One of the most incredible and important things about the theater is that we're creating a safe space for all feelings, but especially, ugly feelings.
Branden Jacobs-JenkinsRead
Family dramas are tough, as a playwright. Most stories are about characters going on a trip or a new character coming to town, because that's how you learn information about them. But with family, they all know each other already. There's years of history in every interaction.
Interpretation
Family dynamics present unique challenges for storytelling due to existing relationships and history.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins highlights the complexities of writing about family dramas, noting that unlike other narratives where characters are often strangers or on new journeys, family relationships are deeply rooted in shared histories that shape each interaction. This inherent familiarity can make the portrayal of family drama more nuanced and layered, as every dialogue carries the weight of past experiences and emotions.
In practice
In a discussion about the complexities of family relationships in literature.
One of the most incredible and important things about the theater is that we're creating a safe space for all feelings, but especially, ugly feelings.
I don't hate people who colour-blind cast, but I hate people who colour-blind cast and pretend that they're not, who pretend that these bodies on stage don't actually carry specific meaning.
I'm not a really firm believer in theatre that is 'about anything.' I don't think theatre can be about anything other than the people who show up and the value that they hold.
When my kids were younger, I used to avoid them. I used to sit on the toilet 'til my legs fell asleep. You want to know why your father spends so long in the toilet? Because he's not sure he wants to be a father.
It's sad if people think that's (homemaking) a dull existance, [but] you can't just buy an apartment and furnish it and walk away. It's the flowers you choose, the music you play, the smile you have waiting. I want it to be gay and cheerful, a haven in this troubled world. I don't want my husband and children to come home and find a rattled woman. Our era is already rattled enough, isn't it?
Not every successful man is a good father. But every good father is a successful man.
Mom sobbed something into Dad's chest that I wish I hadn't heard, and that I hope she never finds out that I did hear. She said, "I won't be a mom anymore." It gutted me pretty badly.
It all starts with the script: it's not worth taking myself away from my family if I don't have something I'm really passionate about.
The mother is everything - she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness. He who loses his mother loses a pure soul who blesses and guards him constantly
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