For this playwright, the opinions of a select few are what count most

“I would like critics to like my plays because that is what makes plays successful. But a few people I respect are the only ones whose opinions I’ve worried about in the end.”

-Lillian Hellman

Wise words by American playwright and screenwriter Lillian Hellman (1905-1984).

I love that Hellman admits that good reviews are crucial for the (financial) success of her plays, while simultaneously – and diplomatically – revealing that she honestly doesn’t give much of a damn because the approval she seeks is from a more restricted circle of readers.

A writer can become too much of a slave to the critics, so it is refreshing to see one who recognizes the commercial importance of such approval, while truly seeking another type of admiration.

As writers and readers, we can only applaud such an approach…