Quotes by Playwright | Beyond Motive 3/29

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Quotes by Playwright

"To smile at the jest which plants a thorn in another's breast is to become a principal in the mischief."

"To smile at the jest which plants a thorn in another's breast is to become a principal in the mischief."

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish Playwright

Jest, Plants, Smile

14

"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself."

"A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself."

Arthur Miller, American Playwright

Nation, Talking

14

"The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them."

"The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them."

Moliere, French Playwright

Men, Comedy, Duty

14

"The number of those who undergo the fatigue of judging for themselves is very small indeed."

"The number of those who undergo the fatigue of judging for themselves is very small indeed."

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish Playwright

14

"When they speak, dead frogs fall out of their mouths."

"When they speak, dead frogs fall out of their mouths."

David Hare, English Playwright

14

"I didn't go out of my way to get into this movie stuff. I think of myself as a writer."

"I didn't go out of my way to get into this movie stuff. I think of myself as a writer."

Sam Shepard, American Playwright

14

"Love makes the time pass. Time makes love pass."

"Love makes the time pass. Time makes love pass."

Euripedes, Greek Playwright

14

"I think now that the great thing is not so much the formulation of an answer for myself, for the theater, or the play-but rather the most accurate possible statement of the problem."

"I think now that the great thing is not so much the formulation of an answer for myself, for the theater, or the play-but rather the most accurate possible statement of the problem."

Arthur Miller, American Playwright

Now, Play, Theater

14

"There is zero debate about whether the world is getting warmer. That is a fact, a measured fact. There is some debate, although not much anymore, about what's causing the world to get warmer. And the consensus, by far is that it's us."

"There is zero debate about whether the world is getting warmer. That is a fact, a measured fact. There is some debate, although not much anymore, about what's causing the world to get warmer. And the consensus, by far is that it's us."

Peter Barnes, English Playwright

Debate, Fact, World

14

"We have no reliable guarantee that the afterlife will be any less exasperating than this one, have we?"

"We have no reliable guarantee that the afterlife will be any less exasperating than this one, have we?"

Noel Coward, English Playwright

Afterlife, Will

14

"A mouse does not rely on just one hole."

"A mouse does not rely on just one hole."

Plautus, Roman Playwright

14

"A good folly is worth what you pay for it."

"A good folly is worth what you pay for it."

George Ade, American Playwright

14

"To write simply is as difficult as to be good."

"To write simply is as difficult as to be good."

W. Somerset Maugham, British Playwright

Simplicity, Writing, Goodness, Difficulty

14

"It's politely assumed that democracy is a means of containing and restraining violence. But violence comes not from genes but from ideas."

"It's politely assumed that democracy is a means of containing and restraining violence. But violence comes not from genes but from ideas."

Edward Bond, English Playwright

Ideas, Democracy, Violence

14

"I think the Irish woman was freed from slavery by bingo. They can go out now, dressed up, with their handbags and have a drink and play bingo. And they deserve it."

"I think the Irish woman was freed from slavery by bingo. They can go out now, dressed up, with their handbags and have a drink and play bingo. And they deserve it."

John B. Keane, Irish Playwright

Irish, Now, Play, Slavery

14

"For as one star another far exceeds, So souls in heaven are placed by their deeds."

"For as one star another far exceeds, So souls in heaven are placed by their deeds."

Robert Greene, English Playwright

Deed, Deeds, Heaven

14

"Soldiers and peasants lived together on friendly terms; they knew each other and their everyday routines, and trusted each other; they shook their heads together over the war."

"Soldiers and peasants lived together on friendly terms; they knew each other and their everyday routines, and trusted each other; they shook their heads together over the war."

Ernst Toller, German Playwright

13

"Prithee don't screw your wit beyond the compass of good manners."

"Prithee don't screw your wit beyond the compass of good manners."

Colley Cibber, English Playwright

13

"You write with ease to show your breeding, but easy writing's curst hard reading."

"You write with ease to show your breeding, but easy writing's curst hard reading."

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish Playwright

Breeding, Reading, Writing

13

"It is my art. I am better at it than I ever was. And I will do it as long as I can. When you reach a certain age you can slough off what is unnecessary and concentrate on what is. And why not?"

"It is my art. I am better at it than I ever was. And I will do it as long as I can. When you reach a certain age you can slough off what is unnecessary and concentrate on what is. And why not?"

Arthur Miller, American Playwright

13

"I know not, sir, whether Bacon wrote the works of Shakespeare, but if he did not, it seems to me that he missed the opportunity of his life."

"I know not, sir, whether Bacon wrote the works of Shakespeare, but if he did not, it seems to me that he missed the opportunity of his life."

James M. Barrie, British Playwright

Life, Opportunity, Shakespeare

13

"There is always a certain peace in being what one is, in being that completely."

"There is always a certain peace in being what one is, in being that completely."

Ugo Betti, Italian Playwright

13

"I didn't have a teacher like Sister Mary Ignatius."

