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Quote by Annie Baker

“I ended up becoming a playwright because you can be grammatically incorrect: people speaking in bad poetry or people attempting to speak well and sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. The whole imperfection of it suddenly felt freeing to me.”

Quote by Annie Baker

Author

Annie Baker is an American playwright known for her concise and profound scripts. Her works often explore the complexities of human relationships and inner worlds, praised for their unique narrative style and dialogue techniques. more

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“There are certain early plays of mine that I really don't like, but I can't imagine going back and fixing them. I would be totally incapable of it. I'm not in the head of the characters anymore.”

I Can Play Character Would Be Certain Imagine Mines Incapable Fixing

Author:Annie Baker

“For early plays of mine, I started with character. But I think that's because I hadn't been in theaters; I hadn't worked that much. I'm very interested in character, obviously, but once I started having my plays produced, I became so fascinated by the theatrical experiment and the weirdness of theatrical space, so now all my plays start with space and stage picture and setting - or container is maybe the better way to put it.”

Thinking Way Play Character Space Stage Mines Theater Experiments Setting Settings Fascinated Better Ways Theatrical Weirdness Containers

Author:Annie Baker

“For me, on every project, I realize that I've boxed myself into a corner, or that the play necessitates some sort of theatrical convention that I realize I hate while I'm making it. So then the next play is always a rebellion. Or like, the thing I didn't even realize I was doing last time I will make sure I don't do this time. But there's always some other blind spot. And then that blind spot inspires the play that comes after.”

Play Lasts Hate Next Realizing Inspire Projects I Hate Blind Corners Spots Rebellion Conventions Last Time Theatrical Blind Spots Next Play

Author:Annie Baker

“If I were less lazy, when my play was published, I would go and rewrite everything for the reader. But I don't do that. What people are reading is just me trying to get the actors and directors to do something or think about something.”

People Ifs Thinking Trying Play Reading Actors Reader Directors Lazy

Author:Annie Baker

“If I think back to every rehearsal process for every play I've ever worked on, there's just so much crying at home. I barely sleep. There are moments of deep despair and anxiety, and then there are moments in rehearsal that are the most exhilarating; feeling seen and seeing everybody. Feeling like you have a purpose on the planet. A huge part of the process I enjoy is watching the actors figuring out what they can handle and what they can take and what they need from the director and me.”

Ifs Thinking Needs Play Moments Feelings Home Purpose Actors Process Enjoy Sleep Seeing Cry Planets Huge Like You Directors Despair Anxiety Handle Rehearsal Exhilarating Exhilarating Feeling

Author:Annie Baker

“I feel with writing, so much of the time, I don't know how to tap in and be spontaneous and alive on a daily basis. So I don't write every day. I'm just not disciplined, and I can't be in the groove most of the time. I feel like I'm in the groove ten days a year or something. But with reading and research, I feel like I have this incredibly instinctive pleasure-driven process that ends up working out for me and inspiring me. It's almost like a maze, like I know eventually I'll hit the heart of my play if I read enough books.”

Ifs Knows Feels Writing Years Heart I Can Book Ends Enough Play Reading Process Pleasure Know How Alive Ten Research Bases Work Out Driven Spontaneous Groove Mazes Be Spontaneous

Author:Annie Baker

“I feel like my life is at its happiest when I don't have a looming deadline. There's some really groovy wonderful times, when I'm like, "I have a new piece, I'm excited about it, I'm reading all these books about it, but there's not a lot of time pressure, and I'm financially stable enough right now that I don't have to be trying to get another job." But that's so rare.”

Feels Trying Book Enough Jobs Life Is Reading Pieces Wonderful Right Now Pressure Excited Stable Deadline Looming Wonderful Times Groovy

Author:Annie Baker

“I never had a lot of ideas. I always have exactly one that is the next project; the idea of a project beyond that project is ludicrous.”

Ideas Next Projects

Author:Annie Baker

“For me, being a good creative writing teacher is actually kind of being a good therapist. The line is very porous - you can also be a creepy guru/abusive therapist, too, so you have to be very careful. But it feels really important to me.”

Feels Writing Kind Important Lines Creative Teacher Careful Creative Writing Guru Creepy Therapists Abusive

Author:Annie Baker

“Being sad and going out on terrible dates and having horrible breakups and then having a shitty job and then quitting the shitty job and then wondering if you shouldn't have quit the shitty job and then getting a new shitty job that you get fired off of after six weeks, it's all so good for your writing.”

Ifs Writing Jobs Wonder Week Terrible Six Quitting Horrible Breakup Going Out Being Sad

Author:Annie Baker