Theater Quotes - page 59

There's so many tight-lipped ideas and laws around, and people put themselves in uniforms so tightly, that it's almost impossible to break out of that. Subconsciously, what these people are doing, they're killin' off all these little flashes they have, cutting off the idea of wanting to understand. They forgot, didn't believe, or just snuffed the feelings or thoughts off to continue with their crazy soul. They don't have the patience to really check out what's happenin' through music, theater and science. It's like a spaceship. If a spaceship came down and you know nothin' about it, the first thing you're going to think about is shooting it. In other words, you get negative in the first place, which is not really the natural way of thinking. It's like shooting at a flying saucer as it tries to land without giving the occupants a chance to identify themselves. (Jimi Hendrix)
I was very moved by that play once again when the Royal Shakespeare Company did a production that toured the cathedrals of England. Then they took it to Poland and performed it in the cathedrals there, too. The actors said it changed their lives. Officials wept; they were speechless after the play, and everyone knew why. It was because they had to enforce the kind of repression the play was attacking. That made me prouder than anything I ever did in my life. The mission of the theater, after all, is to change, to raise the consciousness of people to their human possibilities. View quote
Arthur Miller