The Playgoer: Quote of the Day

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Quote of the Day

"Lev Tolstoy sincerely loved Chekhov, but did not like his plays. He told Chekhov once, 'A playwright should take the theater-goer by the hand, and lead him in the direction he wants him to go. And where can I follow your character? To the couch in the living-room and back—because your character has no other place to go.'"


-excerpt from a new collection of firsthand Chekhov reminiscences, Memories of Chekhov


(The storyteller adds: "They both—Tolstoy and Chekhov—laughed at these words.")

4 comments:

nathan said...

I prefer the quote later in the article, when Tolstoy, on his deathbed, said to Chekhov: "You know, I hate your plays. Shakespeare was a bad writer, and I consider your plays even worse than his."

Tom Shea said...

Chekhov then spat up some blood from his lungs and said "It's a good thing you're dying, Leo, or I'd fucking kill you for that."

Sabina E. said...

interesting...

D said...

I love these bitchy-playwright comments :p Keep them coming!