The opening night for the play by J. Patrick “Everybody loves Opal” in Russian edition “What’s the Way to Kill the Old Woman” or “Dear Pamela” was on the 26th of June 2005 on the chamber stage of Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theatre. The director and production designer - Artistic Director of the theatre, People’s Actor of the Russian Federation Yury Osherov, costume designer – Olga Kolesnikova.

J. Patrick (1905-1995)  is an American playwright and scriptwriter who is well known in Russia. The play “Everybody loves Opal”, in Russian edition “What’s the Way to Kill the Old Woman” or “Dear Pamela” was written in 60-es of the 20th century. Bright characters, great dialogues, a plot with many twists but very well organized, grim humor are the main trumps of the playwright.

Being written more than a half century ago the play by an American playwright is of great interest nowadays. Onstage edition and translation of the farce “Everybody loves Opal” in Russian edition “What’s the Way to Kill the Old Woman” or “Dear Pamela” was made by a famous playwright G. Gorin.

As it says in the play’s remark the action takes place in mean streets of some western city in the 60-es of the previous century. It is not surprising nowadays when people are ready to do everything for money even really awful things.

The creator of the performance Yury Osherov leaves parts of the soul in the characters even in really bad ones. “Infected” with kindness from Pamela, they refuse to kill the old woman in the end.

Pamela Kronkie, a middle-aged recluse, lives in a tumbledown mansion at the edge of the municipal dump. The general disarray of her establishment is aggravated by the fact that Pamela collects things—anything that can be toted home in her little wagon. Pamela is also an optimist, for no matter how mean her lot—or her "friends" —Pamela responds with unfailing kindness and an abiding faith in the goodness of human nature.
Into her rather strange world comes Gloria (Elena Krasnova), Bradford (Brad – Aleksey Chernyshov) and Solomon (Sol – Yury Osherov), three purveyors of bogus perfume on the lam from the authorities.

Pamela's ménage is the perfect hideout—and Pamela, herself, might be the remedy for their shattered finances. They decide that what she needs is plenty of insurance ($50.000), a rapid demise, and three beneficiaries named Gloria, Bradford and Solomon.

The unsavory trio concoct an elaborate scheme to drop the ceiling on Pamela's unsuspecting head—but she is in the cellar at the time; they try to drug her and set the house on fire—but Pamela's state trooper friend (Vladimir Konev) arrives at the wrong (or right) moment; a plan for a "hit and run" accident backfires.

Through it all, Pamela radiates kindness, affection and, strangely enough, gratitude. But the real clincher comes at the end. It seems that there was plenty of money around all the time; bags, barrels, and moose heads full of it, in fact, and any friend of Pamela's is welcome to as much as he wants. All they had to do was to ask. The action takes place on Christmas Eve when everything is possible, when different dreams can become true. Pamela’s kindness helps three adventurists to forget about cunning and understand that friendship, love and human sympathy are of greater importance than money.  The main idea of the performance is that in spite of all the belief in generosity is the vertical that holds a man on the Earth.
Actors:

Pamela Kronkie	Osherova (Lavrentieva) Svetlana Vasilievna
Sol Bozo	Osherov Yury Petrovich
Brad Winer	Chernyshev Alexey Nickolaevich
Gloria Gulok	Klimova Marina Gennadievna Krasnova Elena Alexeyevna
Jo Yankee	Konev Vladimir Ivanovich
Doctor	Rotachkov Alexey Gennadievich Skachkov Dmitry Valentinovich
Insider	Shchedrin Anton Yurievich