--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At best, the relationship between drama…" description: "\"At best, the relationship between drama critic and playwright is a pretty twiggy affair. When I'm asked whom I write for, after the obligatory, I write..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/lanford-wilson-44526_actor_at-best-the-relationship-between-drama-c_2157220.png" --- # At best, the relationship between drama critic and… ![“At best, the relationship between drama critic and playwright is a pretty twiggy affair. When I'm asked whom I write for, after the obligatory, I write only for myself, I realize that I have an imaginary circle of peers - writers and respected or savvy theatre folk, some dramatic writers and some…” quote by Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/lanford-wilson-44526_actor_at-best-the-relationship-between-drama-c_2157220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/lanford-wilson-44526_actor_at-best-the-relationship-between-drama-c_2157220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/lanford-wilson-44526_actor_at-best-the-relationship-between-drama-c_2157220.png) > “At best, the relationship between drama critic and playwright is a pretty twiggy affair. When I'm asked whom I write for, after the obligatory, I write only for myself, I realize that I have an imaginary circle of peers - writers and respected or savvy theatre folk, some dramatic writers and some not, some living, some long gone. . . . Often a writer is aware as he works that a certain critic is going to hate this one. . . . You don't let what a critic might say worry you or alter your work; it might even add a spark to the gleeful process of creation.” [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer creates primarily for personal fulfillment, using imagined peers and critics as a catalyst rather than a constraint. **In simple terms:** Writers write for themselves, not to please critics. Key Takeaway Embrace criticism as fuel, not fear. Themes creativity self‑expression criticism artistic integrity Mood reflective determined Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - writing process - theatre production - personal development Key Concepts imagination peer influence creative spark Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal vision with audience expectations? - Can criticism ever improve your work? A Different Perspective Critics can still impact public perception and success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [A drama critic is a person who surprises the playwright by informing him what he meant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/a-drama-critic-is-a-person-who-surprises-the-playwright-by-informing/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Your harshest critic is always going to be yourself. Don't ignore that critic but don't give it more attention than it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/your-harshest-critic-is-always-going-to-be-yourself-don-t-ignore-that/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [I realized that everybody is a critic. They're going to say they hate you, they love you, they this, they that, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logic/i-realized-that-everybody-is-a-critic-they-re-going-to-say-they-hate/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logic/) > [A drama critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-drama-critic-is-a-man-who-leaves-no-turn-unstoned/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Has anybody ever seen a drama critic in the daytime? Of course not. They come out after dark, up to no good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/has-anybody-ever-seen-a-drama-critic-in-the-daytime-of-course-not/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [I'm in an odd place right now in New York where I routinely get trashed by every daily drama critic and have a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-m-in-an-odd-place-right-now-in-new-york-where-i-routinely-get/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I owe a great deal to Harold Hobson, doyen drama critic of the 'U.K. Sunday Times,' who championed me as Shakespeare's Richard II at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-owe-a-great-deal-to-harold-hobson-doyen-drama-critic-of-the-u-k/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If Attila the Hun were alive today, he'd be a drama critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/if-attila-the-hun-were-alive-today-he-d-be-a-drama-critic/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [A good drama critic is one who perceives what is happening in the theatre of his time. A great drama critic also perceives what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-tynan/a-good-drama-critic-is-one-who-perceives-what-is-happening-in-the/) [Kenneth Tynan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-tynan/) > [As Barbara Streisand discovered, adopting a militaristic posture against a tech-savvy mob of civil libertarians is not going to be of much help: Many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/as-barbara-streisand-discovered-adopting-a-militaristic-posture/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [When something like that comes along, whether it's an accident or a savvy or a very first kiss, life takes a turn and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-law/when-something-like-that-comes-along-whether-it-s-an-accident-or-a/) [Ingrid Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-law/) > [Nobody had race savvy like Al Unser in his prime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/nobody-had-race-savvy-like-al-unser-in-his-prime/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [Musicians are, by and large, not the most politically savvy crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/musicians-are-by-and-large-not-the-most-politically-savvy-crew/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) ## More by Lanford Wilson > [I deliberately look for colorful people. They're very right for theatre. Theatre has to be theatrical. If you can get color into the accountant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-deliberately-look-for-colorful-people-they-re-very-right-for/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [I am not sure why, but I have been obsessed by the Atom Bomb ever since it first happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-am-not-sure-why-but-i-have-been-obsessed-by-the-atom-bomb-ever/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [Lots of my friends and family belong to churches, and some of them are part of the so-called Christian Right. In this preacher, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/lots-of-my-friends-and-family-belong-to-churches-and-some-of-them-are/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [But when I came back into the city for the first time last November, I thought every truck, every building was going to blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/but-when-i-came-back-into-the-city-for-the-first-time-last-november-i/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [Nobody's safe around a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/nobody-s-safe-around-a-writer/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [If you can no longer think about the future, and you once dreamed of everlasting love, don't give up the dream, find it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/if-you-can-no-longer-think-about-the-future-and-you-once-dreamed-of/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [I am one of the 11.5% of New Yorkers who remain traumatized by the events of September 11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-am-one-of-the-11-5-of-new-yorkers-who-remain-traumatized-by-the/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [“I'm gonna cry all over your hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-m-gonna-cry-all-over-your-hair/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) [Explore all 9 Lanford Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) ## 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. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At best, the relationship between drama critic and playwright is a pretty twiggy affair. When I'm asked whom I write for, after the obligatory, I write only for myself, I realize that I have an imaginary circle of peers - writers and respected or savvy theatre folk, some dramatic writers and some not, some living, some long gone. . . . Often a writer is aware as he works that a certain critic is going to hate this one. . . . 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