Diane Paulus Quotes & Sayings

“In Elizabethan England or classical Athens... theater was at the center of, not culture, but society and politics and religion and civic engagement. Those things have a different audience.”

“Art cannot be looked at as an elite, sacred event anymore. It has to be embraced as an accessible, popular form, which is what I believe theater is at its roots.”

“For me, the reason why people go to a mountaintop or go to the edge of the ocean is to look at something larger than themselves. That feeling of awe, of going to a cathedral, it's all about feeling lost in something bigger than oneself. To me, that's the definition of spectacle.”

“I'm always interested in working with people who are good team players - that are selfless that way in their interests and dedication to the project.”

“I'm always interested in looking - historically - at how theater can animate history and how all of that can make us engage with our lives in an enriching way.”

“Look at where I lived! Four blocks from Lincoln Center. I used to play in the fountain. And then I started taking dance lessons. I was in 'The Nutcracker' for the N.Y. City Ballet when I was 8 and dancing in 'The Firebird' for George Balanchine when I was 9. Believe me, that's something you don't ever forget.”

“The musical theater is a glorious and distinctly American innovation in the history of theater.”

“Music is rhythm, and all theater is rhythm. It's about tempo and change and pulse, whether you're doing a verse play by Shakespeare or a musical.”

“I had this epiphany that I like the interaction with people. I wanted to make things happen at a grassroots level.”

“It's freeing to not be caught up in your own personal baggage.”