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Getting Out

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description Getting Out Overview

Getting Out is a 1977 play by Marsha Norman that marks her professional debut as a playwright. The story centers on a woman named Arlene Holsclaw as she attempts to rebuild her life during her first 24 hours out of prison. To depict her internal struggle and history, the play uses a split-character device where two actresses portray Arlene in the present and her younger, more volatile self, Arlie, from the past. Through overlapping scenes, the narrative explores themes of trauma, redemption, and the lingering effects of a violent past.

help Getting Out FAQ

Who is Arlene in Getting Out?

Arlene Holsclaw is a woman released from prison who is trying to rebuild her life during her first day outside. The play follows her attempts to deal with freedom, work, relationships, and memories of the abuse and crime that shaped her past.

How does Getting Out show Arlene's past?

Marsha Norman uses split staging and overlapping versions of the central character to show Arlene in the present alongside her younger self, often called Arlie. This theatrical structure makes her prison history appear alongside the ordinary actions of her first 24 hours free.

Who wrote Getting Out?

Getting Out was written by Marsha Norman in 1977 and was her professional debut as a playwright. The play helped establish her interest in women's lives, trauma, poverty, and institutional pressure.

Is Getting Out mainly a prison play?

The action begins after Arlene has been released, so much of the play takes place outside prison in a run-down Louisville apartment. Its prison scenes arrive through memory and theatrical doubling, showing that physical release does not immediately end institutional control.

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