I'm a playwright by trade, and in theater, writers have complete control over everything. Nobody can change a word without your permission. I've had a couple screenwriting experiences that weren't terrible, but they were typical, where executives came in and gave you sometimes good notes and sometimes horrible notes - but they wanted to change the movie that everybody had agreed to make. After a couple of times, it's like, "Why are we doing this?" The story is not going to turn out very good when 13 people are writing it together.

David Lindsay-Abaire

Categorized in : People Writing Couple

The Pulitzer has nothing to do with me; it's more about people's perceptions of me, whatever they may be. I'm not being humble - I honestly do not and cannot think about that. It's a lovely piece of crystal on my bookcase, but that's all it is to me.

David Lindsay-Abaire

humble people thinking

So even the most unlikely events have to take place somewhere.

David Lindsay-Abaire

unlikely events

Only assholes write plays about Nazis.

David Lindsay-Abaire

nazi play writing

I've worked really hard, but I know people who have worked even harder but didn't have the chances I've had.

David Lindsay-Abaire

harder chance people

I'm just writing about people. People are dark and complicated. I'm trying to tell the truth; that's all that I do.

David Lindsay-Abaire

dark writing people

I dont want to work on a musical if Im not the lyricist.

David Lindsay-Abaire

lyricists musical want

With studio work, I'm always the bottom man on the totem pole.

David Lindsay-Abaire

totems bottom men

I didn't go into 'Rabbit Hole' wanting to write about class. I think because of who I am it somehow found its way into it.

David Lindsay-Abaire

who-i-am writing thinking

Class is something I know about. I've lived it every day of my life, and it shaped me in my identity.

David Lindsay-Abaire

identity knows class

We have this myth that if you work hard, you can accomplish anything. It's not a very American thing to say, but I don't think that's true. It's true for a lot of people, but you need other things to succeed. You need luck, you need opportunity, and you need the life skills to recognize what an opportunity is.

David Lindsay-Abaire

hard-work opportunity thinking

I've been pretty well treated by the critics, but the critics who didn't like my comedies hated them with an unbridled passion, and then I would see these same people writing very respectfully about ordinary naturalistic plays.

David Lindsay-Abaire

passion play writing

My plays tend to be peopled with outsiders in search of clarity.

David Lindsay-Abaire

clarity outsiders play

I'm going to do whatever interests me. Look, writing 'Rabbit Hole' came out of an interest in diversifying my portfolio, frankly.

David Lindsay-Abaire

rabbits writing looks

From a young age, I was rubbing elbows with a very different kind of person and social class, and I felt a lot of tension and conflict in my identity because of that.

David Lindsay-Abaire

identity age class

Having deadlines helps because people are constantly breathing down my neck, and tapping their toes waiting for pages. So I just have to work nine to five. If I didn't have deadlines then I might be more of a golden hour kind of guy, writing from eight to noon and calling it a day, but that's just not the way I work right now.

David Lindsay-Abaire

day waiting work people

I'm not saying people shouldn't apply themselves and work hard. You do have to try to make your own luck. But I know people firsthand who worked incredibly hard, who were really smart, who never got into trouble, and still didn't get a break.

David Lindsay-Abaire

you smart work people

Pretty much, the writer's in charge in theater. Of course you're in charge with the director, but no one can change your words. People can give you notes, but you don't have to take them. In Hollywood you take them and you cash your check and that's your job. It's very different.

David Lindsay-Abaire

words you change people

Film is mostly a visual medium, and so the director has much more control in terms of painting pictures and painting a performance. For theater, the director does everything he can and then says, 'Out you go,' and the actors are in charge of that stage every night.

David Lindsay-Abaire

pictures you painting night