 O'Connor then turned to the stage, producing, writing, and starring in the Off-Broadway play "Rumblings of a Romance Renaissance" in 1997.At the same time, O'Connor began work on a screenplay based on then-wife Angela Shelton's memories of her childhood spent on the road with her serial-marrying mother.Impressed by Tony Award-winning British actress Janet McTeer's appearance on Charlie Rose's talk show in 1997, he was determined to cast her in what had become "Tumbleweeds" (in which he co-starred); he and Shelton were forced to finance the film themselves after being unable to find backers.