--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Seven characters are too many for a…" description: "\"“Seven characters are too many for a ten-minute play. It'll be twenty minutes long! Fuck it. One of them is dead and the others can all talk fast.”\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbb/tony-kushner-2204_quote_seven-characters-are-too-many-for-a-ten_1359103.jpg" --- # Seven characters are too many for a ten-minute play. It'll… ![“Seven characters are too many for a ten-minute play. It'll be twenty minutes long! Fuck it. One of them is dead and the others can all talk fast.” quote by Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbb/tony-kushner-2204_quote_seven-characters-are-too-many-for-a-ten_1359103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbb/tony-kushner-2204_quote_seven-characters-are-too-many-for-a-ten_1359103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbb/tony-kushner-2204_quote_seven-characters-are-too-many-for-a-ten_1359103.jpg) > ““Seven characters are too many for a ten-minute play. It'll be twenty minutes long! Fuck it. One of them is dead and the others can all talk fast.”” [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A play with many characters can become unwieldy; simplifying and focusing on key moments can improve pacing and impact. **In simple terms:** Too many characters can overcomplicate a short play. Key Takeaway Trim characters for tighter storytelling. Themes theatre writing efficiency Mood critical practical Type advice instructional When to use this quote - short plays - scriptwriting - stage productions - creative workshops Key Concepts dramatic structure character economy tempo Questions to Reflect On - Which characters are essential? - How does pacing affect audience engagement? A Different Perspective Simplifying may sacrifice depth of perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-minute-1192322/) [Dead Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-talk-733360/) [Fuck Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuck-dead-4645290/) [Minutes Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes-long/) [Seven Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seven-characters-2100410/) ## Related quotes > [As an actor, it's like candy to get to play someone who's sort of in the spy world, because you get to play like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-barbaro/as-an-actor-it-s-like-candy-to-get-to-play-someone-who-s-sort-of-in/) [Monica Barbaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-barbaro/) > [Fuck off. I'm dead ass serious, you have no class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fuck-off-i-m-dead-ass-serious-you-have-no-class/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once you fuck up ! You're dead to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agbessi-charles/once-you-fuck-up-you-re-dead-to-me/) [Agbessi Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agbessi-charles/) > [In displaying the psychology of your characters, minute particulars are essential. God save us from vague generalizations! Be sure not to discuss your hero's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-displaying-the-psychology-of-your-characters-minute-particulars-3/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [In displaying the psychology of your characters, minute particulars are essential. 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There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) ## More by Tony Kushner > [My whole life has conspired to bring me to this place, and I can’t despise my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/my-whole-life-has-conspired-to-bring-me-to-this-place-and-i-can-t/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [The big influence on me was Robert Altman, who, especially in 'Nashville,' transformed my sense of dramatic structure and showed how you could handle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/the-big-influence-on-me-was-robert-altman-who-especially-in-nashville/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [“Fabulous. If you possess it, you don’t need to ask what it is. 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