Interview with Marsha Norman, August 19, 1980

Partial Transcript: [Music] Jim Wayne Miller, Elizabeth Hardwick...

Partial Transcript: Hello, I'm David Farrell.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer introduces himself and then the interviewee, playwright Marsha Norman.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Marsha Norman; Playwrights; Theatre; Women writers

Subjects: American literature--Kentucky.; Kentucky--In literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.; Theatre.

Partial Transcript: Marsha, I've been thinking about your special relationship at Actor's Theatre and at the Mark Taper, with the Regional Theatre, and your work as a playwright, and I wondered if you could say something about what you might call the plight of the playwright today?

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses the financial difficulties of being a playwright and how one must almost always supplement their income, often by writing for other forms, such as for the movies.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Louisville (Ky.); Women writers

Subjects: Norman, Marsha; Playwriting

Partial Transcript: Still, a lot of writers, serious writers we'll call them, have had experiences with the cinema...

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses why she considered screenwriting a way of keeping her playwriting skills "in shape," and how it can teach her new things.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Literature; Playwriting; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: Uh, and you've mentioned a minute ago that writing for the cinema is quite different than writing for the stage.

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses the differences between writing for stage and for screen, and the different sorts of situations that fit in either form, as exemplified by her two then-current projects.

Keywords: Female writers; Film; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Plays; Playwrights; Screenwriters; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: Um, I, I think that as--if some--if you asked me just real simple question like "Well, which is harder?" I would say well, of course the theater.

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses her thoughts on which is harder, writing for stage or screen, and how she thinks it is the stage, even though she considers movies closer to real life.

Keywords: Female writers; Film; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Plays; Playwrights; Screenwriters; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: How does it compare, writing for both of these, as collaborative projects?

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses the "myth" of the playwright's power in the theatre. Because of the inherent collaborative nature of plays, all the people (i.e. director, set designer, actor, etc.) each have individual creative visions in their separate spheres.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Literature; Plays; Playwrights; Playwriting; Theatre; Women writers

Subjects: Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: Once you are able to give it up, then you c--(laughs)--then you can turn that play loose...

Segment Synopsis: Branching off of the importance of letting other people in the play take hold of your play and perform it as their vision, Norman discusses moving on to different work.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Literature; Playwrights; Playwriting; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: Uh, but, but I don't, I, I don't try to think about my work in terms of, of how it connects thematically piece-to-piece.

Segment Synopsis: Norman further discusses her own writing, how she'll give herself writing assignments where she has to force a piece into a particular form so she can test herself and see what comes from it. She also speaks on what she writes content-wise, giving a background for the play she had just written at this time.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Literature; Playwrights; Playwriting; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.

Partial Transcript: We haven't got an awful lot more time but, uh, can you give us a view of what's going on in the next year or so?

Segment Synopsis: Norman discusses where she was currently, having just directed a workshop of her new play, "The Holdup," and now must clean up a screenplay, and then go to Ireland to see a production of her first play "Getting Out." She also mentions what she may start writing, and why she prefers writing plays and screenplays as opposed to other forms of media.

Keywords: Female writers; Kentucky female writers; Kentucky women writers; Kentucky writers; Literature; Playwrights; Playwriting; Women writers

Subjects: Literature.; Norman, Marsha; Playwriting.