Here's Another Piece Of Advice, Only Date

When I Used To Teach Writing, What I Would Tell My Playwriting Students Is That While You're Writing Your Plays, You're Also Writing The Playwright. You're Developing Yourself As A Persona, As A Public Persona. It's Going To Be Partly Exposed Through The Writing Itself And Partly Created By All The Paraphernalia That Attaches Itself To Writing. But You Aren't Simply An Invisible Being Or Your Own Private Being At Work. You're Kind Of A Public Figure, As Well.

But I Still Read Shaw On A Regular Basis. What I Love Is The Nakedness Of The Polemic And The Irresistible Good Humour. For Me, 'major Barbara' Is The Greatest Of All The Plays In That It Starts From The Rational And Proceeds To The Ecstatic In A Spectacular Way, And Leaves You Very Confused If You Cling To Euclidean Logic.

You Have To Have Hope. It's Irresponsible To Give False Hope, Which I Think A Lot Of Playwrights Are Guilty Of. But I Also Think It's Irresponsible To Simply Be A Nihilist, Which Quite A Lot Of Playwrights, Especially Playwrights Younger Than Me, Have Become Guilty Of.

Plays Can Outlast Even The Opinions Of The Chief Film Critic Of The New York Times And That Reviews, Although They Feel Devastating In The Immediate Moment, Are Not Remotely As Significant As The Significance You Endow Them With On The Day That They Appear.

You Learn That Existence Is Legible But That You Have To Have A Critical Mind If You're Going To Read It.