Maybe the theatre isn't any place for a reasonable human being after all. It keeps your emotions in such a constant state of upheaval. It's really terribly wearing. I wonder if I could stand it, one emotional upset after the other just going on and on for the rest of my life.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the emotional intensity of theatre and its impact on individuals.
Madeleine L'Engle expresses a complex sentiment about the theatre, highlighting how it evokes relentless emotional upheaval. She questions whether a rational person can endure such a constant barrage of feelings, suggesting that the emotional rollercoaster of theatre can be exhausting and overwhelming, both creatively and personally.
In practice
This quote could be shared in a discussion about the emotional toll of acting.
Truth is what is true, and it's not necessarily factual. Truth and fact are not the same thing. Truth does not contradict or deny facts, but it goes through and beyond facts. This is something that it is very difficult for some people to understand. Truth can be dangerous.
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The minute we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget the questions.
When we believe in the impossible, it becomes possible, and we can do all kinds of extraordinary things.
I wake up in the morning and my mind starts making sentences, and I have to get rid of them fast - talk them or write them down.
Repertory theater is all about being part of the whole, one of the many colors in this vast palette.
A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.
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I couldn't talk to people face to face, so I got on stage and started screaming and squealing and twitching.
Writing fiction is an inherently political activity because people-even imaginary ones-do not live in vacuums... From Twilight to Romeo and Juliet to The Little Mermaid, no work of the imagination is truly apolitical, because the world and our hopes for it are always part of our stories.
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