Talking With...

by Jane Martin

Talking With... is a series of women's monologues tackling many different aspects of the complex female psyche.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

78 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1983

About the author

Jane Martin is the pen-name of a playwright speculated to be former Actors Theatre of Louisville artistic director Jon Jory. Jon Jory, Martin's spokesperson, denies being Jane Martin but has directed the premieres of Martin's shows.

Martin has traditionally been billed as a Kentucky playwright. While speculation about her identity centers around Jory, other theories have cited former Actors Theatre of Louisville Executive Director Alexander Speer, former Actors Theatre Literary Manager Michael Bigelow Dixon, and former intern Kyle John Schmidt.

Jane Martin's key credits include Anton in Show Business, Back Story, Coup, Cementville, Criminal Hearts, Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, Vital Signs, and Talking With... Martin's Keely and Du won the 1994 American Theater Critics Association New Play Award and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Reviews

[Javier Fernandez]

I saw this on stage today. Some of the 11 monologues were brilliant. Others were too bizarre for my mind to tell if they were brilliant or not. My favorite monologue was "The Handler". The snake can sense hollowness, and when it does, it will bite. The moral here is that whether it's faith, or something else, we all need to fill the internal void somehow.

[Morgan Kail-Ackerman]

Solid play. I love fun and exciting plays about women and empowerment. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of a series of monologues because it is hard to keep the audience attention. And this was that, so it made it not my favorite in that sense. I also don't like her use of the n word within the script, as a white person. But that is my 21st century mind critiquing an 80s play. But still a good script, for a cast of all women.

[Gypsysoul_]

Fantastic collection of monologues, many very touching and real. A bit dated, but could still read well to an audience. Extremely touched by "Dragons" - which completely took me by surprise, "Clear Glass Marbles" - would love to do this monologue someday, "Scraps" was delightfully quirky, and "Handler" would be wonderful to direct.

[Brenda]

I've read this a couple of times, but a long time ago. I remember when it was all the rage (all women!) and all the actresses wanted to do the Clear Glass Marbles. I'm not sure it's aged well and on this reading, I felt a sameness to many of the pieces. It was instructive on structuring monologues, which was the reason for this particular reading.

[S.M.]

A short and interesting read.

[Kara]

Great fun!

[Cas]

such a moving collection of monologues.

[Siouxsie]

A couple of beautiful monologues in here. And, some bizarre ones.

[Calvin Soule]

Awesome monologues - my favorite was French Fry :)

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for French Fries from Talking With
By Jane Martin

Another cutting is for Handler from Talking With
By Jane Martin

Yet another cutting is for “Marks” from Talking With
By Jane Martin

Still another cutting is for Scraps
By Jane Martin

Wow, another cutting is for Audition
By Jane Martin

[Kat]

A series of women's monologues intended to be played together in a series. Some of them were more interesting than others. I really liked the one called "Scraps," about a housewife who hides her tendency to dress up as an Oz character whenever possible, including when cleaning house. That one is delightfully bizarre, and a good study in escapism and character.

[Casey]

I am every one of these charismatic women. And so is every one of my friends. I was 16 when I first read "Marks," and 15 years later, it still gives me goosebumps. Jane Martin, whoever you really are - you are brilliant!

[Dave Clapper]

I suspect that a bad production of this could be positively painful to sit through. The production I saw by students at Northwestern many years ago was outstanding, though.

[Andrea]

Performed the monologue "Dragons". These are 11 monologues for women. The only connective thread is women who have had life kick them in the teeth one way or another. Some are a bit vulgar. 1998

[Liz]

I like several of the monologues in this script, especially Clear Glass Marbles. But most are written from perspectives I don't connect with.