Margo JonesA Texan, a woman, a director, a spitfire. Jones pretty much single-handedly made regional theatre plausible.
She was a talented young director in the golden era of American stage drama, rubbing shoulders with Tennesee Williams and Elia Kazan, and after her experience with the Federal Theatre Project she decided she wanted to see theatre distributed to the entire nation.
In Dallas, she opened a theare-in-the-round and later published a book by the name "Theatre-in-the-round". She saw it as a vital, intimate and most importantly, cheap theatrical format that could be staged in warehouses, restaurants, or whatever was available to fledgling regional theatre companies. The success of her own theatre and the advice and advocacy given by Jones were considerable boons to theatres across the country.
In addition to a heart for regional theatre, Jones was also passionate about original works. She produced 57 new plays in her too-short career, and one third of those went on to be staged again elsewhere or be made into films or television programs.
A gutsy lady with a vision. Not very many female role models in this biz but Margot's a good one!
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