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Theatre Quotes

Browse 1773 quotes about Theatre.

Theatre Quotes

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

Way Humans Art Form Actors Human Beings Acting Share Regard Theatre Best Acting Theatre Acting Theatre Actors Actors And Acting

Author:Oscar Wilde

“Actor training should be broadly humanistic, involving the study not just of dramatic literature and theatre history, but of languages, literature, and history generally, and should be centered on acting in plays rather than just exercises, improvisations, monologues, or even scenes.”

Should Play Actors Literature Language Acting Study Exercise Scene Training Theatre Dramatic Improvisation Involving Monologues Humanistic

Book:The End of Acting: A Radical View

Source: The End of Acting: A Radical View

“Theatre, in which actors take on changing roles, has among its many functions the examination of identity. For the individual, theatre is a kind of identity laboratory in which social roles can be examined vicariously.”

Kind Actors Individual Social Acting Roles Identity Function Theatre Examination Laboratory Social Roles

Book:Drama, Metadrama and Perception

Source: Drama, Metadrama and Perception

“Talent is an amalgam of high sensitivity; easy vulnerability; high sensory equipment (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting intensely); a vivid imagination as well as a grip on reality; the desire to communicate one's own experience and sensations, to make one's self heard and seen.”

Source: Respect for Acting

“Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.”

Forget Acting Half Glory Shame Theatre Forget You

Author:John Gielgud

“An actor is at his best a kind of unfrocked priest who, for an hour or two, can call on heaven and hell to mesmerize a group of innocents.”

Kind Two Actors Heaven Hours Acting Hell Groups Theatre Priests Heaven And Hell Theatre Acting Heaven Or Hell

Author:Alec Guinness

“The audience is the most revered member of the theater. Without an audience, there is no theater. Everything done is ultimately for the enjoyment of the audience. They are our guests, fellow players, and the last spoke in the wheel which can then begin to roll. They make the performance meaningful.”

Done Lasts Acting Audience Player Members Performances Theater Fellows Theatre Meaningful Enjoyment Wheels Spokes Guests

Author:Viola Spolin

“The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting.”

Actors Acting Essentials Theatre Great Actors Aquariums

Author:Charlie Chaplin

“In the theatre we reach out and touch the past through literature, history and memory so that we might receive and relive significant and relevant human qualities in the present and then pass them on to future generations.”

Humans Might Past Literature Memories Acting Quality Generations Theatre Significant Relevant Reach Out Future Generation Human Qualities Literature History History And Memory

Author:Anne Bogart

“An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so he must be willing to accept all experiences that life can offer.”

Inspirational Motivational Order Actors Acting Accepting Willing Offers Theatre

Author:Marlon Brando

“You don't merely give over your creativity to making a film - you give over your life! In theatre, by contrast, you live these two rather strange lives simultaneously; you have no option but to confront the mould on last night's washing-up.”

Giving Two Lasts Film Night Acting Creativity Strange Theatre Over You Contrast Last Night Washing Mould

Author:Daniel Day-Lewis

“Acting is a sport. On stage you must be ready to move like a tennis player on his toes. Your concentration must be keen, your reflexes sharp; your body and mind are in top gear, the chase is on. Acting is energy. In the theatre people pay to see energy.”

People Mind Body Moving Energy Sports Pay Acting Player Stage Ready Theatre Your Body Tennis Concentration Toes Mind And Body Gears Reflexes Tennis Player Top Gear Theatre Acting Stage Acting

Author:Clive Swift

“At the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, Sanford Meisner said, 'When you go into the professional world, at a stock theatre somewhere, backstage, you will meet an older actor, someone who has been around awhile. He will tell you tales and anecdotes, about life in the theatre. He will speak to you about your performance and the performances of others, and he will generalize to you, based on his experience and his intuitions, about the laws of the stage. Ignore this man!'”

Men World Has Beens Said School Law Actors Speak Acting Stage Performances Intuition Theatre Tales Neighborhood Anecdotes

Author:David Mamet

“The truth of ourselves is the root of our acting.”

Acting Roots Theatre

Book:Sanford Meisner on Acting

Source: Sanford Meisner on Acting

“You can't learn to act unless you're criticized. If you tie that criticism to your childhood insecurities you'll have a terrible time. Instead, you must take criticism objectively, pertaining it only to the work being done.”

Ifs Done Acting Childhood Terrible Criticism Theatre Your Children Ties Insecurity Being Done Terrible Times

Author:Sanford Meisner

“The only way to deal with yourself as an actor is to follow the emotional truth of what you have to do under the imaginary circumstances. And as you develop you become confident. You come to believe in what you're doing and trust it because it's out of you.”