"I didn't have a teacher like Sister Mary Ignatius."

Christopher Durang, American Playwright

13

"Insensibly he formed the most delightful habit in the world, the habit of reading: he did not know that thus he was providing himself with a refuge from all the distress of life; he did not know either that he was creating for himself an unreal world which would make the real world of every day a source of bitter disappointment."

"Insensibly he formed the most delightful habit in the world, the habit of reading: he did not know that thus he was providing himself with a refuge from all the distress of life; he did not know either that he was creating for himself an unreal world which would make the real world of every day a source of bitter disappointment."

W. Somerset Maugham, British Playwright

Escape, Reading, Imagination, Reality

13

"I think success has no rules, but you can learn a great deal from failure."

"I think success has no rules, but you can learn a great deal from failure."

Jean Kerr, American Playwright

Success, Failure, Rules

13

"Waste brings woe, and sorrow hates despair."

"Waste brings woe, and sorrow hates despair."

Robert Greene, English Playwright

Despair, Sorrow, Waste

13

"I have plenty of political views and plenty of social and personal prejudices. I do not, however, value them."

"I have plenty of political views and plenty of social and personal prejudices. I do not, however, value them."

Howard Barker, British Playwright

13

"To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now."

"To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now."

Samuel Beckett, Irish Playwright

13

"A fact is like a sack - it won't stand up if it's empty. To make it stand up, first you have to put in it all the reasons and feelings that caused it in the first place."

"A fact is like a sack - it won't stand up if it's empty. To make it stand up, first you have to put in it all the reasons and feelings that caused it in the first place."

Luigi Pirandello, Italian Playwright

Feelings, Fact, First

13

"Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own."

"Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own."

James M. Barrie, British Playwright

Motive, Motives

13

"Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not."

"Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not."

Arthur Miller, American Playwright

13

"I mean, the question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again, night after night, but God knows the answer to that is, don't we all anyway; might as well get paid for it."

"I mean, the question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again, night after night, but God knows the answer to that is, don't we all anyway; might as well get paid for it."

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish Playwright

God, Actors, Night, Question

13

"Squash - that's not exercise, it's flagellation."

"Squash - that's not exercise, it's flagellation."

Noel Coward, English Playwright

13

"The higher the building the lower the morals."

"The higher the building the lower the morals."

Noel Coward, English Playwright

Building, Morals

13

"I realized that I had to be honest about where I was, where I was coming from, and what I was trying to do."

"I realized that I had to be honest about where I was, where I was coming from, and what I was trying to do."

Richard Foreman, American Playwright

13

"I feed on good soup, not beautiful language."

"I feed on good soup, not beautiful language."

Moliere, French Playwright

13

"It's always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and there's work to do."

"It's always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and there's work to do."

Jerome Lawrence, American Playwright

13

"'Tis safest in matrimony to begin with a little aversion."

"'Tis safest in matrimony to begin with a little aversion."

Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Irish Playwright

13

"Whatever is a reality today, whatever you touch and believe in and that seems real for you today, is going to be - like the reality of yesterday - an illusion tomorrow."

"Whatever is a reality today, whatever you touch and believe in and that seems real for you today, is going to be - like the reality of yesterday - an illusion tomorrow."

Luigi Pirandello, Italian Playwright

Illusion, Reality, Today, Tomorrow

13

"I don't feel any older now than when I was 70."

"I don't feel any older now than when I was 70."

John Patrick, American Playwright

13

"At the turn of the century theatre does not have to be prescriptive."

"At the turn of the century theatre does not have to be prescriptive."

Edward Bond, English Playwright

13

"Everyone thinks they can write a play; you just write down what happened to you. But the art of it is drawing from all the moments of your life."

"Everyone thinks they can write a play; you just write down what happened to you. But the art of it is drawing from all the moments of your life."

Neil Simon, American Playwright

Art, Life, Moments, Play

13

"The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected."

"The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected."

W. Somerset Maugham, British Playwright

13

"Habit is a great deadener."

"Habit is a great deadener."

Samuel Beckett, Irish Playwright

13

"I think there is no world without theatre."

"I think there is no world without theatre."

Edward Bond, English Playwright

13

"Every man thinks god is on his side."

"Every man thinks god is on his side."

Jean Anouilh, French Playwright

12

"When my parents separated, I was very grateful."

"When my parents separated, I was very grateful."

Christopher Durang, American Playwright

12

"And what would be great numbers in a Broadway show are now on stage of the New York City Ballet."

"And what would be great numbers in a Broadway show are now on stage of the New York City Ballet."

John Guare, American Playwright

Ballet, Now, Numbers

12

"One man's poison Ivy is another man's spinach."

"One man's poison Ivy is another man's spinach."

George Ade, American Playwright

Ivy, Man, Poison

12

"The study of the human character opens at once a beautiful and a deformed picture of the soul."

"The study of the human character opens at once a beautiful and a deformed picture of the soul."

Mercy Otis Warren, American Playwright

Soul, Character, Study

12

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