31 Tony Kushner Quotes for You to Enjoy

Tony Kushner

American Playwright

Born: Jul 16, 1956

Me People Think Work Writing You

Related authors: Arthur Miller August Wilson David Henry Hwang George C. Wolfe Howard E. Koch Lorraine Hansberry Lynn Nottage Sam Shepard

People shouldn't trust artists and they shouldn't trust art. Part of the fun of art is that it invites you to interpret it. Tony Kushner

Art You Trust People Part Invites Artists Fun Interpret

I feel there's a power in theatre, but it's an indirect power. It's like the relationship of the sleeper to the unconscious. You discover things you can't afford to countenance in waking life. You can forget them, remember them a day later or not have any idea what they are about. Tony Kushner

Life Day Relationship You Theatre Remember Power Sleeper Later About Indirect Countenance Unconscious Idea Feel Like Discover Waking Afford Forget Any Them Things

The primary thing I should do, apart from being a good husband, brother, son, and friend, is to be a citizen activist. But I'm afraid it takes away from the writing. Not that anything depends on whether I put an essay in 'The Nation' or not. But you want to participate. Tony Kushner

Good You Son Writing Citizen Husband Nation Brother Put Takes Primary Participate Friend Essay Afraid Depends Being Want Anything Whether Apart Should Activist Away Thing Good Husband

Accuracy is paramount in every detail of a work of history. Here's my rule: Ask yourself, 'Did this thing happen?' If the answer is yes, then it's historical. Then ask, 'Did this thing happen precisely this way?' If the answer is yes, then it's history; if the answer is no, not precisely this way, then it's historical drama. Tony Kushner

The general consensus among historians, among the ones who can handle the fact that 'Lincoln' is, in fact, historical fiction, is that we demonstrate enormous fidelity to history and that, beyond that, we've actually contributed a line of thinking about Lincoln's presidency that's somewhat original. Tony Kushner

History Thinking Enormous Presidency About General Fact Somewhat Beyond Demonstrate Lincoln Line Historians Historical Historical Fiction Handle In Fact Fiction Fidelity Who Original Among Actually Consensus

I love reading; it's a great way to avoid writing. Tony Kushner

Love Great Writing Reading Way Great Way Avoid

The way you give love is the most profoundly human part of you. When people say it's ugly or a perversion or an abomination, they're attacking the center of your being. Tony Kushner

Love You Love Is People Ugly Way Say People Say Give Attacking Part Most Human Being Center Your Perversion Profoundly

You could argue that Barack Obama faced in '08 a situation as bad as any president since the Great Depression. What Obama inherited from the Bush administration, we all remember, was just an absolute global catastrophe. Tony Kushner

Depression Great You Remember Situation President Great Depression Bad Obama Administration Faced Absolute Could Argue Catastrophe Since Global Any Just Barack Barack Obama Bush Bush Administration Inherited

You have to have hope. It's irresponsible to give false hope, which I think a lot of playwrights are guilty of. But I also think it's irresponsible to simply be a nihilist, which quite a lot of playwrights, especially playwrights younger than me, have become guilty of. Tony Kushner

Hope Me You Become Think Playwrights Guilty Give Simply Also False Lot Than Quite Quite A Lot Irresponsible Which Younger

One of the things I learned in 'Slavs!' is that it's much easier to talk about being gay than it is to talk about being a socialist. People are afraid of socialism, and plays that deal with economics are scarier to them. Tony Kushner

Gay Socialism People Economics Easier One Of The Things About Talk Learned Deal Than Afraid Being Them Much Socialist Things Plays

When I teach writing, I always tell my students you should assume that the audience you're writing for is smarter than you. You can't write if you don't think they're on your side, because then you start to yell at them or preach down to them. Tony Kushner

But I think what made me go into theater was seeing my mother onstage. The first thing she did was Mrs. Frank in 'The Diary of Anne Frank.' The second thing she did was a play about Freud called 'The Far Country.' She played a paralyzed woman in Vienna who goes to see Freud. Tony Kushner

Me Woman Mother Made First Country Think Frank Paralyzed See Seeing About Onstage Anne She First Thing Go Freud Diary Did Goes The First Thing Theater Far Vienna Who Play Thing Played Second

When I'm writing a new play, there's a period where I know I shouldn't be out in public much. I imagine most people who create go through something like this. You willfully loosen some of the inner straps that hold your core together. Tony Kushner

You Together People Writing Out Some Something Through New Like Know Most Period Loosen Go Where Hold Public Create Much Your Who Play Inner Imagine Core

The computer, the noise of the computer feels like impatience. It's sort of the sound of impatience to me. Tony Kushner

Me Noise Impatience Computer Feels Like Sort Sound

There's a kind of a fundamental irresponsibility in playwriting, and the strength of playwriting comes from that irresponsibility. Tony Kushner

Strength Playwriting Kind Irresponsibility Fundamental

I go into any movie that's historical fiction thinking, 'OK, I'm here to watch a work of art, something delivering a series of opinions, and if it's a good work of art, these opinions become so deeply embedded in complexity and richness that I won't even be bothered by the opinions. I'll make my own mind up.' Tony Kushner

Work Art Good Mind Good Work Become Own Thinking OK Complexity Embedded Something My Own Bothered Delivering Make Opinions Go Historical Historical Fiction Up Any Fiction Movie Richness Even Series Deeply Watch Here