--- title: "6 Plays Quotes By John Patrick Shanley" description: "6 Plays quotes by John Patrick Shanley. Plus more from John Patrick Shanley and more Plays sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7a/john-patrick-shanley-13888_back_back-when-you-were-doing-plays-like-the_686971.jpg" --- > [Back when you were doing plays like 'The Miracle Worker,' you had 20, 25 people in the cast. When you go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/back-when-you-were-doing-plays-like-the-miracle-worker-you-had-20-25/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7a/john-patrick-shanley-13888_back_back-when-you-were-doing-plays-like-the_686971.jpg) > [Some actors are brilliant in David Mamet, but they would crash and burn in my plays and visa-versa. You either have my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/some-actors-are-brilliant-in-david-mamet-but-they-would-crash-and/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/john-patrick-shanley-13888_actor_some-actors-are-brilliant-in-david-mamet_1775951.jpg) > [I adopted two children, then I got eye disease and five rounds of surgery. I went blind in one eye, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-adopted-two-children-then-i-got-eye-disease-and-five-rounds-of/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/john-patrick-shanley-13888_adopted_i-adopted-two-children-then-i-got-eye-di_1886553.jpg) > [The modern economics of the theater is such that we write plays with fewer and fewer characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/the-modern-economics-of-the-theater-is-such-that-we-write-plays-with/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/john-patrick-shanley-13888_characters_the-modern-economics-of-the-theater-is-s_2155891.jpg) > [I've been writing plays since the seventies and only came to moviemaking when I basically realized that I needed some money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-ve-been-writing-plays-since-the-seventies-and-only-came-to/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/john-patrick-shanley-13888_basically_i-ve-been-writing-plays-since-the-sevent_2777915.jpg) > [All plays stem from personal experience. I was reading psychoanalytic lit for a couple of years, obsessively, in depth, and I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/all-plays-stem-from-personal-experience-i-was-reading-psychoanalytic/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d4/john-patrick-shanley-13888_analyzing_all-plays-stem-from-personal-experience_2998845.jpg) ## Other authors on Plays - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-tom-stoppard-91582.jpg) Tom Stoppard 20 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/tom-stoppard/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-edward-albee-31692.jpg) Edward Albee 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/edward-albee/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b024/author-wallace-shawn-94264.jpg) Wallace Shawn 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/wallace-shawn/) - [Stephen Karam 6 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/stephen-karam/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-michael-gambon-67108.jpg) Michael Gambon 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/michael-gambon/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b012/author-israel-horovitz-44874.jpg) Israel Horovitz 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/israel-horovitz/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-sam-shepard-82563.jpg) Sam Shepard 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/sam-shepard/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b020/author-richard-greenberg-78594.jpg) Richard Greenberg 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/richard-greenberg/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-mike-nichols-68081.jpg) Mike Nichols 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/mike-nichols/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-august-wilson-15645.jpg) August Wilson 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/august-wilson/) ## More by John Patrick Shanley > [Women consume, and they must be directed what to consume, or they may identify you as lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/women-consume-and-they-must-be-directed-what-to-consume-or-they-may/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [I did 'Doubt' as a film, a play and an opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-did-doubt-as-a-film-a-play-and-an-opera/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [“i don't know what your situation is but i wanted you to know what mine is not just to explain some rude behavior, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-don-t-know-what-your-situation-is-but-i-wanted-you-to-know-what/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [I'd like to thank everybody who ever punched or kissed me in my life and everybody who I ever punched or kissed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-d-like-to-thank-everybody-who-ever-punched-or-kissed-me-in-my-life/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [It wasn't until I was 35 or 36, when I wrote 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,' that I began to get some notoriety,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/it-wasn-t-until-i-was-35-or-36-when-i-wrote-danny-and-the-deep-blue/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [dear god, whose name i do not know. thank you for my life. i forgot... how BIG... thank you. thank you for my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/dear-god-whose-name-i-do-not-know-thank-you-for-my-life-i-forgot-how/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [I became a playwright and screenwriter. Italian-Americans were my particular specialty. I liked the way they talked. There was something free in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-became-a-playwright-and-screenwriter-italian-americans-were-my/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [I'm Irish as hell: Kelly on one side, Shanley on the other. My father had been born on a farm in the Irish Midlands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-m-irish-as-hell-kelly-on-one-side-shanley-on-the-other-my-father/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [Monogamy is like a 40-watt bulb. It works, but its not enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/monogamy-is-like-a-40-watt-bulb-it-works-but-its-not-enough/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [People ask me if I believe in things: in God, in astrology, and I say, absolutely! I believe in everything! And I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/people-ask-me-if-i-believe-in-things-in-god-in-astrology-and-i-say/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [I think that certainty is a closed door, It's the end of the conversation. Doubt is an open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/i-think-that-certainty-is-a-closed-door-it-s-the-end-of-the/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [Back when you were doing plays like 'The Miracle Worker,' you had 20, 25 people in the cast. When you go to make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/back-when-you-were-doing-plays-like-the-miracle-worker-you-had-20-25/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [Where the terror is, you must go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/where-the-terror-is-you-must-go/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > ['The Miracle Worker' is just such an incredibly powerful play on stage, and is so kinetic, and athletic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/the-miracle-worker-is-just-such-an-incredibly-powerful-play-on-stage/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) > [Conscience is the most dangerous thing you possess. If you wake it up, it may destroy you. To live a life of total moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick-shanley/conscience-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-you-possess-if-you-wake-it-up/) [John Patrick Shanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick-shanley/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/john-patrick-shanley/#itemlist", "name": "6 Plays Quotes By John Patrick Shanley", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back when you were doing plays like 'The Miracle Worker,' you had 20, 25 people in the cast. When you go to make the film, that's not such a stretch. 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I was reading psychoanalytic lit for a couple of years, obsessively, in depth, and I got involved in analyzing everyone around me. . . . 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