Fresh off a 2008 Pulitzer Prize and five Tony Awards, August: Osage County, the three-act drama running at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre stars Estelle Parsons and follows the story of the Weston family of rural Oklahoma.
“It’s pure theatre,” says Parsons. “I think of all the plays I’ve done in my very long life in the theatre, I’ve not done anything like this,” adding, “I call it a phenomenon instead of a play, because people jump into it immediately.”
Parsons won an Oscar for the film “Bonnie and Clyde” and is also recognized as Roseanne’s mother from the hit TV show “Roseanne.” What few know, is that she was a correspondent for NBC’s Today Show, starting with the program as a production assistant at its inception in 1952.
“I got in, like by the back door,” she says. “It was before women’s lib, or anything. I had a wonderful time. I was five years with NBC.” The opportunity, in part, helped launch a legendary career that can be seen in action today.
August: Osage County runs through most of August and a few days in September, before it wraps up on Sunday, September 6th.
