Katori Hall
Katori Hall
Katori Hallis an American playwright, journalist, and actress from Memphis, Tennessee...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth10 May 1981
CountryUnited States of America
black good grows home kinds learn perform saying sounds speaking stuff understand version white
As a black woman who grows up in a predominantly white neighborhood, you learn how to perform a 'good' version of yourself. And then when you're with your home girls, you're saying all kinds of stuff that sounds all kinds of crazy, but you understand each other because you're speaking the way that you're comfortable with.
enjoy game plenty prefer saw watching
Through school, I saw plenty of theatre my parents weren't necessarily up on. They would prefer a football game to watching 'The Nutcracker,' and that's fine. I enjoy both.
create loose start talking time
Most of the time, when I'm writing, I'm writing for myself. I'm thinking, 'What will my character say at this time? What will come out of her mouth?' I create individuals so real to me, I sometimes start talking to them. Then I let them loose on the page.
kinds roles vice
I think being an actor makes me a better writer and vice versa. I know the kinds of roles I would kill to play, and I try to create them for others.
crave people stories work
I always crave to see more stories about and by people of color, particularly new work by young black writers.
plays roles women
I started writing because I got so frustrated that there weren't enough plays that had roles for young black women in them.
article below human people
I never, ever read the comments below an article on the Web. People are mean. I'm a human being.
I have so many different voices and stories to tell.
complex continue responsibility roles women
I feel a responsibility to continue creating complex roles for black women, especially young black women.
area based extension focusing hotel housing minutes natural project specific three work
'Hurt Village' is based on a real housing project in Memphis, about three minutes away from the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. King was assassinated, so in my work I'm focusing on a very specific area in Memphis. I see 'Hurt Village' as a natural extension of 'The Mountaintop.'
Become your dream, and not be told what you are supposed to do.
might people
I used to think people above me might get jealous because I wanted to do what they did. But no, people are much nicer than that.
audiences beyond black bring color community connection continue continuous create next step tackling theaters work writers
Many theaters are tackling the multifaceted work of black writers - established and emerging. Now the next step is for them to bring in audiences of color and continue to go out to our community and create a continuous connection that extends beyond the one black show in the season.
april bit growing holiday human luther martin memphis pause statue
I can only speak for myself, but when I was growing up in Memphis - and having the Martin Luther King holiday and the moment of pause on April 4th - he was just a statue to me. I wanted to make him a little bit more real to me as a human being.