Way Believe Actors Deals Acting Emotional Circumstances Theatre Imaginary

Author:Sanford Meisner

“I'll tell you this: you cannot escape the impact of emotion, whether it's in a big theater or a tiny one. If you have it, it inflates you — correction, 'inflates' is not a good word. If you have it, it infects you and the audience. If you don't have it — don't bother; just say the lines as truthfully as you are capable of doing. You can't fake emotion. It immediately exposes the fact that you ain't got it.”

Ifs Lines Acting Emotion Audience Capable Theatre Bother Fake Doing You

Author:Sanford Meisner

“There is only one way of surviving all the early heartbreaks in this business. You must have a sense of humor. And I think it also helps if you are a dreamer. I had my dreams all right. And that is something no one can ever take away. They cost nothing, and they can be as real as you like to make them. You own your dreams and they are priceless. I've been a lavatory attendant, a theatre usher, a panhandler, all for real. Now, as an actor, I can be a journalist today and a brain surgeon tomorrow. That's the stuff my dreams are made of.”

“Acting isn't something you do. Instead of doing it, it occurs. If you're going to start with logic, you might as well give up. You can have conscious preparation, but you have unconscious results.”

Ifs Giving Wells Might Inspiring Results Acting Giving Up Conscious Logic Theatre Preparation Unconscious Conscious And Unconscious

Author:Marilyn Monroe

“First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent.”

Ifs Firsts Funny Actors Pay Acting Roles Humorous Theatre Mediocrity Mediocre Great Actors Film Actors Theatre Actors Actors And Acting Acting From Actors

Author:Michael Caine

“I have never wanted to be typecast, one of those actors who plays a variation on a one-note theme. So just as I enjoy playing a wide variety of characters, from good to bad to ugly to cute - so I have enjoyed of late working in film and television, as well as in theatres of various sizes and shapes.”

Wells Play Character Wanted Film Actors Enjoy Acting Television Shapes Late Notes Size Various Ugly Wide Theatre Variety Enjoyed Cute Theme Variation Film And Television

Author:Ian Mckellen

“Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing.”

People Art Acting Groups Witty Theatre Large Groups Coughing

Author:Ralph Richardson

“In the Christian combat, not the striker, as in the Olympic contests, but he who is struck, wins the crown. This is the law in the celestial theatre, where the Angels are the spectators.”

Christian Law Winning Angel Anger Theatre Combat Crowns Contests Spectators Celestial Strikers

Author:Saint John Chrysostom

“Youth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other to try the manners of different nations; to hear the chimes at midnight; to see the sunrise in town and country; to be converted at a revival; to circumnavigate the metaphysics, write halting verses, run a mile to see a fire, and wait all day long in the theatre to applaud Hernani.”

Source: The Lantern-Bearers and Other Essays

“You start in April and cross to the time of May One has you as it leaves, one as it comes Since the edges of these months are yours and defer To you, either of them suits your praises. The Circus continues and the theatre's lauded palm, Let this song, too, join the Circus spectacle.”

May Song Months Spring Crosses Praise Edges Theatre Suits Palms Circus April Springtime

Author:Ovid

“When you are in a good theatre show, it is a wonderful and very fulfilling experience, entertaining a large audience and their showing their appreciation for your efforts.”

Shows Effort Audience Wonderful Appreciation Theatre Entertaining Fulfilling

Author:Joel Grey

“As a working actor, all I want to do is work. That's it. It's terrifying when you don't work. It's very hard when you don't work. There have been times when I've been out of work for like six months. I feel theatre to me is like manna.”

Want Feels Has Beens Hard Actors Months Six Scary Theatre Hard Times Working It Six Months

Author:Sandra Oh

“When you stand and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.”

Way Inspirational Stories Share Theatre Heal Hard Times Being Yourself Empowering

Author:Iyanla Vanzant

“Now I'm seen by more people in one episode than I was in 20 years of theatre and movies. It's gratifying to have an impact on 25 million people a night, but I can say goodbye to my lunch-pail life as a working actor. I'm scared I might be a celebrity.”

People Years I Can Might Night Actors Millions Impact Scared Theatre Goodbye Lunch Episodes Farewell Saying Goodbye

Author:William Petersen

“In my plays I want to look at life at the commonplace of existence as if we had just turned a corner and run into it for the first time.”

Ifs Want Life Firsts Looks Play Running Existence First Time Experience Corners Theatre Corny Commonplace

Author:Christopher Fry

“I went to school, majored in theatre, and said 'Mom, I have to choose my own destiny. I want to be an actor.' A couple of weeks after I graduated college I called my mother up and said 'Can I borrow $200?' and she said 'Why don't you act like you've got $200.'”

Want Said School Funny Mother Actors My Own Acting Destiny Week College Like You Mom Couple Humorous Theatre

Author:Arsenio Hall

“Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant.”

