--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm an American playwright. Tennessee…" description: "\"I'm an American playwright. Tennessee Williams got in all our DNA.\" — John Guare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/john-guare-10082_dna_i-m-an-american-playwright-tennessee-wil_2692817.jpg" --- # I'm an American playwright. Tennessee Williams got in all… ![“I'm an American playwright. Tennessee Williams got in all our DNA.” quote by John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/john-guare-10082_dna_i-m-an-american-playwright-tennessee-wil_2692817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/john-guare-10082_dna_i-m-an-american-playwright-tennessee-wil_2692817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/john-guare-10082_dna_i-m-an-american-playwright-tennessee-wil_2692817.jpg) > “I'm an American playwright. Tennessee Williams got in all our DNA.” [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how Tennessee Williams’ influence permeates American theater and culture. **In simple terms:** Williams shaped American drama. Key Takeaway Recognize and study his impact. Themes theater influence culture Mood reflective analytical Type literary historical When to use this quote - playwriting - theatre studies - literary analysis Key Concepts American drama legacy DNA Questions to Reflect On - How does Williams’ style affect modern playwrights? - What aspects of his work are most pervasive? A Different Perspective His influence may be overstated for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Tennessee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennessee/) ## Related quotes > [There's no American playwright after 1945 who wasn't profoundly affected - who didn't have their DNA changed by Tennessee Williams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/there-s-no-american-playwright-after-1945-who-wasn-t-profoundly/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [ Tennessee Williams, one of my favorite playwrights, \[lived\] down there. You always heard about the Keys and how amazing they are and, well, it's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/tennessee-williams-one-of-my-favorite-playwrights-lived-down-there/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [I love Tennessee Williams; as a playwright, he's so poetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bourne/i-love-tennessee-williams-as-a-playwright-he-s-so-poetic/) [Matthew Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bourne/) > [Broadway remains the closest thing we have to a national theatre, the place where the greatest number of people can potentially see new work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/broadway-remains-the-closest-thing-we-have-to-a-national-theatre-the/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I'm a black American playwright. I couldn't be anything else. I make my art out of black American culture; they're all cut out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-m-a-black-american-playwright-i-couldn-t-be-anything-else-i-make-my/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Eugene O'Neil created an American theater, and Tennessee Williams taught it how to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/eugene-o-neil-created-an-american-theater-and-tennessee-williams/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [Tennessee Williams recognized that great theater begins with great talkers, and that great talkers obey two rules: they never sound like anyone else and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/tennessee-williams-recognized-that-great-theater-begins-with-great/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Being a theater actor, I've done a lot of plays where I've seen someone else play the same role in another production. Especially with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/being-a-theater-actor-i-ve-done-a-lot-of-plays-where-i-ve-seen/) [Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/) > [I was a lusty kid who loved Tennessee Williams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-was-a-lusty-kid-who-loved-tennessee-williams/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [Perhaps because my background is theatrical, I have a great affinity with the classics. Hamlet has always been a character of great interest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adhir-kalyan/perhaps-because-my-background-is-theatrical-i-have-a-great-affinity/) [Adhir Kalyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adhir-kalyan/) > [Savannah is a . . . lovely pastel dream of tight cobbled streets. . . . There are legendary scenes . . . to rival any dreamed up by Tennessee Williams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-daniell/savannah-is-a-lovely-pastel-dream-of-tight-cobbled-streets-there-are/) Rosemary Daniell > [It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As opposed to it just being an expression, they're actually saying what's on their mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/it-s-just-that-the-characters-are-speaking-their-mind-as-opposed-to/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [Teenage girls, please don’t worry about being super popular in high school, or being the best actress in high school, or the best athlete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/teenage-girls-please-don-t-worry-about-being-super-popular-in-high/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [American naturalism is what my indulgent actor side loves: a bit of Tennessee Williams, a bit of Clifford Odets, August Wilson - I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/american-naturalism-is-what-my-indulgent-actor-side-loves-a-bit-of/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [Tennessee Williams was so adept at portraying characters who are both fallible and vulnerable. Women were a huge influence in his life, his mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/tennessee-williams-was-so-adept-at-portraying-characters-who-are-both/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) ## More by John Guare > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The Atlantic Ocean was something then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-atlantic-ocean-was-something-then/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The New York City Ballet is always about the realm of possibilities, the realm of what the human body can do, what the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-new-york-city-ballet-is-always-about-the-realm-of-possibilities/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The imagination says listen to me. I am your darkest voice. I am your 4 a.m. voice. I am the voice that wakes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-imagination-says-listen-to-me-i-am-your-darkest-voice-i-am-your-4/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [How much of your life can you account for? My life is a collage of unaccounted for brush strokes; I am all random”.