1509 quotes by playwrights for you to enjoy

There was something so immensely redemptive and exciting for me to imagine that my unknown father was not just a man who had abandoned me but a noble man of adventure who had no choice. Said Sayrafiezadeh

Me Man Father Unknown Immensely Abandoned No Choice Something Had Exciting Noble Adventure Just Choice Who Imagine

I feel more Jewish than I do Iranian. Said Sayrafiezadeh

More Feel Iranian Than Jewish

Other families who are poor do what they can to get out of it. My mother did not. She did not utilise her resources. She had a degree. There was something she could have done, but she actively, purposely refused that so we could have this absolutely authentic experience of the worst of capitalism: 'See? Look how bad capitalism is.' Said Sayrafiezadeh

Capitalism Experience Mother Degree Other Resources Worst Out Bad See Something Purposely Could Absolutely Had Look She How Authentic Families Get Did Done Refused Poor Who Actively Her

The year the bus drivers went on strike in Pittsburgh, I was twenty-three and living on the edge of the city in a neighborhood that was on the verge of becoming a ghetto. I had just been fired from a good job as a cartographer in a design studio where I had worked for about four months. Said Sayrafiezadeh

Good Good Job Job Edge Year Living Design Strike Months Ghetto Neighborhood City About Fired Drivers Had Studio Becoming Verge Been Just Where Pittsburgh Bus Worked Four

There's always been something a little pathetic for me at the work parties I've attended, especially thinking back to the restaurants I worked in. I remember a Christmas party in which we all got free T-shirts with the restaurant on the front and our names on the back. Said Sayrafiezadeh

Work Christmas Me Remember Free Party Thinking Back Our Restaurant Restaurants Something Attended Names Parties Always Got Been Pathetic Front Which Little Worked

More people work at Walmart than anywhere else in the United States, but you wouldn't know that from our literature. I'm trying to get at the reality of this country by portraying the lives of many of my friends who I left behind in Pittsburgh. Said Sayrafiezadeh

Work You Reality People Country Else Our States More More People Know Left Friends Than Get Trying Walmart Behind Pittsburgh Literature Anywhere Anywhere Else Who Many United Lives United States Portraying

I need to feel as if everything is clean and in its proper place before I can even attempt to write one word. At least, that's what I tell myself. I make the bed, I put away the dishes, maybe I dust, maybe I do the laundry, maybe I go to the post office. Said Sayrafiezadeh

Myself Post Word Before Dust Everything Tell Post Office Laundry One Word Proper Clean Write Attempt Put Feel Make Bed Least Go Office Maybe Dishes Place Even Away Need

I work in the most non-Communist job. I work for 'Martha Stewart Living.' Said Sayrafiezadeh

Work Job Living Martha Martha Stewart Most

There's no way to escape the fact that we've grown up in a violent culture, we just can't get away from it, it's part of our heritage. I think part of it is that we've always felt somewhat helpless in the face of this vast continent. Helplessness is answered in many ways, but one of them is violence. Sam Shepard

Culture Face Think Heritage Our Way Ways Fact Somewhat Vast Part Felt Always Answered Continent Up Escape Get Just Them Many Helpless Helplessness Grown Away Grown-Up Violence Violent

For me, playwriting is and has always been like making a chair. Your concerns are balance, form, timing, lights, space, music. If you don't have these essentials, you might as well be writing a theoretical essay, not a play. Sam Shepard

Music Me You Balance Writing Space Timing Playwriting Lights Like Well Concerns Always Making Been Essay Essentials Form Might Your Theoretical Chair Play

I always thought the desert was the antithesis of peace - something that attacks you. So you don't go to the desert for peace. Sam Shepard

You Peace Thought Something Attacks Always Go Antithesis Desert

It's funny, in a way the actor is a writer. It's not like the two things are so separate as to be like apples and oranges. The writer and the actor are one. Sam Shepard

Funny Way Writer Like Oranges Separate Actor Apples Things Two

I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. It just doesn't interest me; all it does is create more fences between people, I think. Sam Shepard

Good Me People Think Bad Stay Bad Guy Guy More Between Stuff Does Fences Just Heavy-Handed Interest Create Away Good Guy

I basically live out of my truck - I mean from place to place. I feel more at home in my truck than just about anywhere, which is a sad thing to say, but it's true. Sam Shepard

Sad Home Live Say Out About More Truck Sad Thing True Feel Than Just Place Which Anywhere Mean Thing Basically

Hollywood is geared toward teenage idiocy. Sam Shepard

Teenage Geared Toward Idiocy Hollywood

My dad had a lot of bad luck. You could see his suffering, his terrible suffering, living a life that was disappointing and looking for another one. Sam Shepard

Life You Suffering Bad Luck Looking Luck Living Bad See Could Had Disappointing Terrible Another His Lot Dad

The words I overuse are all adverbs. Sam Shepard

Words

A good actor always sets you straight. If you've written a false moment and thought it was probably pretty great, the actor's gonna show you when he gets to that moment. They're the great test of the validity of the material. Sam Shepard

I'm not in demand. I'm all washed up. Sam Shepard

Demand Up Washed

I don't get offered leading parts. I suppose I've become a kind of character actor or sideman. I think it had to do with probably in the '90s, I refused so many leading roles that they gave up on me, or I just became unpopular, or I became old. All those reasons. Sam Shepard

Character Me Old Become Think Gave Character Actor Those Kind Unpopular Had Leading Suppose Became Parts Up Offered Get Roles Just Refused Reasons Many Actor

To sing a song is quite different than to write a poem. I'm not and never will be a novelist, but to write a novel is not the same thing as writing a play. There is a difference in form, but essentially what you're after is the same thing. Sam Shepard

When you write a play, you work out like a musician on a piece of music. You find all the rhythms and the melody and the harmonies and take them as they come. Sam Shepard

Work Music You Harmonies Melody Musician Out Find Write Take Come Like Piece Rhythms Them Work Out Play

I'm still very much a believer in the spontaneity of certain kinds of writing. But then you have to eventually, when you're writing a long play, make adjustments along the way - all kinds of adjustments. Sam Shepard

You Writing Long Way Adjustment Kinds Along Spontaneity Make Still Very Then Much Certain Believer Eventually Play

Quotes by Playwrights