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Theatre Quotes

Browse 1773 quotes about Theatre.

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Theatre Quotes

“Bad acting, like bad writing, has a remarkable uniformity, whether seen on the French, German, or English stages; it all seems modeled after two or three types, and those the least like types of good acting. The fault generally lies less in the bad imitation of a good model, than in the successful imitation of a bad model.”

WritingTwoSeemsLyingThreeActingSuccessfulStageTypeModelsFaultsTheatreRemarkableImitationUniformityBad WritingGood ActingBad Acting
Book:On Actors and the Art of Acting
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“The "magic if" is a tool invented by Stanislavski, the father of acting craft, is to help an actor make appropriate choices. Essentially, the "magic if" refers to the answer to the question, "What would I do if I were this character in this situation?" Note that the question is not "What would I do if I were in this situation?" What you would do may be very different from what the character would do. Your job, based on your analysis of the script, the scene, and the given circumstances regarding the who of your character, is to decide what he or she would do.”

IfsMayDifferentCharacterHelpingJobsChoicesActorsFatherGivenAnswersActingSituationMagicCircumstancesSceneToolsNotesScriptsTheatreCraftsAnalysisAppropriateStanislavski
Author:Bruce Miller
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“When you want to put something into your part that is not in the play, you must ask the author-or some other author-to lead up to the interpolation for you. Never forget that the effect of a line may depend not on its delivery, but on something said earlier in the play, either by somebody else or by yourself, and that if you change it, it may be necessary to change the whole first act as well.”

IfsWantFirstsWellsMaySaidPlayWholeAsksLinesForgetEffectsDependsTheatreNever ForgetDelivery
Book:Collected letters: 1926-1950
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“The main difference between the art of the actor and all other arts is that every other [non-performing] artist may create whenever he is in the mood of inspiration. But the artist of the stage must be the master of his own inspiration, and must know how to call it forth at the hour announced on the posters of the theatre. This is the chief secret of our art.”

KnowsMayArtInspirationArtistActorsHoursDifferencesSecretKnow HowStageMastersArt IsTheatreMoodChiefsPerformingPostersPerforming ArtsPerforming Artist
Author:Constantin Stanislavski
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“Imagination! Imagination! I put it first years ago, when I was asked what qualities I thought necessary for success upon the stage. And I am still of the same opinion. Imagination, industry [hard work], and intelligence-the three I's-are all indispensable to the actor, but of these three the greatest is, without any doubt, imagination.”

YearsFirstsStillsHardThreeActorsImaginationQualityOpinionDoubtStageHard WorkIndustryYears AgoTheatreIndispensable
Author:Ellen Terry
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“You can't make theater happen without actors. The actor is the central ingredient in making theater happen. Audiences may come to theaters to see the work of stage managers, directors and producers, but the only people who can communicate theater magic to audiences, through ideas and emotions, are the actors. They are the only ones who can communicate this by themselves, and if necessary, they can get along without you. But you can't make theater without the actor.”

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Author:Laurence Sterne
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“Much of the day I have busied myself making notes on the small parts in Shakespeare, often nameless, which are rewarding to the actor if only he'll not dismiss them as beneath his dignity. If I can work it up into a talk I might call it, 'Only a cough and a spit ' -the phrase so often used by actors to explain away a lack of opportunity.”

IfsI CanMightUsedActorsOpportunityDignityNotesTheatrePhrasesWorking ItSpitSmall PartsNameless
Book:My Name Escapes Me: The Diary of a Retiring Actor
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“There is no definitive list of the duties of a stage manager that is applicable to all theaters and staging environments. Regardless of specific duties, however, the stage manager is the individual who accepts responsibility for the smooth running of rehearsals and performances, on stage and backstage.”

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Author:Laurence Sterne
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“An interesting difference between new and experienced stage managers is that the new stage manager thinks of running the show as the most difficult and most demanding part of the job, whereas the experienced stage manager thinks of it as the most relaxing part. Perhaps the reason is that experienced stage managers have built up work habits that make then so thoroughly prepared for the production phase that they [can] sit back during performances to watch that preparation pay off.”

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Author:Laurence Sterne
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“People have pointed out evidences of personal feeling in my notices as if they were accusing me of a misdemeanor, not knowing that criticism written without personal feeling is not worth reading. It is the capacity for making good or bad art a personal matter that makes a man a critic.”

PeopleIfsMenArtMatterFeelingsReadingKnowingWrittenEvidenceCapacityCriticismCriticsTheatreNot KnowingWorth ReadingAccusingPersonal FeelingsMisdemeanorsPersonal MatterAccusing Me
Author:George Bernard Shaw
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“Don't let a single comic moment pass you by; then help the audience get the laughs. Give them permission to laugh by holding for laughter and by letting them know early on what they're in for. In the first few moments, the audience is gathering information, looking at the scenery and costumes. Create a comic moment as soon as you can.”

KnowsGivingFirstsMomentsHelpingAudienceLaughingInformationLaughterTheatreComicPermissionCostumesGatheringSceneryGathering Information
Author:James Carver
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