Jane Martin Collected Works Volume 1: Collected Plays 1980-1995

by Jane Martin

Martin achieves her effects through the wild creativity of her characterizations coupled with her tremendously visceral, idiomatic language. - Marcia Dixcy, Introduction

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

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

[Jayne Benjulian]

Several stunning monologues and scenes in this volume (I) of Martin's work. My favorite: "Twirler," a brilliant example of (1) voice and (2) the development and shape of a monologue.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is from Clear Glass Marbles
By Jane Martin

Another cutting is for Fifteen Minutes (from Talking With)
By Jane Martin

Yet another cutting is for Rodeo from Talking With
By Jane Anderson

Still another cutting is for Twirler (from Talking With)
By Jane Martin

[Melissa]

Jane Martin writes wonderful monologues, but her short plays bore me.