Inspirational Whole Motivational Funny Actors Sound Lines Forget Acting Like You Essence Theatre Instant Dressings Dressing Up Stripping Best Acting Actors And Acting Acting From Actors

Author:Glenda Jackson

“Many years ago I remember a famous actress explaining to me with perfect seriousness that before making an entrance she always stood aside to allow God to go on first. I can also remember that on that particular occasion He gave a singularly uninspired performance.”

“You ask my advice about acting? Speak clearly, don't bump into the furniture and if you must have motivation, think of your pay packet on Friday.”

Ifs Thinking Funny Motivation Actors Asks Speak Pay Acting Advice Humorous Theatre Friday Furniture Think Of You Bumps

Author:Noel Coward

“The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life.”

Life Art Stage Return Theater Meetings Theatre

Book:Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis

Source: Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis

“Speech is the mirror of action.”

Action Speech Mirrors Theatre

Author:Solon

“[May 1958, on playing Macbeth at age 30 and age 48] When you're a young man, Macbeth is a character part. When you're older, it's a straight part.”

Men Character Age Young Theatre Young Man

Author:Laurence Olivier

“No, my step-daughter just opened a theatre school for children, I have another daughter who works in the record industry and another who is going back to collage and I have two little ones at home.”

Children Littles Two Home School Mother Steps Records Industry Daughter Theatre Collages

Author:Rosanne Cash

“The inhabitants of territories, often the theatre of war, are unavoidably subject to frequent infringements on their rights, which serve to weaken their sense of those rights; and by degrees, the people are brought to consider the soldiery not only as their protectors but as their superiors.”

People War Rights Subjects Human Nature Degrees Theatre Superiors Territory Protector Infringement

Book:The Federalist, on the New Constitution ... by A. Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. With an Appendix Containing the Letters of Pacificus (A. Hamilton) and Helvidius (J. Madison), on the Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793; the Original Articles of Confederation ... Sixth Edition, Etc

Source: The Federalist, on the New Constitution ... by A. Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. With an Appendix Containing the Letters of Pacificus (A. Hamilton) and Helvidius (J. Madison), on the Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793; the Original Articles of Confederation ... Sixth Edition, Etc

“A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.”

World Heart Character Compassion My Heart Theatre Listen To Your Heart Good Heart Heart To Heart Head And Heart Great Hearts

Author:Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

“The novel is more of a whisper, whereas the stage is a shout.”

Novel Stage Theater Theatre Shouting

Author:Robert Holman

“Use your weaknesses; aspire to the strength.”

Use Weakness Theatre Aspiration Aspire

Author:Laurence Olivier

“Anatomy is to physiology as geography is to history; it describes the theatre of events.”

Events Theatre Geography Anatomy Physiology Anatomy And Physiology

Author:Jean Fernel

“In raising a people from slavery to freedom, you have called them to act on a new theatre; and it is a necessary part of your business, to teach them how to perform their parts.”

People Education Teach Slavery Theatre

Book:The Political Writings of Joel Barlow ... A New Edition Corrected

Source: The Political Writings of Joel Barlow ... A New Edition Corrected

“There is a strange pecking order among actors. Theatre actors look down on film actors, who look down on TV actors. Thank God for reality shows, or we wouldn't have anybody to look down on.”

Looks Shows Reality Film Order Actors Strange Tvs Theatre Thank God Reality Shows Film Actors Theatre Actors Pecking Order

Author:George Clooney

“Life beats down and crushes our souls and theatre reminds us that we have one. At least the type of theatre that I'm interested in; that is, theatre that moves an audience. You have the opportunity to literally impact the lives of people if they work on material that has integrity. But today, most actors simply want to be famous. Well, being an actor was never supposed to be about fame and money. Being an actor is a religious calling because you've been given the ability, the gift to inspire humanity. Think about that on the way to your soap opera audition.”

“To maintain one's individuality, integrity, and true personality in the theatre is a big task.”

Bigs Personality Integrity Tasks Individuality Theatre Individualism

Author:Cyril Cusack

“I have always been very fond of them (drama critics) . . . I think it is so frightfully clever of them to go night after night to the theatre and know so little about it.”

Thinking Knows Littles Humor Funny Night Drama Criticism Critics Theatre Clever

Author:Noel Coward

“The theater, which is in no thing, but makes use of everything - gestures, sounds, words, screams, light, darkness - rediscovers itself at precisely the point where the mind requires a language to express its manifestations.... To break through language in order to touch life is to create or recreate the theatre.”

Mind Use Light Life Is Order Language Sound Break Darkness Theater Theatre Manifestation Scream Gestures Break Through Darkness To Light

Author:Antonin Artaud

“If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, it must fire in the last.”

Ifs Firsts Art Lasts Fire Wall Gun Theatre Crafts Hanging On

Author:Anton Chekhov