About Quote by Tom Stoppard
“The whole thing about writing a play is that it's all about controlling the flow of information traveling from the stage to the audience. It's a stream of information, but you've got your hand on the tap, and you control in which order the audience receives it and with what emphasis, and how you hold it all together.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Playwright's Craft, 2015
The quote explains that playwriting is managing how information is presented to the audience, controlling sequence, emphasis, and cohesion.
In simple terms: Playwriting is directing how the audience receives story details.
Key Takeaway
Design the narrative flow deliberately.
Themes
storytelling
structure
theatre
Mood
analytical
creative
Type
instructional
reflective
When to use this quote
- stage direction
- scriptwriting
- rehearsal planning
- directing
- production meetings
Key Concepts
dramaturgy
information control
audience perception
Questions to Reflect On
- How does sequencing affect audience emotion?
- What techniques ensure key moments resonate?
A Different Perspective
Audience may interpret information differently despite control, limiting impact.
![“Writing a play is like smashing that [glass] ashtray, filming it in slow motion, and then running the film in reverse, so that the fragments of rubble appear to fly together. You start - or at least I start - with the rubble.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/271/tom-stoppard-437_ashtrays_writing-a-play-is-like-smashing-that-gla_733373.jpg)
