shown at the Bethesda jazz club, apparently played “Vinson” the rim shop owner on The Wire for four years. Although he wasn’t a principal character, you might recognize him from scenes like this:
Davis started a GoFundMe page eight months ago requesting $10,000 to “continue the spell binding drama” that he had starred in. The other writer, Nadir Abdullah, doesn’t appear to have any connection to the show. According to a Facebook event, the stage play was shown at Johns Hopkins University’s Turner Auditorium this past August.
When asked to comment via email, David Simon replied, “If it’s a new narrative, then I hope their production goes well and they find much success. They shouldn’t call it The Wire though. A lot of people worked on that project for many years and they’d prefer to be associated with that narrative, and not others over which they’ve had no input or control. A new name for new work seems like a fine idea.”
Rick Brown, the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club’s owner, has not yet returned a request for comment, nor has Davis.
Courtney Vinopal is a former Washingtonian editorial fellow. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, and previously worked as a press attaché for the Embassy of France in Washington, where she ran the institution’s social media accounts and newsletters. She lives in Woodley Park.
