Goddesses of the Silver Screen

The Goddess Fair

Go-getter playwright Marguerite Fair (pictured & crowned above, center) rules in her newest production, Goddess Intervention

interview by J. deVivre

I love the title of your most recent work, Goddess Intervention. What originally inspired the play?

After almost two years of working on my drama, a play called Your Late Mother, I came to a point where I was going through a transition of personal self-awareness. The Goddesses in the play all represent me at different points in my life and how the core of my existence has been filled with paradoxes and comedy. The play shows the struggles we women have in the journey to becoming the person that our life experiences have brought us to as we head to the sunset years of our lives. Laughter is a daily joy in my life and so it had to be funny.

I see that you initially created the play as a fundraising event for another project you've been working on. Did the goddess project behave and dutifully play its part or did it take on a life of its own?

Yes, as it turns out while at the other end of the spectrum of comedy vs. drama, Goddess Intervention has taken on a life of it's own. The Pink Lady is interested in having it done with her theater company once it is up and running.

And how is that other project, Your Late Mother, coming along?

Goddess Intervention - A play about four obsessive Goddesses on the funny path to self-realization!

Your Late Mother is a play about a mother who on her last day of life is granted a special wish to heal her broken family. It is a very personal story for me as it is about my relationship with my two sons. I created it to be the kind of ending that made sense to me. I worked on it in collaboration with Kevin Dobson, star of Knots Landing and Kojak, for almost two years. We had five readings for the play, four of which he directed. After creative differences ended our collaboration, I directed the last version with movement at the Little Victory Theatre in Burbank. I've gotten lots of positive feedback about the heart-felt drama. I continue on my journey for fundraising to put it up for a world premiere or find a theater that would like to license it for production.

What did you learn about the goddess archetype through the process of writing and directing the play?

Everything I do creatively turns into an amazing learning process. In writing this play, as with my other work, the voices of the characters are creating the process, so the building of it is an easy process that I just naturally flow with. As a director I learned a great deal about how to effectively get the actors to bring the characters to life. My main new insight as a director is that it is important to take more time in the casting process. Each Goddess is a complex woman and best served by experienced actors who process the ability to take direction and focus only on their acting and not become distracted by production.

You're involved with Women in Film, the Women's Playwright Initiative and even the Red Hat society. Throughout your career in the entertainment industry how have you seen the role of women change and evolve?

As a Baby Boomer coming from times when women had two choices in life after high school graduation: You either married or went to college. I married. It has been an amazing journey to see doors open and social changes that have allowed women to evolve. While the process is not finished, we have come a long way because we now realize that we do have choices. Women are now making better choices. I did not take my writing career seriously until age 48. I have no time to waste and I am grateful to have found organizations that both support and encourage women to be pro-active in taking charge of their careers.

What sort of impact did playing goddesses have on your actresses?

I think they were surprised to discover parts of themselves in the Goddesses. They seemed to have a lot of fun once they got into the fun aspect of it. After that aspect, make sure that you take time to edit the work. Have someone help you with the editing process, but never allow other people to "change" your work or concept of the project. There is a fine line that should not be crossed. I find that in life you have to trust your instincts.

Is there any goddessy guidance or advice you'd like to impart to budding female playwrights?

My advice is to not edit your work in the first draft process. Allow your characters to speak in their unique voices and move the story where it needs to go. Real dialogue is key to having golden characters. After that process is complete and you make certain that the structure works...take time to get proper help with editing. You want a clean play. Also, make sure that you do not compromise your vision especially in a collaborative process..and always have signed contracts detailing what each person's job in that process is. It is easy for lines to get crossed when other people get attached to your work. Never compromise your story and remember be true to yourself.