I'm sort of anti-Aristotelian. I want to get an entire life onstage while conveying a sense of how time feels, how unstoppable it is, and how we don't really know what's going on because as we're trying to weave, it's weaving us. Richard Greenberg More Quotes by Richard Greenberg More Quotes From Richard Greenberg I appreciate people who are civil, whether they mean it or not. I think: Be civil. Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings. There's a vanity to candor that isn't really worth it. Be kind. Richard Greenberg vanity mean thinking The ocean is interacting with the surface. There is a possible biosphere that extends from way below the surface to just above the crust. Richard Greenberg biosphere ocean way I had a plot connection that nobody understood for this fourth character, and decided, Oh, nobody gets it, that's all. I'll write another draft to make her make sense. It took me awhile to learn that these three people were the core of this play, which seems so obvious now. Richard Greenberg play writing character A play gets on Broadway by fluke. And you don't even start out with that ambition. When I do a play, the intention is just to put it up somewhere. Richard Greenberg crafts ambition play But you don't have your druthers in life, do you? Richard Greenberg I do think the past changes at a slower rate. It sits a little more still for its portrait. Richard Greenberg portrait changes think past People talk about alienation in the city. Diners are a place where you feel comfortable, an extension of your house. Richard Greenberg city feel you people I like the Mets. I'm interested in the Mets. Richard Greenberg interested like mets When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat. Richard Greenberg circumstances play lost time The idea of a rupture between acts occurs in a number of my plays. Richard Greenberg acts between idea number Frankly, seeing my plays with an audience is something I do with gritted teeth; I find the experience very difficult. I love the moment when you have just the dress rehearsal, when no one's there; that's kind of the peak to me. When people start filing in, I like to file out. Richard Greenberg dress me moment love I was formed by 'The Forsyte Saga' marathon. There was something about seeing all those events telescoped that was unbelievably moving: that sense of time as something that can be tinkered with. Richard Greenberg something marathon time moving You do think, if you have your druthers, 'I want to sort of be, not anonymous, but unknown'. But you don't have your druthers in life, do you? Richard Greenberg your think you life It's weird, because I don't feel prolific. I don't write anything for months at a time. Richard Greenberg weird anything feel time My mother wanted me to be a writer. But she was a child of the Depression and never understood that she wasn't poor. So, you know, the idea of not having a job, it would creep through. But she tried very hard to be subtle about it. Richard Greenberg me you mother depression I think I can be an intimidating energy in the room. I think I come in with an aura of wanting results because as the playwright, I know how it goes, and there's the thought, 'Why can't they catch up?' Richard Greenberg thought think i-can energy It seems that the hurdle you have to jump over is everyone's informed opinion. When you're a young playwright, you're probably too precarious in your own technique to understand that when these seemingly informed opinions are contradicting each other, it becomes this paralyzing monolith. Richard Greenberg jump understand you opinion I don't write a play from beginning to end. I don't write an outline. I write scenes and moments as they occur to me. And I still write on a typewriter. It's not all in ether. It's on pages. I sequence them in a way that tends to make sense. Then I write what's missing, and that's my first draft. Richard Greenberg end beginning me way I think I'm a writer, and it's my job. People in other professions are expected to do their jobs all the time. Why shouldn't I? Richard Greenberg job think time people I want to be a playwright the way people are bank tellers. I want to keep doing it and have it go steadily and smoothly. Richard Greenberg doing go people way
