Katori Hall

Katori Hall (born May 10, 1981) is an American playwright, journalist, and actress.

Quotes

 * My mother said I was a weird child. I had about 15 imaginary friends and talked to myself, a lot. I still do sometimes - I love the power of pretend. Now I channel all those voices into my characters. It's probably a saner outlet.
 * On gravitating towards the dramatic arts even at an early age in “Katori Hall: 'I've had two hours sleep!'” in The Guardian (2010 Mar 23)


 * I always say that I’m a writer who writes more from place than race.
 * On the theme that she most explores in “Art Talk with Playwright Katori Hall” (National Endowment of the Arts; 2015 May 28)


 * I went up to my teacher and asked, “Do you know of any good scenes from plays that occur between two young black women?” She stood there perplexed. 10 seconds went by…then 20….then 30….a whole minute flew by and she couldn’t come up with one answer. “Gee, Katori, I’m so sorry, but I can’t think of one…I mean, there is a scene in Raisin but the two characters are not young…maybe August Wilson? No…most of his characters are male…I’m sorry, Katori. I just can’t think of one.” She walked away. At that moment I said to myself, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to write some then.” I wrote from an intense need to see myself and my experience reflected honestly onstage. It was quite easy to make the transition.
 * On finding out that there was a lack of dramatic scenes between two young Black women while attending acting school in “INTERVIEW WITH KATORI HALL” in Playwrights Foundation (2008 Apr 18)


 * Playwrights are the most gregarious writers—to get our work done, we need actors, directors, set designers. So whenever I have to go back into my writing cocoon, I get a little scared to be alone. But that's when the voices come to you. Silence is the start.
 * On needing solitary time to produce works in “5 Ways Katori Hall Gave In to Life, Love and Her Own Creativity” in O Magazine