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/how-much-of-your-life-can-you-account-for-my-life-is-a-collage-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [To stay around any place you love, you have to have a job. In college at Georgetown in the fifties, I got my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/to-stay-around-any-place-you-love-you-have-to-have-a-job-in-college/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [You can read ten books and finally come across one detail, and it's like, "now everything else makes sense. Now I know where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-read-ten-books-and-finally-come-across-one-detail-and-it-s/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [The only riots were the people trying to get tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/the-only-riots-were-the-people-trying-to-get-tickets/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I think of the New York City Ballet as the Yankees without George Steinbrenner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-think-of-the-new-york-city-ballet-as-the-yankees-without-george/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [There's no such thing as a perfect play. Sometimes you have to protect the life of the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-perfect-play-sometimes-you-have-to-protect/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [Feydeau's one rule of playwriting: Character A: My life is perfect as long as I don't see Character B. Knock Knock. Enter Character B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/feydeau-s-one-rule-of-playwriting-character-a-my-life-is-perfect-as/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I wanted to be a Bride of Christ but I guess now I'm a young divorcee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-wanted-to-be-a-bride-of-christ-but-i-guess-now-i-m-a-young-divorcee/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [I like to ground plays in reality so they can jump higher. So we can account for the trampoline, so we can account for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/i-like-to-ground-plays-in-reality-so-they-can-jump-higher-so-we-can/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [People go to see beautiful paintings to see how much they cost. Wow. The practical value is that it shows you what the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/people-go-to-see-beautiful-paintings-to-see-how-much-they-cost-wow/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [And it is always Easter Sunday at the New York City Ballet. It is always coming back to life. Not even coming back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/and-it-is-always-easter-sunday-at-the-new-york-city-ballet-it-is/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) [Explore all 68 John Guare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) ## More Dna quotes > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Would a DNA test for love take a sample from the heart or the mind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/would-a-dna-test-for-love-take-a-sample-from-the-heart-or-the-mind/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [One glance and I knew exactly who and what he was. The classic alpha male, the kind who had spurred evolution forward about five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-glance-and-i-knew-exactly-who-and-what-he-was-the-classic-alpha/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [Music is in my DNA!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/music-is-in-my-dna/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When I get really down, I remember that we all share 99.99 per cent of our DNA with Beyonce. And suddenly, the world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/when-i-get-really-down-i-remember-that-we-all-share-99-99-per-cent-of/) [John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/) > [The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/the-way-we-think-may-be-completely-different-but-you-and-i-are-an/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [Retirement is just not in my DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/retirement-is-just-not-in-my-dna/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Nuclear DNA encodes all the proteins and enzymes that make you you, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/nuclear-dna-encodes-all-the-proteins-and-enzymes-that-make-you-you/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [The no-subscription fee was so much in our DNA from the original 'Guild Wars': that we would get a smaller market but willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-grubb/the-no-subscription-fee-was-so-much-in-our-dna-from-the-original/) [Jeff Grubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-grubb/) > [“So while Pauling struggled with his model, Watson and Crick turned theirs inside out, so the negative phosphorus ions wouldn’t touch. This gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-while-pauling-struggled-with-his-model-watson-and-crick-turned/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) > [While love is common, true love is rare, and I believe that few people are fortunate enough to experience it. The roads of regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-buss/while-love-is-common-true-love-is-rare-and-i-believe-that-few-people/) [David Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-buss/) [Browse all 749 Dna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm an American playwright. 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