Marian Seldes: The Heart, the Soul, the Engine of "Follies of God"
Question from a
Reader: Why is your book dedicated to Marian Seldes--the only actress in the
book to earn this? Why have some reviewers referred to her as the heart of the
book?
Answer:
I considered an acting career when I was in high school, and on a drama-club
trip to New York in November of 1978, the students of Baton Rouge High saw
Marian in Ira Levin's Deathtrap at
the Music Box Theater. Ads in the New York Times revealed that Marian had
written her autobiography, so I went to Marlboro Books in Times Square and bought that
book--The Bright Lights. After the performance I asked her to sign it
and we began talking about the theatre and life and other things, and she asked
me if I could come back and see her the next evening: Her character dies in the
first act, so she could spend the second act visiting with me. The following
night I left "Annie" at intermission and spent an hour or so with
Marian in her dressing room. "Let's be friends," she said, and so we
remained for more than three decades. Marian read every word I ever wrote, and
we spoke on the phone far too often for the comfort of my parents, who got the
phone bills. When I met Tennessee Williams in New Orleans in 1982, he began to
dictate the names of those to whom I should run for advice and affirmation:
Marian was one of those names. "Oh, I know her already," I said.
"How?" Tenn asked in amusement. I told him the story. "Oh, so
you are used to walking up to people and asking for help and friendship?"
Tennessee called Marian after our visit--her exchange then was PLaza-3--and
asked her if I was a "good character." Yes, Marian told him, after
which Marian called me and asked what on earth was going on. "I don't
know," I told her, "but I'll keep you posted."
After Tennessee
Williams died, Marian
asked me more questions about our visit, what was said, what was intended, and
she began to gently but persistently goad me into doing something with the notes.
"Start calling the women," she implored, but I didn't know how.
Marian got me in touch with the first two women: Bette Davis and Ruth Gordon. I
still didn't know what to do with the material. "You will," Marian
told me.
When
I moved to New York in 1989, Marian took me to lunch at the Coffee House Club
and pulled from a bag all the notes I had been sending her over the years.
"Bird," she told me, "this is a book. This is your assignment.
Tennessee needs this."
And
so I started. I wrote letters and knocked on doors. Marian made calls. The
women began to show up.
Marian
Seldes is the one link--other than my mother--to that incredible moment when
Tennessee Williams asked me to be his witness. She read every word of the book.
She helped me to edit it. She championed it to virtually everyone. She is not
only the heart and soul of the book, but its engine.
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