May 6, 2010: August: Osage County star Estelle Parsons

>> AUGUST, OSAGE COUNTY,

WINNER OF MULTIPLE TONY

AWARDS AND THE PULITZER

PRIZE FOR DRAMA OPENED AT

THE COLONIAL THEATRE LAST

NIGHT.

JARED BOWEN SAT DOWN WITH

ITS STAR BROADWAY VETERAN

AND MARBLE HEAD NATIVE

ESTELLE PARSONS.

>> OUT IN OKLAHOMA, ON THE

PLAINS, SITS A SPRAWLING

HOME.

INSIDE THAT HOME LIVES THE

VERY VICIOUS VIOLET.

>> THE YOU DON'T WARE

MAKEUP.

YOU LOOK LIKE A LESBIAN.

>> SHE IS A PRETTY AWFUL,

AWFUL PERSON.

THEY ARE ALL PRETTY AWFUL.

AND THE THEATRE THAT IS

ENTERTAINING.

AWFUL IS OKAY IN THE THEATRE,

YOU KNOW.

IT'S PRETTY HARD ON YOU IN

REAL LIFE.

>> IN AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

ESTELLE PARSONS PLAYS THE

MATRIARCH OF THE WESTON CLAN,

A FAMILY RELUCTANTLY

RETURNING HOME WHEN THEIR

FATHER GOES MISSING.

AS THE HOURS PASS, AS THE

TEMPERATURES CLIMB, AND AS

FAMILY MEMBERS PLOW THROUGH

THEIR LOW RESERVES OF

PATIENCE, DRUG ADDICTED

VIOLET TEARS THROUGH THEM.

>> WOMEN JUST GET OLD AND

FAT AND WRINKLEY.

>> I FEEL LEAK A WILD ANIMAL

IN THE PLAY.

THERE'S THIS TERRIBLE

VIOLENCE INSIDE OF AN ADDICT,

WHY WOULDN'T THERE BE.

AND I FOUND IN MY LIFE FROM

FAMILY MEMBERS THAT THEY ARE

TERRIBLY CRUEL.

>> Reporter: FOR TWO YEARS

PARSONS HAS PLAYED VIOLET IN

THE DARKLY FUNNY PLAY.

FIRST ON BROADWAY, THEN ON

THE NATIONAL TOUR WHICH ENDS

HEAR IN BOSTON WITH FINAL

PERFORMANCES AT THE COLONIAL

THEATRE.

A MARBLE HEAD NATIVE,

PARSONS CAN SCARCELY RELATE

TO THE COUNTY CHARACTERS

BRUTAL FRANKNESS.

THE ANTITHESIS TO HER VERY

NEW ENGLAND CHARACTER.

>> THERE WAS ONE YEAR AT BU

HUH SCHOOL.

AT THAT TIME IT WAS UP

AROUND THE STATE HOUSE.

I WOULD COME IN WITH MY DAD,

HE WAS A STATE LEGISLATOR

AND I WOULD SIT IN THE

STARWAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T

LET WOMEN IN THE BAR.

>> Reporter: HER EARLY STAGE

WAS LYNN WHERE SHE PERFORMED

IN COMMUNITY THEATRE.

EVENTUALLY THOUGH SHE BOLTED

FOR NEW YORK AND THE "TODAY

SHOW" BECOME BEING THE FIRST

FEMALE TELEVISION NETWORK

REPORTER.

>> THEY JUST SENT ME OUT ON

THE POLITICAL TRAIL.ÁÛ

AND THAT JUST KIND OF OPENED

THE DOOR THEN FOR A WOMAN TO

BE INCLUDED.

>> Reporter: UNCOMFORTABLE

BEING A PROBING REPORTER

PARSONS RETURNED TO THEATRE

AND MADE NOTABLE FORAYS INTO

FILM.

>> THIS MY BABY BROTHER.

>> REAL NICE TO KNOW YOU.

>> HOWDY DO.

>> PARSONS WON AN OSCAR FOR

HER ROLE AT CLYDES

SISTER-IN-LAW IN BONNEAUIE

CLYDE BUT REFUSED TO PARLAY

THAT INTO A MOVIE CAREER.

>> I JUST COULDN'T

UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WOULD

WANT TO SPEND THEIR DAYS IN

THE STUDIO.

>> WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS EVER

SINCE LIKE HER ROLE AS

ROSEANNEA MOTHER IN THE

FAMED SITCOM PARSONS HAS

SPENT HER ENTIRE CAREER

WORKING THEERT.

IT IS ESPECIALLY POIGNANT

THAT HER LAST AUGUST BOW FOR

A ROLE "THE NEW YORK TIMES"

CALLED A CROWNING MOMENT IN

AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER WILL

BE IN HER HOMETOWN.

>> IT'S GOING TO BE VERY,

VERY EMOTIONAL.

BECAUSE I'M BACK HERE IN ALL

MY FRIENDS FROM KINDERGARTEN

ARE COMING TO SEE IT.

>> Reporter: AND THEY'LL BE

DELIGHTED TO SEE HOW THEIR

ESTELLE STILL REALLY KNOWS

HOW TO PLAY.

>> Rooney: AND AUGUST KOHL

OSAGE COUNTY IS AT THE

COLONIAL THROUGH SUNDAY THE

9th OF MAY.

THAT IS IT FOR GREATER

BOSTON.

BEFORE WE GO, THIS WAS THE

SKIN AT NOON TODAY, AS 75

PEOPLE OR SO SAT IN ON MY

NEW RADIO SHOW ON THE NEW

89.7, WGBH.

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE

PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED.

TOMORROW NIGHT IT IS BEAT

THE PRESS, THE MEDIA'S

COVERAGE OF 9 WATER

EMERGENCY PLUS OUR PANEL Ps.

THAT AND MORE TOMORROW AT

7:00.

NOW STAY TUNED FOR A LIVE

EDITION OF BASIC BLACK.

I'M EMIL ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT