I guess I've accepted that theatre is never going to be edgy in the way I want it to be. It's too expensive for a start. And, the audience seems to be complicit in the dullness.
Martin McdonaghRead
I think if you're writing a play, it should be its own end game; you'll never get to do a good one unless you know it's not a blueprint for a film; you're not going to get the action right and the story right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A play should be crafted as an independent piece of art, rather than merely a stepping stone to another medium like film.
This quote emphasizes the importance of treating a play as a unique work meant for the stage, and not just as a draft for a different format such as film. Martin McDonagh argues that to create a compelling and effective theatrical performance, one must understand its distinct characteristics and storytelling techniques, which differ from those of a cinematic story.
Themes
PlayArtStorytellingTheaterFilm Adaptation
In practice
Example use cases
In a theater review discussing a recent play, one might say, 'As McDonagh points out, this play shines because it embraces its identity as a unique stage performance rather than a film blueprint.'
More from Martin Mcdonagh
All quotes →Though it may not seem like it, I never try to write about a place, per se; it's always, first and last, about story. Story is everything. Story and a bit of attitude.
Martin McdonaghRead
There have to be moments when you glimpse something decent, something life-affirming even in the most twisted character. That's where the real art lies. See, I always suspect characters who are painted as lovely, decent human beings. I would always question where the darkness lies.
Martin McdonaghRead
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