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David Mamet

David Mamet Quotes

Playwright

David Mamet, born on November 30, 1947, is a renowned American playwright. His works are known for their unique style and profound themes, with notable plays including 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'Othello'. Mamet's plays often delve into themes of power, language, and morality, having a profound impact on modern theater.

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Famous David Mamet Quotes

“The most charming of theories holds that someone other than Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's plays -- that he was of too low a state, and of insufficient education. But where in the wide history of the world do we find art created by the excessively wealthy, powerful, or educated?”

World Art States Play Powerful Theory Lows Wide Educated Wealthy Charming World History Insufficient Shakespeare's Plays

Book:True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

Source: True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

“To find beauty in the sad, hope in the midst of loss, and dignity in failure is great poetic art.”

Art Loss Dignity Midst Poetic Great Poet

Author:David Mamet

“Movies were never an art form, they were entertainment. It just evolved into an art form from there, and it's still evolving in different ways.”

Way Art Stills Different Form Entertainment Evolve Different Ways

Author:David Mamet

“Mixed martial arts was invented by Brazilians, whose families had been trained by the Japanese. Those Brazilians came to the U.S., where their invention was bought out, gussied up and presented to the world, which found it good.”

World Art Found Invention Martial Arts Mixed Martial Arts

Author:David Mamet

“Art is an expression of joy and awe. It is not an attempt to share one's virtues and accomplishments with the audience, but an act of selfless spirit.”

Art Joy Spirit Audience Virtue Share Expression Art Is Accomplishment Awe Selfless

Book:True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

Source: True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

“Where in the wide history of the world do we find art created by the excessively wealthy, powerful, or educated?”

World Art Powerful Wide Educated Wealthy World History

Book:True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

Source: True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

“When you come into the theatre, you have to be willing to say, 'We're all here to undergo a communion, to find out what the hell is going on in this world.' If you're not willing to say that, what you get is entertainment instead of art, and poor entertainment at that.”

Ifs World Art Poor Hell This World Willing Entertainment Theatre Communion

Book:Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama

Source: Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama

“Art is about the spontaneous connection of the artist to his own unconscious - about insight beyond reason. If his insight were reasonable, anyone could do it, but anyone cannot. Only few can, and they are called.”

Ifs Art Reason Artist Art Is Connections Insight Reasonable Unconscious Spontaneous

Book:Theatre

Source: Theatre

“Art and mass entertainment and propaganda, they can all be plotted on the same graph, but there is a difference.”

Art Differences Mass Entertainment Propaganda Graphs

Author:David Mamet

About the Author

Born: November 30, 1947
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 238

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Books & Sources

On directing filmRelated source material

Writing in restaurantsRelated source material

True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the ActorRelated source material

The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American CultureRelated source material

Mamet Plays: 2: Reunion; Dark Pony; A Life in the Theatre; The Woods; Lakeboat; EdmondRelated source material

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie BusinessRelated source material

Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of DramaRelated source material

Boston MarriageRelated source material

FaustusRelated source material

House of Games: A ScreenplayRelated source material

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