Josip Vošnjak: Ministrovo pismo, veseloigra v dveh dejanjih
8 nastopajočih (3ž 5m)
The text is preserved in manuscript form at the Slovenian Theatre Institute, but only partially (transcripts of individual roles, Archives of the Dramatic Society) and as a typescript without a date of creation (29 pages).
20. 10. 1889, Slovenian Theatre in Ljubljana (National Reading Room)
Josip Vošnjak (1834-1911) je bil pisatelj, publicist, politik in zdravnik. Poleg povesti in romana Twins je napisal precej dramskih besedil (ohranilo se jih je enajst). Njegove socialne in politične drame s sodobno vsebino in kompleksno izrisanimi značaji so nakazovale približevanje slovenske dramske literature modernim evropskim literarnim tokovom, približevanje, ki ga je v celoti realiziral šele Ivan Cankar. Vošnjak je bil tesno povezan s slovenskim gledališčem in je za njegove potrebe napisal tudi nekaj lahkotnejših besedil, med njimi tudi Minister's letter.
Act 1: The opening dialogue between mother and daughter introduces us to the plot: Jurij Dremota has chosen a fiancé for his daughter who is not to her liking. Klara is in love with her father's ward, Bogomil, a young intern without parents who has just returned home after passing the notary exam. Since Bogomil advocates progressive political views, he and the ward are in conflict, so the latter, as an imaginary patient, imagines Dr. Potokar as his future son-in-law, who will provide him with constant medical care after the wedding and alleviate his numerous ailments.
This is followed by scenes featuring the domineering retired official Dremote, who reveals his demanding and irritable character in dialogues with his family and servants, while the servant and cook spice up the play with folk comic elements and wordplay.
Bogomil asks the guardian to write a letter of recommendation to his former classmate for him, recommending him for the vacant notary position. Dremot's friend from his youth has become the Minister of Justice. After initial resistance, Dremota agrees to let the young notary candidate write the letter on his behalf, but still refuses his persistent advances and requests.
Act 2: Medtem, ko starec prebira medicinske priročnike in njegov sluga razkužuje hišo in okolico, se z Dunaja vrne Bogomil z ministrovim pismom, v katerem se ta z nostalgijo spominja starega prijateljstva, podpre Bogomila in celo obljublja, da bo poskusil priti na Bogomilovo poroko s Klaro, ki ji Dremota še vedno nasprotuje.
A to velja le do naslednjega prizora, v katerem Dremota spozna zahrbtne načrte in zlobo dr. Potokarja, kar ga ne samo odvrne od načrtov s poroko, ampak mu tudi čudežno povrne zdravje. Seveda ve, da ga tudi Bogomil poskuša prepričati z lažjo in prevaro in da je ponaredil ministrovo pismo, vendar je do njega bolj prizanesljiv in spodi iz hiše le zdravnika, ki mu sedaj ni več potreben. Na koncu težko presodimo, kaj bolj vpliva na Dremotov pristanek na hčerkino poroko z Bogomilom: ali vztrajno žensko prigovarjanje ali telegram, ki idiličnemu družinskemu zboru naznani, da je bodoči ženin postal notar za Kranjsko.