DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and what a story it is to tell. Now, some folks leave a mark on their hometown. And some folks leave a mark on an entire art form.
Margo Jones managed both. Born right here in Livingston, she grew into one of the leading figures of American theatre — and I don't mean regional, I don't mean local, I mean American theatre, full stop. The woman directed Broadway shows.
She had a hand in the careers of some of the most celebrated playwrights this country ever produced — most notably Tennessee Williams and William Inge. You want names? The Glass Menagerie.
Inherit the Wind. Those are among the Broadway shows she directed. Let that settle in for a second.
A woman from Livingston, Texas, helping to shape those productions. If that doesn't make you sit up a little straighter in the seat, I don't know what will. But here's what made Margo Jones something beyond just a talented director: she was an advocate.
A genuine one. She believed in non-profit professional residential theatres, and she believed in theatre-in-the-round — and she didn't just talk about those ideas, she carried them out, both on Broadway and right there in her own Dallas theatre. She also organized the Houston Community Players, and she was named one of the Outstanding Little Theater Directors in America.
This was a woman who thought big and then went and built the thing. She died in Dallas in 1955, and the theatre world felt it. But here's the thing about planting ideas as deep as Margo Jones planted hers — her influence, the marker tells us, continues today.
A Livingston native. Broadway. Tennessee Williams.
Theatre-in-the-round. And all of it started somewhere right around here.
What the marker says
Livingston native Margo Jones was one of the leading figures of American theatre during her brief life. A director and innovator, she played a key role in the careers of many actors and playwrights, most notably Tennessee Williams and William Inge; The Glass Menagerie and Inherit the Wind were among the Broadway shows she directed. She was an advocate for non-profit professional residential theatres and theatre-in-the-round, and she carried out her ideas both on Broadway and in her Dallas theatre. Named one of the Outstanding Little Theater Directors in America, she also organized the Houston Community Players. She died in Dallas in 1955, but her influence continues today. (2005)