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Quote by Edward Albee

“A playwright, especially a playwright whose work deals very directly with an audience, perhaps he should pay some attention to the nature of the audience response - not necessarily to learn anything about his craft, but as often as not merely to find out about the temper of the time, what is being tolerated, what is being permitted.”

Quote by Edward Albee

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Work

Conversations with Edward Albee

This book features in-depth conversations with Edward Albee, delving into his thoughts on theater, writing, and life. The discussions provide insights into Albee's creative process and the evolution of his work. more

Author

American playwright, known for his unique dramatic style and profound exploration of modern family relationships. Edward Albee's works often involve complex interpersonal relationships and moral dilemmas, and his plays hold a significant place in 20th-century American theater. more

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“It's the function of a playwright to write. Some playwrights write a large number of plays, some write a small number.”

Writing Play Numbers Function Playwright Large Numbers Small Numbers

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“I don't set out to write a play a year. Sometimes I've written two plays a year. There was a period of a year and half when I only wrote half a play. If it depresses some critics that I seem prolific, well, that's their problem as much as mine.”

Ifs Writing Years Wells Two Sometimes Play Problem Seems Half Written Mines Periods Critics Depressing

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“There's always the danger that there are so damn many things that a playwright can examine in this society of ours - things that have less to do with his artistic work than have to do with the critical and aesthetic environment - that perhaps he does have to worry about whether or not he is writing too fast. But then also, perhaps he should worry about getting as many plays on as possible before the inevitable ax falls.”

Should Writing Doe Play Fall Worry Environment Danger Critical Artistic Inevitable Damn Aesthetic Playwright This Society

Author:Edward Albee

“If you examine the history of any playwright of the past twenty - five or thirty years - I'm not talking about the comedy boys, I'm talking about the more serious writers - it seems inevitable that almost every one has been encouraged until the critics feel that they have built them up beyond the point where they can control them; then it's time to knock them down again.”

Ifs Feels Years Has Beens Seems Past Talking Boys Five Comedy Serious Built Twenties Critics Inevitable Thirty Playwright Thirty Years Not Talking Twenty Five

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“A rather ugly thing starts happening: the playwright finds himself knocked down for works that quite often are just as good or better than the works he's been praised for previously. And a lot of playwrights become confused by this and they start doing imitations of what they've done before, or they try to do something entirely different, in which case they get accused by the same critics of not doing what they used to do so well.”

Trying Wells Different Done Used Cases Happenings Critics Ugly Confused Imitation Accused Playwright Knocked Down Ugly Things

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“The final evaluation of a play has nothing to do with immediate audience or critical response.”

Play Audience Response Finals Critical Evaluation

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“The playwright, along with any writer, composer, painter in this society, has got to have a terribly private view of his own value, of his own work. He's got to listen to his own voice primarily. He's got to watch out for fads, for what might be called the critical aesthetics.”

Might Values Voice Views Watches Critical Painter Composer Aesthetics Playwright This Society Fads

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“I think it's for the critics to decide whether or not their loathing of the play is based on something other than the play's merits or demerits. They must search their own souls, or whatever.”

Thinking Soul Play Critics Merit Loathing

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“I imagine as an axiom you could say that the better the play, the less "creativity" the director need exert.”

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Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee

“In rehearsals I get so completely wrapped up with the reality that's occurring on stage that by the time the play has opened I'm not usually quite as aware of the distinctions between what I'd intended and the result. There are many ways of getting the same result.”

Way Play Reality Results Stage Distinction Rehearsal

Book:Conversations with Edward Albee

Source: Conversations with Edward Albee