Actor Quote by A. R. Gurney
“I think in this country we're committed to developing plays, and many plays I've seen have been rewritten too much. The scenes are tight, the play ends at the right time, you know exactly what the scene is about, but it seems flat; you can almost see that too many hands have been on the play. The individual voice is gone.”
About This Quote
Source Play: The Dining Room, 1982
Over‑editing can strip a play of its unique voice, leaving it flat and overly polished.
In simple terms: Too many edits erase originality.
Key Takeaway
Preserve the playwright’s voice.
Themes
artistic integrity
collaboration
creative process
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
creative
process‑oriented
When to use this quote
- stage productions
- script development
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
theatre
authorship
Questions to Reflect On
- How many revisions are too many?
- Who decides the final voice?
A Different Perspective
Balancing collaboration with authorial intent is challenging.
