Meet Catherine Butterfield | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Butterfield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
There is a guiding principle, a motto if you will, followed religiously by most – actually, I would say all – politicians and sports figures: “Never Give Up.” If your party has been badly beaten, and it is clear the bulk of the public hates you, and there is no clear reason why you should be trusted with a seat at the table of government, Never Give Up. Hunker down, don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Even if they’ve caught you with your hand in the till, convince them they shouldn’t believe their lying eyes. Instead, keep your eye on the prize and stay the course. Soon, people will forget that you are a thief and remember only that they like the way you comb your hair. In sports, if your team is in the basement, your star player in jail, and the stadiums are empty, just remember all the movies where the terrible teams rally and turn it all around in the eleventh hour. Fiction can become reality! You, too, can be one of those teams! Everybody loves a come-from-behind winner.

But sometimes, when it is clear that the tide is turning, and you can see that the approaching waters are not blue but starting to be streaked with increasingly large streaks of blood red, there comes a time when it might be wise to consider giving up. Especially if you have had your heart broken more than once and know that to stay the current course will only lead to madness, it might be wise to consider a new course of action, a new game. A new country, even. Don’t think of it as giving up. Think of it as saving your soul. Or if that sounds a bit melodramatic, just call it self-care. If you are not spiritually whole, you will not be able to start again and take on a new task for which the motto can be “Never Give Up.” That is, if that motto still appeals to you.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I began my career as a Shakespearean actress. I had a season at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival in Ashland, and then played classical roles in regional theatres for years until the life of traveling from city to city started to lose its luster for me. I was an avid reader and had long kept a journal. In addition, as a child I used to write little plays and entertain the neighborhood children with them. I started to wonder whether being a playwright was something I could achieve. At the time, the comedian Louis Black was an up-and-coming standup who ran a room in New York called the WestBank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar. ( Quite a mouthful! Later, it was changed to the Laurie Beechman Theatre.) Every night, the room was filled with aspiring actors, writers, comedians, and musicians, who showed up to watch each other’s stuff and enjoy Lou’s hilarious political comedy. One day, at the urging of my very pushy boyfriend, I summoned the nerve to ask Lou if I could present one of my one-act plays there. He said yes, and thus began a period of great creative happiness for me; writing, acting in and sometimes directing my increasingly more accomplished work and presenting it at the midnight show. It was really like my grad school, a great learning experience.

But I still didn’t know if I had it in me to write a satisfying full-length script. Not long after, I was offered a job understudying roles in a national tour of Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Heidi Chronicles.” As it was a nine-month tour, this seemed to me the perfect opportunity to find out if I could write. By the end of the tour, I had a full-length play I felt had promise: “Joined at the Head.” That play, which was picked up by the Manhattan Theatre Club, established me nationally as a playwright.

My third act has been as a novelist. Time spent at a writers’ retreat in France led me to the inspiration to write a book about Marguerite de Valois, the daughter of the infamous Catherine de Medici, and their ongoing battle of wits. It was a leap of faith, going to this retreat I knew nothing about, and it paid off big time.

The two things I learned from those three experiences are: 1) Try to be your own pushy boyfriend. Dare to put yourself forward, taking the chance that it may be a humiliating experience, because there’s a very good chance it won’t be and 2) Don’t turn your nose up at opportunity. I kind of thought I was past the point in my acting career where I would be understudying other people, but when I looked at it as an opportunity to be paid to write, it made a lot of sense. 3.) When in doubt, take that leap of faith!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a Santa Monican, so naturally I would take them to the pier to ride the Ferris wheel at night. It’s a pretty glorious experience to swoop up over the ocean and look down on the city! Then I would take them to any one of the great smaller theatres in the city. Nothing against the big theatres, but there is very challenging and exciting work going on with theatres like the Interact, Antaeus, Rogue Machine, the Victory, Road Theatre, and many others.

During the day, a day trip to the Huntington Gardens and Library in Pasadena is, in my opinion, a must, especially in May when the roses are in bloom. It’s a research and cultural center surrounded by 120 acres of astounding gardens reflecting every part of the globe. Fascinating artwork within the building. And they have a wonderful afternoon tea!

Back to Santa Monica, I would take my guest to Back on the Beach, one of the only restaurants I know of that is right on the sand. I’ve been going there for many years, and it’s a brilliant way to observe humanity as they skateboard/bike/jog/walk past on the long path that leads all the way to Marina del Rey.

On Montana Avenue, there are a plethora of wonderful restaurants. My current favorites are Margos, Forma, Father’s Office, R & D, and Courtyard Kitchen.

And finally, the Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue was rescued from oblivion by some Hollywood movers and shakers. It features classic films from the past and the occasional premiere of a new film, often with talent there for a Q and A.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
1) My father and mother, who were both convinced I was remarkable despite abundant evidence to the contrary
2) Ron West, my husband, with whom I occasionally collaborate
3) My daughter, the actress Audrey Corsa, who I find endlessly fascinating and sometimes exasperating
4) The Oregon Shakespeare Festival for launching my acting career
5) The actor Dakin Matthews, with whom I performed in many plays in my early career, seriously supported my second career as a writer. I will always value his advice.
6) The Manhattan Theatre Club, which launched me into the New York limelight.

Website: https://www.catherinebutterfield.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catherinebutterfield6347