David Mamet Want Quotations

The main question in drama, the way I was taught, is always, 'What does the protagonist want?' That's what drama is. It comes down to that. It's not about theme, it's not about ideas, it's not about setting, but what the protagonist wants.

The liberals in my neighbourhood wouldn't give away Brentwood to the Palestinians, but they want to give away Tel Aviv.

There's something in me that just wants to create dialogue.

As long as the protagonist wants something, the audience will want something.

You want to get Capone? Here's how you get him: he pulls a knife, you pull a gun, he sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. It's the Chicago way and that's how you get Capone.

One can read all one wants, and spend eternities in front of a blackboard with a tutor, but one is not going to learn to swim until one gets in the water.

Every scene should be able to answer three questions: "Who wants what from whom? What happens if they don't get it? Why now?

Anyone ever lost in the wild knows that nature wants you dead.

Forget narrative, backstory, characterisation, exposition, all of that. Just make the audience want to know what happens next.

The audience perceives only what the actor wants to do to the other actor.