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Quote by Ellen McLaughlin

“I write in order to understand the images. Being what my agent . . . somewhat ruefully calls a language playwright, is problematic because in production, you have to make the language lift off the page. But a good actor can turn it into human speech. I err sometimes toward having such a compound of images that if an actor lands heavily on each one, you never pull through to a larger idea. That's a problem for the audience. But I come to playwriting from the visual world - I used to be a painter. I also really love novels and that use of language. But it's tricky to ask that of the theatre.”

Quote by Ellen McLaughlin

Author

Ellen McLaughlin
Ellen McLaughlin

Ellen McLaughlin is an American playwright known for her profound works that explore themes of identity, faith, and gender. Her plays have been performed on Broadway and in the West End, and she has received numerous theater awards, including the Tony Award and the Olivier Award. more

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