During the production process of our drama we decided to gain some background information on Kate Chopin and to hear professional point of view of the story itself and what is to be expected.

Dr Laurie Garrison, lecturer in English at the University said this:

“Kate Chopin was an innovative and challenging writer, influenced by French naturalists – the avant garde writers of the day – at a time when women writers were struggling to be taken seriously. She also lived a rich and daring personal life, holding literary salons and committing the unfeminine acts of smoking and showing her ankles – to the horror of some of her neighbours. ‘A Respectable Woman’ is an example of Kate Chopin’s short story writing at its best, and as such, it will present some challenges for those seeking to adapt it for radio.

Chopin was famous for her insightful portrayals of Louisiana’s complex local culture. The interactions amongst Cajuns and Creoles, planters and workers, men and women, blacks and whites are studied in detail in her work. Mr and Mrs Baroda are wealthy Creole plantation owners in rural Louisiana and Gouvernail, a journalist, will be from a less illustrious background. Accent and inflection will be crucial if the adaptation will achieve the sensuousness of Gouvernail’s ‘low, hesitating drawl’ as well as the class difference between the Gouvernail and the Barodas.

In addition, whilst Chopin often dealt with race and class as central issues in her writing, in this short story, her focus is on the epiphany experienced by an upper middle class woman who finds herself constrained by playing the role of a ‘respectable woman’. The sense of inner, psychological discovery that colours this story is a result of the influence of French naturalism. This in particular will represent a challenge to the adapters to effectively display the inner workings of Mrs Baroda’s mind without recourse to visual images, where facial expressions and gesture could be put to use.

I hope also to see that the sensuousness of Chopin’s writing is captured. Her female characters’ states of mind are often reflected in natural settings, as in the outdoor evening scene where Mrs Baroda feels only her physicality in Gouvernail’s presence. It will be interesting to see how the adapters deal with these challenges and I very much look forward to hearing the finished piece.”