"When I got to the reading all the work, I was reduced to being an actor in an experimental play that I'd already written. And I didn't want to be an actor"

This quote by David Antin speaks with the concept of being overwhelmed by the job at hand. He was faced with the complicated task of reading all the work, and it seemed like he was being lowered to an actor in an experimental play that he had currently written. This could be analyzed as a metaphor for feeling like he was stuck in a situation that he had actually produced for himself, and he was no longer in control of the result. He was no longer the author of his own story, but instead was being required to act out a role that he had currently written. This could be seen as a feeling of helplessness and disappointment, as he was no longer able to make his own choices and was rather being required to act out a role that he had actually already written. This quote talks to the idea of feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of a task that is too large to manage.