Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?
Lillian HellmanRead
Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The stakes of failure in theater are high, leaving a lasting impact on those involved.
In this quote, Lillian Hellman highlights the unique pressures and emotional toll that come with failures in theater as opposed to other forms of writing. The significant financial investment and the intense emotional connection to the performance amplify feelings of guilt and disappointment, making theatrical failure particularly dramatic and painful.
Themes
TheaterFailureDramaGuiltWriting
In practice
Example use cases
During a theater workshop, an instructor might use this quote to illustrate the importance of accepting failure as part of the creative process.
More from Lillian Hellman
All quotes βIf I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
Lillian HellmanRead
It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.
Lillian HellmanRead
If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.
Lillian HellmanRead
Nobody knows what you want except you. And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Wanting some other way to live is proof enough of deserving it. Having it is hard work, but not having it is sheer hell.
Lillian HellmanRead
It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute.
Lillian HellmanRead
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