Quotes by Robert Brustein

“The primary function of a theater is not to please itself, or even to please its audience. It is to serve talent.”

“Theatergoing is a communal act, movie going a solitary one.”

“When ghosts begin resolving realistic plays, you can be sure the playwright has failed to master his material, ... The Piano Lesson.”

“No enlightened person would deny its premise, but as an ongoing program it is monotonous, limited, locked in a perception of victimization.”

“His last days, a noble confrontation with death, made his life as much a work of art as his plays.”

“Alvin had the most startling blue eyes and blond hair at the time. He also had an extraordinary physical grace that made him an actor early on.”

“Laurence Olivier once made the rather cruel remark that when youve got the strength to play Lear youre too young, but when youre old enough, you havent got the strength. Well, Alvin is well muscled and trained.”

“The love that previously dared not speak its name has now grown hoarse from screaming it”

“Oliviers idea of introspection was to hood his eyes, dentalize his consonants and let the camera circle his blondined head like a sparrow looking for a place to deposit its droppings.”

“The invention of film has given our generation the dubious advantage of watching our acting heroes deteriorate before our eyes.”