Very few people who met my adoptive mother in the last 20 years of her life could abide her, while many people who have seen my play find her fascinating. Heavens, what have I done?!
EDWARD ALBEEAnything you put in a play – any speech – has got to do one of two things: either define character or push the action of the play along.
More Edward Albee Quotes
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A lot of people are confused by “hello.” A lot of people are confused by a lot of things they shouldn’t be confused by.
EDWARD ALBEE -
I have learned that neither kindness or cruelty by themselves, or independent of each other, create any effect beyond themselves.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Martha: Truth or illusion, George; you don’t know the difference. George: No, but we must carry on as though we did. Martha: Amen.
EDWARD ALBEE -
One has always got to be terribly careful, since the theater is made up of a whole bunch of prima donnas, not to let the distortions occur.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Maybe it’s a little more pertinent now since the whole concept of evolution is being questioned by the know-nothing Republican right. Yes, maybe the play’s a little more pertinent now.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Progress is a set of assumptions.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Writing has got to be an act of discovery. Finding out things about what one is writing about.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Do you know what a playwright is? A playwright is someone who lets his guts hang out on the stage.
EDWARD ALBEE -
I think I was probably wondering, having looked at human beings for a long time, wondering if evolution ever took place. And I still have my doubts.
EDWARD ALBEE -
The characters’ lives have gone on before the moment you chose to have the action of the play begin. And their lives are going to go on after you have lowered the final curtain on the play, unless you’ve killed them off.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Martha: Oh, I like your anger. I think that’s what I like about you most. Your anger.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Your source material is the people you know, not those you don’t know, but every character is an extension of the author’s own personality.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Few sensible authors are happy discussing the creative process–it is, after all, black magic.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Sincerity doesn’t mean anything. A person can be sincere and be more destructive than a person who is insincere.
EDWARD ALBEE -
When people don’t like the way a play ends, they’re likely to blame the play.
EDWARD ALBEE -
A playwright has a responsibility in his society not to aid it, or comfort it, but to comment and criticize it.
EDWARD ALBEE -
In a democracy you cannot stop public access to that art that will most misinform the people. You cannot stop people from being misinformed. But what you can do is to educate the people to the point that they will throw the rascals out.
EDWARD ALBEE -
The most profound indication of social malignancy no sense of humor. None of the monoliths could take a joke.
EDWARD ALBEE -
All serious art is being destroyed by commerce. Most people don’t want art to be disturbing. They want it to be escapist. I don’t think art should be escapist. That’s a waste of time.
EDWARD ALBEE -
The arts are the only things that separate us from the other animals. The arts are not decorative. They are essential to our comprehension of consciousness and ourselves.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Musical beds is the faculty sport around here.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Why we are here is an impenetrable question.
EDWARD ALBEE -
Remember one thing about democracy. We can have anything we want and at the same time, we always end up with exactly what we deserve.
EDWARD ALBEE -
What people really want in the theater is fantasy involvement and not reality involvement.
EDWARD ALBEE -
The only time I’ll get good reviews is if I kill myself.
EDWARD ALBEE -
The function of art is to bring people into greater touch with reality, and yet our movie houses and family rooms are jammed with people after as much reality-removal as they can get.
EDWARD ALBEE