“A man who strains himself on the stage is bound, if he is any good, to strain all the people sitting in the stalls.”

The first time it was reported that our friends were being butchered there was a cry of horror. Then a hundred were butchered. But when a thousand were butchered and there was no end to the butchery, a blanket of silence spread.

Do not fear death so much but rather the inadequate life.

People cannot remain good unless good is expected of them.

In the contradiction lies the hope.

One cannot be arraigned for declaring a war, which every ruler has to do once in a while, but only for running a war badly.

The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living, the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines all depend on political decisions.

What’s a joy to the one is a nightmare to the other.

Go make yourself a plan And be a shining light. Then make yourself a second plan, For neither will come right.

Those who have had no share in the good fortunes of the mighty Often have a share in their misfortunes.

The storm that bends the birch trees Is held to be violent But how about the storm That bends the backs of the roadworkers?

Grub first, then ethics.

We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself.

Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.

Everyone needs help from everyone.

Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.

Come in, dear wind, and be our guest You too have neither home nor rest.

I’m a big believer in that old cliché of thinking globally and acting locally.

Acting is a different discipline. On stage I’m free to say what I please. But the change is very good for ya.

I-just-got-off-the-bus-and-I’m-really-excited-and-ambitious-and-I-took-an-acting-class-in-Des-Moines-and-I-know-I-really-need-an-agent-and-I-want-one-NOW

I’m a standup comedian who gets to act. I’m never going to not do standup. I love doing it and when I go through periods where I’m doing a lot of acting work, I still do standup.

It’s not about women acting like man, it’s about women acting like woman and being sucsessful

It came up after doing St. Jimmy on Broadway for American Idiot. I loved acting, and so I just kept my options open.

In writing the autobiography, I can really chuckle when I look at the songs. I was acting out the part. I saw myself as a victim.

One of the great tools we use in acting is the idea of immediacy, that the audience gets to see you witness something apparently for the first time, so you create a lot of tools to kind of trick yourself into making it appear something is happening for the first time.