Marilyn, Norma Jean and Me

In this boisterous but sensitive drama, playwright J. Ajlouny looks beyond public image to find the heart of this young woman thrust wildly into fame as a sex symbol. Presented as a play-in-the-making within a play, Marilyn, Norma Jean and Me weaves biography with humor to explore the movie star's widely speculated plan to leave Hollywood for Broadway. The author imagines her innocence and vulnerability, her friendliness and loyalty, even as the public image threatens to steal her humanity. This play is a must-see or -read for fans of film and stage, not just because it is so good, but for its powerful way of finding the real Norma Jean in the legend known as Marilyn Monroe. Author of Who Said That? and more than a dozen books and plays, J. Ajlouny holds a B.A. in Journalism from Wayne State University and a J.D. from Michigan State University. He founded the Federal Bureau of Entertainment (FBE) to develop and produce one-person stage shows featuring prominent British actors. Now focusing on touring theatre projects and Great Lakes history research, he is a writer and editor of humor, pop-reference, essays, and assorted arcana. He lives in Detroit.