( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
WE'RE HERE WITH LOVELY AND TALENTED SALLY FIELD.
SALLY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE BACK ON BROADWAY AFTER 15 YEARS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: DOING TENNESSEE WILLIAMS "THE GLASS MENAGERIE."
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THE PLAY WAS FIRST PERFORMED IN 1 1944.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE STORY STILL HOLDS UP NOW?
>> IT'S BRILLIANT WRITING BY A YOUNG GENIUS, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
WAS.
WHEN HE WROTE THE PLAY, IT WAS SO AVANT-GARDE WHAT HE SAW.
IT'S REALLY BEEN DONE THE WAY HE -- IT'S RARELY BEEN DONE THE
WAY HE ORIGINALLY WROTE IT BECAUSE AT THE TIME THEY WENT, H
HUH?
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IT WAS BEFORE THE THEATER HAD COME IN AND CHANGED THE WAY
THEATER CONTAINED ITSELF, HOW YOU CAN TELL A STORY.
SO I THINK "THE GLASS MENAGERIE," SPECIFICALLY, OFFERS
SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO COME AND REVISIT IT IN MANY WAYS,
MANY HANDS.
RIGHT NOWIST IN THE CAPABLE AND EXTRAORDINARY HANDS OF SAM GOLD,
WHO IS THE DIRECTOR, WHO HAS A VISION OF WHAT STORY HE'S
TELLING, WHICH IS EXACTLY "THE GLASS MENAGERIE" BUT HAS NOT
BEEN QUITE SEEN THIS WAY BEFORE.
AND I THINK IN SOME WEIRD WAYS, IT PERTAINS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN THE WORLD, IN THAT AMANDA HAS THESE TWO CHILDREN --
>> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTER.
-- MY CHARACTER, WHO ARE UNIQUE IN THEIR WAY, ONE OF THEM
BEING A CLOSETED GAY WHO IS HAVING A HARD TIME AROUND HIS
MOTHER WHO REFUSES TO SEE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T OF THE MIND
OF THE SPIRIT, AND SHE WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT IN A MILLION YEARS.
AND HER DAUGHTER WHO IS PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, IS PHYSICALLY
CHALLENGED, BUT MORE THAN THAT, SHE DOESN'T WANT TO DO THE
THINGS THAT HER MOTHER DID.
SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GET MARRIED AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MAN
SUPPORT HER.
SHE HAS MAYBE OTHER THINGS SHE WANTS TO DO.
SO AMANDA IS THE GREAT KILLER OF DIFFERENCES.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AMANDA WANTS EVERYTHING TO BE THE WAY SHE CAN
CONTAIN IT, SHE UNDERSTANDS IT, LET IT BE LIKE ME.
LET BOTH MY CHILDREN BE THE WAY I WAS, THE WAY I CAN UNDERSTAND,
AND I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IS LET'S GO
AFTER THE OTHERS, ANYBODY THAT ISN'T EXACTLY GOING DOWN THIS
ONE ROAD WHICH HAS BEEN SET UP AS THE RIGHT, WHITE ROAD.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE FIRST
TIME YOU WERE ON STAGE?
>> OH, WHEN I WAS 12 IN SEVENTH GRADE.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
12?
>> YES, 12.
>> Stephen: WHAT PART DID YOU PLAY?
>> IT WAS IN SCENE STUDY.
I HAD A SCENE FROM "BORN YESTERDAY."
>> Stephen: DID YOU PLAY JUDY HOLIDAY?
>> THE BLONDE BOMBSHELL.
COMPLETE TYPE CASTING.
HEIDI THE LITTLE GOAT GIRL TAKING A STAB AT MADEA OR
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.
( LAUGHTER ) HEY!
BUT IT WAS MY FIRST SCENE AND I REMEMBER IT VIVIDLY.
>> Stephen: HOW DID IT GO?
OH, IT WAS DREADFUL.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU IN THE SCHOOL PAGEANT OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT?
>> NO, NO, I WAS VERY SHY.
>> Stephen: OH.
WE WOULD HAVE CHRISTMAS PAGEANTS WHERE YOU HELD A CANDLE
UNDER YOUR FACE AND WALKED DOWN AND SANG HOLY NIGHT OR
SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: DID YOU DO THAT?
WERE YOU THE VIRGIN MARY?
>> NO.
I WAS ONE OF A HERD OF PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: FIRST TIME I WAS ON STAGE --
>> I HEARD YOU WERE BUTT NAKED.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NO, NO.
HONEY, HONEY, THAT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME I WAS ON STAGE, THAT
WAS JUST MY FAVORITE TIME ON STAGE.
>> OH, WELL, THAT WOULD DO IT.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST TIME I WAS ON STAGE IS I WAS THE FOURTH
WISE MAN IN THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT.
I WAS THE FOURTH WISE MAN BECAUSE THE POWER WENT OFF AT
OUR HOUSE AND MY MOM SPENT ALL THE TIME MAKING THE COSTUME AND
MAKING THE BOX OF TREASURE THAT WE GOT TO THE CHURCH LATE.
THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME ON STAGE.
I WAS HOOKED.
( APPLAUSE ) LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) "THE GLASS MENAGERIE"
OPENS MARCH 9 ON BROADWAY AT THE BELASCO THEATRE.
SALLY FIELD, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )