An obsessive attention to the news, I've realized, only serves to paint a picture of the world as a throbbing blob of dysfunction, most news falling somewhere on a scale from disappointing to calamitous.

Acting on stage is still my favorite thing to do. And everyone who's been in musicals knows that there is nothing more fun.

You can say something that can really help and actor and you can say something that can really get in the way of an actor's performance, kind of cut them off from their instincts and really get into their heads. And every actor's different. Every actor requires something different. Being an actor, for me, was the greatest training to be a writer and director.

An obsessive attention to the news, I've realized, only serves to paint a picture of the world as a throbbing blob of dysfunction, most news falling somewhere on a scale from disappointing to calamitous.

When I'm working, it's great. When I'm not working, it's great.

It's really hard to be poor in New York - I was really poor when I lived in New York.

The attitude of the director is really important, in terms of setting tone.