--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All the plays that have ever been…" description: "\"All the plays that have ever been written, from ancient Greece to the present day, have never really been anything but thrillers... Drama's always been..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/eug-ne-ionesco-1878_actor_all-the-plays-that-have-ever-been-writte_439603.jpg" --- # All the plays that have ever been written, from ancient… ![“All the plays that have ever been written, from ancient Greece to the present day, have never really been anything but thrillers... Drama's always been realistic and there's always been a detective about... Every play's an investigation brought to a successful conclusion.” quote by Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/eug-ne-ionesco-1878_actor_all-the-plays-that-have-ever-been-writte_439603.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/eug-ne-ionesco-1878_actor_all-the-plays-that-have-ever-been-writte_439603.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/eug-ne-ionesco-1878_actor_all-the-plays-that-have-ever-been-writte_439603.jpg) > “All the plays that have ever been written, from ancient Greece to the present day, have never really been anything but thrillers... Drama's always been realistic and there's always been a detective about... Every play's an investigation brought to a successful conclusion.” [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All drama functions as a thriller, with each play being an investigation that resolves successfully. **In simple terms:** Plays are like investigations that end well. Key Takeaway View drama as a problem‑solving process. Themes drama investigation thriller structure resolution Mood thoughtful analytical Type theoretical critical When to use this quote - writing a play - analyzing scripts - teaching drama - producing theater Key Concepts theatre theory storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing drama as an investigation change your appreciation? - Can every story be resolved neatly? A Different Perspective Not all plays fit this thriller model; some prioritize emotion over mystery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-greece/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Detectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detectives/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greece/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Present day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-day/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Thrillers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrillers/) ## Related quotes > [For two years I was a member of a repertory company in Los Angeles, doing mostly original material, plays written by the director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-norton/for-two-years-i-was-a-member-of-a-repertory-company-in-los-angeles/) [Judy Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-norton/) > [My best chance is that, in a happy moment, I hit upon St Francis as the subject for a series of plays. 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How can we look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-barnes/let-s-dispel-the-idiotic-notion-that-the-plays-were-not-written-by/) Paul Barnes > [I didn't want to work on dry, old plays written by the dry, old dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/i-didn-t-want-to-work-on-dry-old-plays-written-by-the-dry-old-dead/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [The two greatest plays ever written were Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, and they're both about father-son relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-two-greatest-plays-ever-written-were-hamlet-and-oedipus-rex-and/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“In ancient Greece, adolescence was a time when young men left their biological families to become the lovers of adult men. Sexuality was but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-d-adam/in-ancient-greece-adolescence-was-a-time-when-young-men-left-their/) Barry D. Adam > [“Some gay soldiers and officers, particularly those with a college education, carried with them a mythology, developed from reading the classics and in conversations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-b-rub/some-gay-soldiers-and-officers-particularly-those-with-a-college/) Allan Bérubé > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) S.F. Chandler > [“I tell you, because military training is not publicly recognised by the state, you must not make that an excuse for being a whit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon-memorabilia-371bc-marchant-translation/i-tell-you-because-military-training-is-not-publicly-recognised-by/) Xenophon Memorabilia. 371BC Marchant translation > [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More by Eugene Ionesco > [I am, it seems, an avant-garde dramatist. It would even seem obvious since I am present here at discussions on the avant-garde theatre. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-am-it-seems-an-avant-garde-dramatist-it-would-even-seem-obvious/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [ “My boy! It's really true, you really love hashed brown potatoes? You make me so happy. JACK \[without conviction\]: Yes, I like them, I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/my-boy-it-s-really-true-you-really-love-hashed-brown-potatoes-you/) [Eugène Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Everything that has been will be, everything that will be is, everything that will be has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/everything-that-has-been-will-be-everything-that-will-be-is/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [“Rhinoceros The Leader The Future is in Eggs or It Takes all Sorts to Make a World”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/rhinoceros-the-leader-the-future-is-in-eggs-or-it-takes-all-sorts-to/) [Eugène Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Every message of despair is the statement of a situation from which everybody must freely try to find a way out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/every-message-of-despair-is-the-statement-of-a-situation-from-which/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [I've always been suspicious of collective truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-ve-always-been-suspicious-of-collective-truths/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Shakespeare was the great one before us. His place was between God and despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/shakespeare-was-the-great-one-before-us-his-place-was-between-god-and/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [I'll never waste my dreams by falling asleep. Never again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-ll-never-waste-my-dreams-by-falling-asleep-never-again/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [“All doctors are quacks. And all patients too. Only the Royal Navy is honest in England.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/all-doctors-are-quacks-and-all-patients-too-only-the-royal-navy-is/) [Eugène Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [That's how we stay young these days: murder and suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/that-s-how-we-stay-young-these-days-murder-and-suicide/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [“I read a page of Plato's great work. I can no longer understand anything, because behind the words on the page, which have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-read-a-page-of-plato-s-great-work-i-can-no-longer-understand/) [Eugène Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [“MRS. SMITH: Well, this is how it was. It is difficult for me to speak openly to you, but a fireman is also a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/mrs-smith-well-this-is-how-it-was-it-is-difficult-for-me-to-speak/) [Eugène Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Childhood is over the moment things are no longer astonishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/childhood-is-over-the-moment-things-are-no-longer-astonishing/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Realism falls short of reality. It shrinks it, attenuates it, falsifies it; it does not take into account our basic truths and our fundamental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/realism-falls-short-of-reality-it-shrinks-it-attenuates-it-falsifies/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [A nose that can see is worth two that sniff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/a-nose-that-can-see-is-worth-two-that-sniff/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) [Explore all 169 Eugene Ionesco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! 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