The play was premiered by the Provisional Theatre in 1982. Earlier versions of the play were presented as work-in-progress by the Free Southern Theater, the Black Theater Alliance of New York and the Baltimore Theater Project. All rights are strictly reserved.

DON’T START ME TO TALKING OR I’ll TELL EVERYTHING I KNOW: SAYINGS FROM THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JUNEBUG JABBO JONES was developed with support from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation, the California Arts Council and Alternate Roots.

About the play .........................................

Don't Start Me To Talking Or I'll Tell Everything I Know...is a remarkable collection of six tales and anecdotes as told by the folkloric character, Junebug Jabbo Jones.

In "I'm Who It Is Talking To You", Junebug tells of his history and background. "Junebug Jabbo Jones," the mythic storyteller informs us, "it ain't my name, it's a title of a job I got to do... like 'prince' or 'king' or something like that." Speaking more personally, our Junebug tells of his own experiences growing up in Pike County, Mississippi in "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home". The first act ends with "Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep", a bitter-sweet tale about what happened when Junebug left home to make his way in the big world outside of his home near Four Corners, Mississippi.

Act Two opens with a traditional stubborn mule story. In "Senator Bilbo and Miz Bessie Mae", Junebug reveals how his grandfather got even with a no good politician. "Down In The Boys Gym" is the humorous yet touching story about coming of age in the fifties. The most poignant point in the play occurs at the end of the evening when "Tommie Too Tuff Tucker", an old disc jockey who'd been displaced by "progress" is no longer able to distinguish what's real and what's not.

As Junebug clears the stage, he sums up the proceedings with an "Epilogue" before moving on to the next stop.

Since 1980, John O'Neal has presented the Junebug character in Don't Start Me To Talking ... to the enthusiastic response of audiences and critics throughout the United States, Canada, France and Scandinavia.