John Patrick Shanley 'gently urges' living, loving with courage

Guest host Piya Chattopadhyay catches up with John Patrick Shanley — acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director — following the world premiere of his latest play, A Woman is a Secret. The cabaret-style show, made up of six one-act plays, explores "complex and rich" relationships between men and women as well as the inherent messiness of life. 

"The agreement constantly has to be renegotiated," says the Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, adding that romantic partners rarely know what kind of a contract they're trying to forge. Still, Shanley argues that regret is less useful than open-minded reflection. 

"In everything that I do, there's a kind of gentle urging to be more courageous about living. Go ahead and make mistakes and live your life and let it be a mess. And let it be a very interesting mess."

Shanley is best known for classics like Moonstruck, Doubt and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.  

*Click on the listen button above to hear the full segment (audio runs 19:12)

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