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Tony Kushner

Tony Kushner Quotes

Playwright

Tony Kushner is an American playwright known for his profound social and political commentary and complex character development. His works often explore historical, moral, and identity issues, reflecting the diversity and complexity of American society. His most famous works include 'Angels in America' and 'Homebody/Kabul.' Kushner has received numerous awards for his outstanding contributions to theater, including the Pulitzer Prize.

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Famous Tony Kushner Quotes

“In some ways [the Internet]'s definitely an enemy.”

Way Enemy Internet

Author:Tony Kushner

“I think that it's worthwhile to explore the ways in which you write the person that's writing your plays as opposed to simply assuming that it's all a natural process and there's no design in it. Because your public persona is designed, to a certain extent, and you can have fun and profit at various times doing that.”

Thinking Way Writing Persons Play Certain Fun Process Natural Design Assuming Profit Various Having Fun Worthwhile Persona

Author:Tony Kushner

“I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's also true with novels, it helps to have an ear for the music of language, for what we call poetry, for the sound effects and the way that the sound can produce sensual feeling at odds with or consonant with the content of the work. Your work is also gorgeous writing. It's very unfortunate when you open a novel that everybody's loving and it's just, you know, an excruciatingly bad sentence.”

Thinking Knows Way Writing Play Helping Feelings Language Sound Novel Effects Produce Ears Sentences Sensual Odds Unfortunate Gorgeous Consonants Sound Effects

Author:Tony Kushner

“Part of what makes for good writing is an ear for what we would call the poetical. Poetry itself is another thing and it seems to me to be the most difficult writing - that those people are the best writers and they lead the way for everyone else and their writing is frighteningly great.”

People Way Writing Seems Difficult Ears Good Writing

Author:Tony Kushner

“I love reading; it's a great way to avoid writing.”

Way Writing Reading Love Of Reading

Author:Tony Kushner

“There's a way in which 'The Illusion' is a play about the theater.”

Way Play Illusion Theater

Author:Tony Kushner

“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.”

Ifs Way Happens Asks Answers Drama Historical Details Things Happen Accuracy Paramount

Author:Tony Kushner

“But I still read Shaw on a regular basis. What I love is the nakedness of the polemic and the irresistible good humour. For me, 'Major Barbara' is the greatest of all the plays in that it starts from the rational and proceeds to the ecstatic in a spectacular way, and leaves you very confused if you cling to Euclidean logic.”

Ifs Way Stills Play Love Is Humour Majors Logic Bases Rational Confused Spectacular Irresistible Ecstatic Barbara Polemics Good Humour

Author:Tony Kushner

“In a way, film and television are in the same sort of traumatic trance that print journalism is. The technology has outpaced our comprehension of its implications.”

Way Film Technology Television Journalism Print Implications Comprehension Trance Film And Television

Author:Tony Kushner

“Don't be afraid; people are so afraid; don't be afraid to live in the raw wind, naked, alone...Learn at least this: What you are capable of. Let nothing stand in your way.”

People Way Wind Capable Naked

Book:Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition

Source: Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition

“Theatre for a New Audience is one of America's most admirable and exciting theatre companites...some of the best acted and directed work to be found on American stages, engaging with the canon of world dramatic literature in a vigorous way.”

World Way America Found Literature Audience Stage Exciting Theatre Dramatic Engaging Admirable Vigorous Canon

Author:Tony Kushner

“The kind of theater that I do is sort of ‘narrative realism,’ which I think in the broadest sense is legitimate to say is mainstream. I mean, in a certain sense, Suzan-Lori's plays have had mainstream levels of success. But Suzan-Lori is in some ways not a narrative realist.”

Thinking Way Kind Mean Play Certain Levels Theater Narrative Mainstream Realism Realist

Author:Tony Kushner

“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.”

People Way Giving Humans Love Is Ugly Attacking Perversion Abomination

Author:Tony Kushner

“Who knows better than artists how much ugliness there is on the way to beauty, how many ghastly, mortifying missteps, how many days of granitic blockheadedness and dismaying ineptitude there is on the way to accomplishment, how partial all accomplishment is, how incomplete?”

Knows Way Artist Accomplishment Ugliness Incomplete Ghastly Ineptitude

Author:Tony Kushner

About the Author

Born: July 16, 1956
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 148

Related Topics

Writing People Thinking Ifs Play Angels In America Kind Theater Way Knows Playwright World Artist Feels Should Drama Film Mean Tony Kushner America

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete EditionRelated source material

Angels in AmericaRelated source material

Millennium ApproachesRelated source material

A Bright Room Called DayRelated source material

PerestroikaRelated source material

Angels in America: a gay fantasia on national themesRelated source material

Thinking About the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness: Essays, A Play, Two Poems and a PrayerRelated source material

ANGELS IN AMERICA LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND CD SAMPLER FROM HBO FILMSRelated source material

Angels in America, Part Two: PerestroikaRelated source material

Homebody/Kabul: Final Revised VersionRelated source material

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