Ellen Mclaughlin Quotes

Powerful Ellen Mclaughlin for Daily Growth

About Ellen Mclaughlin

Ellen McLaughlin (born March 17, 1958) is an American playwright, actor, and adapter known for her poetic, politically-charged, and often mythology-infused theatrical works. Born in New York City, McLaughlin's passion for theater was ignited during her childhood years spent in Washington D.C., where she attended several productions at the Arena Stage. After earning a B.A. in Theater from Swarthmore College, McLaughlin embarked on a career as an actor, performing with various off-Broadway and regional theater companies. However, her creative journey took a significant turn when she encountered a production of Euripides' "The Trojan Women" directed by Anne Bogart at the Saratoga International Theatre Institute in 1985. This experience sparked McLaughlin's interest in adapting classical works for contemporary audiences, and she began writing plays while continuing to act. McLaughlin's major works include "The Trojan Women: A Love Story" (1996), which modernizes Euripides' classic tale of the Trojan War, and "Aging Magician" (2003), a semi-autobiographical play about an aging actress struggling with ageism in the theater world. Another notable work is "Tongue of a Bird" (2010), a powerful exploration of PTSD, war, and healing, which was inspired by interviews McLaughlin conducted with women veterans. In addition to her plays, McLaughlin has also adapted several ancient texts for the stage, including Sophocles' "Antigone," Aeschylus' "The Suppliants," and Homer's "Odyssey." Her works have been produced at various off-Broadway venues, such as The Public Theater, New York City Center, and Classic Stage Company. Throughout her career, McLaughlin has received numerous accolades for her contributions to the theater world. She is a three-time Obie Award winner, and in 2014, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. McLaughlin continues to write plays that explore themes of war, justice, and transformation, making her an essential voice in contemporary American theater.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Every moment is a choice between fear and love."

This quote signifies that life is a series of constant choices, and those choices often boil down to whether one chooses fear or love. Fear can manifest in various forms such as anxiety, hesitation, and negativity, while love represents compassion, courage, and positivity. In making daily decisions, we have the power to choose which emotion guides us, thereby shaping our experiences and relationships. By consistently choosing love over fear, one fosters a more fulfilling, harmonious life and contributes positively to the world around them.

"The stories we tell ourselves about who we are can be our greatest source of strength or our most potent weapon against us."

This quote highlights the powerful role that personal narratives play in shaping one's identity and experiences. Positive self-narratives can provide resilience, motivation, and a sense of purpose, while negative ones can lead to self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and hindrances to growth and development. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of the stories we tell ourselves, ensuring they empower us rather than becoming barriers to our potential.

"I believe that it's through our actions, not our intentions, that we ultimately show the world who we really are."

This quote suggests that a person's true character is revealed not only by what they intend to do, but also by their actual deeds or actions. In other words, good intentions alone do not necessarily demonstrate one's integrity; it is the follow-through of those intentions in tangible actions that truly reveals one's genuine self. This encourages us to focus on translating our positive intentions into meaningful and impactful actions in life.

"We're all in the process of becoming, and sometimes that process takes longer than we want it to."

This quote emphasizes that personal growth and development are ongoing processes rather than fixed states. It acknowledges that change may not always happen as quickly as we desire, but reassures us that everyone is on a journey of self-improvement, which can sometimes take longer than expected. The message encourages patience and understanding towards oneself during this transformative period.

"The only way out is through: The pain you can run from, but it will always catch up with you. Love, on the other hand, is not something you can escape."

This quote suggests that avoiding or escaping difficulties (pain) is temporary; eventually, they will catch up with us. In contrast, love, a profound and lasting emotion, cannot be eluded. It's a call to confront challenges head-on, acknowledging that while pain may follow, it is ultimately through overcoming these hardships that we can grow and find resolution. Embracing the journey, including its difficulties, allows us to fully experience life and love.

I became frustrated early on as a playwright by a kind of smug smallness in modern drama. There was a lack of what I now understand as courage in the work of others as well as in my own work, and I found I was mildly amused or interested by such plays but not deeply engaged or enlightened.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Engaged, Became, Frustrated, Smug

One of the reasons I admire David Lindsay-Abaire's work is that he, like the Greeks I've spent so much of my professional life contemplating, is not afraid of taking on the big stuff - huge, human, moral issues - what do we owe to those we love?

- Ellen McLaughlin

Love, Big, Reasons, Moral Issues

I go to the theater because I need help dealing with my life; I want to see the greatest questions addressed. I need to see actors grappling with things that matter.

- Ellen McLaughlin

My Life, Need, Dealing, Grappling

I just realized at some point that I was hopelessly in love with the theater. I fought it for a long time because I thought theater was for, you know, insufferable actors.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Love, Thought, Some, Hopelessly

I don't do my best work while I'm in therapy. I'm too onto myself immediately seeing meanings in things and more likely to censor myself. I'd rather find images I don't understand. That's what generates the work.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Best, Rather, Immediately, Censor

I'm an actor and a playwright, and I don't earn much.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Actor, Earn, Much, Playwright

The sensation of flying is incredible, and it's such a miraculous notion to go into the air and see the world without delineation.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Go, Incredible, Air, Miraculous

In 'Angels in America,' I got to fulfill a lifelong dream. I was in the air eight nights a week for two years, and I just loved it.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Week, Fulfill, Lifelong, Nights

When I was in high school, I was going to be a painter because I had a facility for painting. I could do it, but I didn't have anything to say in that medium.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Going, Could, Had, Medium

Not just my parents, but teachers, friends, mentors - a host of people are to be thanked for any success I have had, and a whole lot of just plain luck.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Luck, Had, Whole, Plain

I'm very comfortable in the air. And if you're really in love with flight, you're in love to a certain extent with being outside of the body, not grounded. The problem is, if you're not in your body, you can't actually feel anything particularly authentically.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Love, Very, Extent, Certain Extent

The more you head into the maelstrom, the more vulnerable you are, of course. But it's what you owe to whatever gift you have.

- Ellen McLaughlin

Gift, Head, Maelstrom, Vulnerable

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