of a consistent character, all the actor can experience is the enduring presence of himself and the other actors on stage, and the ever-present necessity of action to relieve the burden of existence (2).
Question: In terms of the play's literary validity, are the problems encountered by the actor an appropriate concern of the playwright? No one would argue that a playwright has certain concerns he must address over and above all else, i.e., character development, the performability of the work. This, however, is something different from what McCarthy is suggesting. His statement supports the notion that the writer almost has an obligation to concern himself with the actor's ability to interpret, with the motivation or technique the performer chooses to use to justify some particular moment or activity. Traditionally, this is not a concern of a playwright. A playwright has the task of creating the art. Period. The line of thought, the intention of the piece, the "meaning" of the play is in the writing. The "problems encountered by the actor" have never been a major consideration in a writer's script.
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