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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

“Always do things the least interesting way, the most blunt way, and you make a better movie. This is my experience.”

Way Interesting Blunt Interesting Ways

Book:On directing film

Source: On directing film

“You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way! And that's how you get Capone.”

Way Want Gun Hospitals Chicago Knives Untouchables Morgues Capone

Author:David Mamet

“Like Lincoln said: "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," and I feel the same way about the leftist dismantling of the West. If that's not wrong, then nothing is wrong.”

Ifs Way Feels Said Slavery West Leftists

Author:David Mamet

“Obama is a tyrant the same way FDR was a tyrant. He has a view of presidential power that states: the government is in control of the country, and the president is in charge of the government. He's taken an imperial view of the presidency.”

Way Country States Government President Views Taken Presidential Tyrants Presidency Presidential Power

Author:David Mamet

“My tendency as an actor was to correct people, was to say, 'What if we tried it this way, what about if we tried that way?' That's terrible habit for an actor, but that's a good habit for director. So I became a director.”

People Ifs Way Actors Habit Terrible Directors Tendencies What If Good Habits

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

“The Founders recognized that Government is quite literally a necessary evil, that there must be opposition, between its various branches, and between political parties, for these are the only ways to temper the individual's greed for power and the electorates' desires for peace by submission to coercion or blandishment.”

Way Government Political Desire Evil Individual Party Greed Various Branches Opposition Temper Founders Political Parties Submission Coercion Electorate Necessary Evil

Author:David Mamet

“The main question in drama, the way I was taught, is always, 'What does the protagonist want?' That's what drama is. It comes down to that. It's not about theme, it's not about ideas, it's not about setting, but what the protagonist wants.”

Way Want Doe Ideas Taught Drama Setting Settings Theme Protagonists

Author:David Mamet

“Society functions in a way much more interesting than the multiple-choice pattern we have been rewarded for succeeding at in school. Success in life comes not from the ability to choose between the four presented answers, but from the rather more difficult and painfully acquired ability to formulate the questions.”

Way Has Beens School Choices Difficult Ability Answers Interesting Four Succeed Function Patterns Multiple Success In Life Ability To Choose Multiple Choice

Author:David Mamet

“The study of acting consists in the main of getting out of one’s own way, and in learning to deal with uncertainty and being comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Way Deals Acting Study Comfortable Uncertainty Uncomfortable

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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