FIRST THINGS FIRST

“Stories may make plays, but people make stories. People come first. Why, I wonder, do so many playwrights have such a hard time with this seemingly simple notion? Why do their characters seem an afterthought, making little sense and possessing little substance? Why do writers for the stage persist in putting ideas ahead of people, rather than permitting themes to emerge, peekaboo-style, from the welter of human feelings and behavior?” – Philadelphia Inquirer