'It's how you achieve a sense of wonder'

 

“Ultimately, theatre is about creating a sense of wonder, and I think wonder is achieved not by a kind of wide-eyed silliness but by being available to that which is most unknown, inside the material and inside yourself.” – George C. Wolfe

 

Born in Frankfort, KY on this date in 1954, Wolfe is a playwright and director in both theater and film, and an occasional actor.  He won Tony Awards for directing Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and for the musical Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk.  Most recently he has directed the Eugene O'Neill revival The Iceman Cometh (with Denzel Washington) and the musical Gypsy (with Audra MacDonald).  He also was seen as an actor in the hit movie The Devil Wears Prada 2.

 

Wolfe started writing both poetry and prose while still in high school and first tried his hand at writing plays while studying at Pomona College in California.  He went on to earn his MFA in dramatic writing and musical theater at New York University before embarking on an award-filled writing, producing and directing career.  In 2013 he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

 

“Confidence," he said, "comes in going on personal journeys in a public arena and feeling as though you have a right to do that.  You have to give yourself permission to discover what you need to discover and not worry about how pretty the journey is.  If you're aware of the pretty, you're not going to dig into the mess.”