Controlled hysteria is what's required. To exist constantly in a state of controlled hysteria. It's agony. But everyone has agony. The difference is that I try to take my agony home and teach it to sing.
Arthur MillerRead
The theater is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Theater reflects the spontaneity and unpredictability of life itself.
Arthur Miller suggests that the theater captivates us because it mirrors the random and chance-filled nature of our existence. Just as life is filled with unexpected events and outcomes, so too is the theater, making it a compelling art form that resonates deeply with our lived experiences.
Themes
TheaterLifeAccidentalFascinatingArt
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to spark a discussion about the intersections of art and real life in a theater class.
More from Arthur Miller
All quotes βThe word "now" is like a bomb through the window, and it ticks.
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Amos Oz is one of the finest novelists of this entire period. MY MICHAEL is a beautiful work of great depth and in some indescribable way lingers in the mind as a lyric song to his country's people as much as a moving love story.
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Just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away.
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Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer.
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The structure of a play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost.
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