This letter is one of a remarkable series of over 2650 letters amassed in 1983 to support Osho's attempt to get permanent resident status in the US at the time of the Oregon ranch. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of The Oregon Historical Society. Information about their collection of these letters and other supporting material -- the "Jeffrey Noles Rajneesh Collection", named for Osho's immigration lawyer Jeffrey Noles, who compiled them in 1983 and donated them to the OHS -- can be found at this page. The wiki is grateful to the OHS for making access available for these documents. For more information and links to all the letters, see Testimonial letters.
This letter is from Ma Veera (Sophie Wibaux). It is "Exhibit A-666" in the Noles collection.
The text version below has been created by optical character recognition (OCR), from the images supplied by OHS. It has not been checked for errors but this process usually results in over 99% correct transcription. Most apparent "errors" are correct transcriptions of typos already in the original. The image on the right in the text box links to a pdf file of the original letter, it has 2 pages.
P.O. Box 10,
Rajneeshpuram OR 97741
July 22, 1983
To whom it may concern
Being a Mime Artist for the past 15 years I have travelled all over the country under the auspices of "The National Endowment on the Arts", giving concerts, conducting classes in all the major colleges, cultural centres, and theatres. (See attached brochure).
In my opinion Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is the greatest artist I know in the greatest art there is, the Art of Living.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Sophie Wibaux
Ma Veera
Below, a text version of Veera's enclosure, a collection of reviews she and her partner Bert Houle got from touring their mime show across the US, including some out-of-the-way places ...
NATIONAL TOURING REVIEWS
Serious artists who courageously reject the charm and prettiness that make so many mime performances today look cute.
Anna Kisselgoff, New York Times
More than mere cleverness is at play, rather a clashing of elemental forces, and this is what gives the two a special distinction.
David Richards, Washington D.C. Star
A different approach to mime, but for an enthusiast like this reviewer it took second place to none. Never forgive yourself if you miss-this one. Things onstage never got below the level of excellence.
Bruce Laird, Wiliimgtom Del. Morning News
If Bert Houle and Sophie Wibaux represent the new generation of mimes, the old art is off to a dazzling future. Houle and Wibaux are very much into their own creative territory. When artistry as impeccable as this comes in twos, I say three cheers!
Giles M. Fowler, Kansas City Times
With Sophie Wibaux and Bert Houle mime emerges as the most basic of the arts, somehow containing and captivating all of the others. The mimes become lost in their art until their movement is almost disembodied, and we almost forget they are people.
Thomas Scheye, Baltimore, Maryland News American
Two exceptional talents. They make a bare stage and all that quiet speak with more clarity and force than all the Shakespearean dialogue and million dollar sets one could muster...should be brought back as soon as possible, so the mind and eye can feast once more.
Ronald E. Butler, Tulsa Oklahoma Tribune
....though obviously steeped in the Decroux mime language they have added a welcome gutsiness of their own.
Doris Herring, Dance Magazine
A joy to watch. Their ability to give and take onstage was as good as any I've ever seen.
Show Business Magazine
Startingly original, easily outstanding.
Jenny Shulman, Backstage Magazine
An evening of mime: captivating. So captivated the audience that they drew a long standing ovation following the performance. Without the use of words. Houle and Ms. Wibaux were able to touch on a full spectrum of emotions, from impish humor to soul-searching despair. And the feelings that abounded were not restricted to the stage. The two actors display a bond so strong that no words can express it.
By the end of the performance, Houle and Ms. Wibaux had fully demonstrated the versatility of their art and had shown that mime can touch on certain emotions in a manner that no other theatre form can imitate.
Dan Gordon, Reno Nevada Evening Gazette
Artistry close to magic. Seeing the art of pantomime on stage is about as close to magic as one can come. And seeing the team of Bert Houle and Sophie Wibaux is seeing the best.
Martha Smith, Charleston North Carolina Gazette
...Mimes in landmark debut. Bert Houle and Sophie Wibaux mime theatre made an absolutely delightful Seattle debut last night and were thanked with one of the most deserved and spontaneous standing ovations of the season. It represented not one but two remarkably skilled mime artists. They are not to be missed.
Carole Beers, Seattle Washington Times
Beautiful Sounds of Silence. The two artists, always in total command of their bodies, work so beautifully together they often seem to be one. The show is as crisp as a day in fall, as clear and warm as one in spring, and the eloquence that Houle and Wibaux offer is entertaining to everyone.
Joe Pollack, St. Louis Missouri Post Dispatch
Houle, Wibaux - masters of mime...One of the more unusual and rewarding performing arts experiences seen here for some time. ...it deals with the very bare bones of the acting craft. We may well hope that their present series of performances here will be far from their last.
John Brod Petes,St. Louis Missouri Globe Democrat
"Less is more." Apparently nothing is beyond the range of Houle and Miss Wibaux, whose fluent and disciplined bodies make words seem thick and clumsy by comparison. ...it's not easy to assimilate so much beauty. But it sure is nice to be asked to try.
Judy J. Newmark, St. Louis Missouri Post Dispatch
Mime Duo Presents First Class Show. This young duo provided the capacity audience with a fascinating insight into their own unique style of mime. What these two young talented mimes offer is a total theatrical experience. The precision of their body control would be the envy of most athletes, perhaps even most dancers.
A first class evening of entertainment by two very gifted and dedicated people who are carrying forth a grand tradition toward new frontiers.
Larry Lusk, Lincoln Nebraska News
They use space and dynamics to create a palpable sense of Man at the mercy of the forces of greed, desire, fear.
Houle is an adorable clown, and the boyish Wibaux is versatile, both delicate and tough. Both are accurate observers of movement and clever satirists of life.
Linda Small, Dance Magazine
Mime Artists Thrill Crowd. Ms. Wibaux and Bert Houle treated those in attendance to a breathtaking evening, using only their highly mobile and expressive bodies.
Lois Tamplin, The Sharon Pennsylvania Herald
...superb, awesome...their artistic sensitivity moved the performance into another realm. They moved, silently and startingly, on a bare stage and then they were gone... It was a performance that left no trace except on those who saw it...You had to be there.
Bill Roberts, Grand Island Nebraska News
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(Please note: We assume that the above letter is still copyrighted, but we regard its historical interest to constitute a Fair Use exception for publication in this wiki.)
