What I loved about the acting class was that you got to think all day long about a person that wasn't you, and figure out why they were sad and what they wanted, what they dreamed.

I did write a couple of original screenplays, but I'd rather write plays.

I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, really in suburbia, so my mother was in community theatre plays.

I just loved being divorced from my own wretchedness.

I love writing for the screen.

I tried to start a theatre in LA and failed miserably, but I was probably not meant to raise money.

I was just restless with being in school; so I went out to Los Angeles.

I'm very into the first production of the show.

In movement class, you had to lie on the floor and get your alignment in to pass the class.

It was kind of enlightening to become a playwright.

It's really interesting that whenever you do something that is so out of character, like having an emotional outburst, that you don't get in trouble.

My fault now is making my plays too short.

My first few plays took place in the South and even The Lucky Spot was in the thirties but in Louisiana.

Part of that is that New York has proved to be too much fun for me to live and work; I love New York so much.

Then I went off to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. They had a really wonderful theatre department.

Then, when I was a senior in high school, I was kind of bereft and she put me in an acting class.

You can't just go in there and open your mouth until the cast and director feel comfortable with you.

But here's the thing: what you do as a screenwriter is you sell your copyright. As a novelist, as a poet, as a playwright, you maintain your copyright.

It's called Sisters of the Winter Madrigal. It was interesting for me to see it done after so many years; because I wrote it and I didn't realize what a rage I was in.

Plays are so much more special if they've never ever had a production, but I think you can really work on a play and make it better with each production.